On this episode of Business Insanity Talk Radio, we talk about what my first guest calls “soft skills” – why they’re so important and why today’s talent is missing them. Next, I have one of America’s leading experts in pop-up stores to talk retail strategy. Then, we dive into ancient wisdom. There is a lot of wisdom in ancient religions and philosophies that can help small biz owners, but how do you distill 5,000 years of this intro something we can use? I have the world’s youngest Swami to show us how. After, we’ll talk to an entrepreneur who is shaking up the health food market with her online grocery store. Finally, a lot of business pundits think we are headed into a recession in the later part of 2016. We’ll discuss what you can do to protect your business.

Listen and enjoy:

 

Segment 1: Bruce Tulgan is internationally recognized as the leading expert on young people in the workplace and one of the leading experts on leadership and management. Bruce is a best-selling author, an adviser to business leaders all over the world, and a sought-after keynote speaker and management trainer. Bruce’s most recent book is Bridging the Soft Skills Gap: How to Teach the Missing Basics to Today’s Young Talent (Wiley/Jossey-Bass, 2015).

2:00 – What exactly are the “soft skills”?

3:10 – What is “the soft skills gap”? What are the true business costs of the “soft skills gap”?

4:40 – Where do young people learn these soft skills?

6:15 – What are the specific soft skills that young people are missing nowadays that managers and their older colleagues miss the most?

8:20 – Is this just about young talent? Or is the soft skills gap an issue relevant to workers of all ages?

9:10 – What can managers do to bridge the soft skills gap?

Segment 2: Melissa Gonzalez has become the go-to pop-up architect for brands looking to either launch their brand, test new markets or insert their brand into strategic conversations. She and her team have produced over 100 pop-up stores since 2009. Gonzalez is also the co-founder of THE MARKET at the Roger Smith Hotel, a renovated and innovative space for pop-up retail, which has grown from one to four storefronts since inception in 2010. Outside of helping clients exceed their goals, she is an active guest blogger on pop-up and immersive retail strategies and is one of IBM’s Retail Futurists.

15:30 – Why are pop-up stores becoming an increasingly popular strategy with retailers?

16:45 – What brands benefit from having a pop-up store?

18:00 – How do you know if a pop-up store is right for you?

19:00 – What factors go into the cost of opening a pop-up store?

20:45 – What pop-up stores have you created for various brands?

22:30 – Key retail strategy tips for pop-up stores.

Segment 3: Vishnu Swami is known as “The Maverick Monk”. He was made the worlds’ youngest Swami, has lived and studied full time in a monastery in India since age of 11, has taught in 20 countries around the world, and has spoken to crowds numbering over 15,000. He is the author of the upcoming book “The Virtue of Surrender”.

31:00 – What is a Swami?

31:30 – How is 5000 years of ancient knowledge relevant to how we run our business today?

33:00 – The division of the Spiritual and Material is unhealthy.

34:30 – Can you use your Business to Get Enlightened?

35:00 – How to apply the concept of Dharma to your business.

Segment 4: Gemma Price is the founder of Superfood Market, which believes you should be able to access the best natural products at one place and enjoy reasonable pricing, fast delivery, and excellent customer service.

4:25 – Will people pay more for higher quality food in Europe as well?

40:55 – How do you sell healthy food over the internet? What makes Superfood Market successful?

43:00 – How long does it take to deliver the products?

43:15 – How will Americans use this service?

44:10 – Lessons on doing business in multiple countries.

Segment 5: Kristy Murrow is the managing partner for Mariposa Aesthetics and Laser Center.

49:30 – How to go from a failing business to a successful one in a down economy.

50:15 – Recession-proof investments: branding and customer service.

50:45 – Creating an effective work culture.

52:15 – Getting to the top is hard. Staying on top is even harder.

Sponsored by Nextiva and Staples.