A SEAT at THE TABLE: Conversations with Today's Top Industry Leaders

Jane Singer
  • 5.0 (11)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Industry leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and authors join us on A Seat at The Table to share their insights and help us build more successful businesses.

  1. Evidence-Based Impact: Applying Corporate Rigor to Philanthropy and Beyond

    JAN 4

    Evidence-Based Impact: Applying Corporate Rigor to Philanthropy and Beyond

    One of the biggest challenges in business is being able to turn one-off projects into repeatable, profitable project management systems. It sounds simple.  Lean into process documentation.  Gather deep data.  Use advanced analytics.  But there’s more to it if you want to drive efficiency and scale your services. Today we are joined by Claus Geissendoerfer, owner of Amstadd, an IT staffing and systemic business optimization specialist that helps organizations from multinationals to scaling startups shift from chaotic Project Management to highly scalable, repeatable Product Management systems, ensuring efficiency and sustainable growth.  Claus is also an ambassador for Giving What We Can - an initiative that  applies rigorous, data-driven analysis to identify and support charitable causes that deliver the greatest good per dollar. In this episode  of A Seat at The Table, Claus will discuss: How  companies can transition from chaotic Project Management to scalable, repeatable Product Management systemsThe key operational metrics leaders must focus on to maximize profit per employee and eliminate wasteHow  a partnership-driven model challenges and outperforms traditional corporate hierarchies in the enterprise world. Let’s sit down with Claus and find out how we can reduce some of the chaos in our businesses. USEFUL LINKS:  Give What We Can website:  https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/  Connect with Claus on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/clausggeissen/ On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

    26 min
  2. The Key to B2B Sales Mastery: Precision Over Volume

    12/28/2025

    The Key to B2B Sales Mastery: Precision Over Volume

    Winning sales isn’t as easy as it used to be - especially in a challenging economic environment with a never ending stream of new competitors coming onto the scene. It’s no longer enough to have a standout product, a great team or even massive funding (although it doesn’t hurt).    Now, anyone in B2B sales needs a lot more in their toolkit in order to succeed.   Meet Margo White, a dynamic strategist and author with over 22 years of experience transforming how traditional industries sell, communicate, and evolve.   In this episode of A Seat at The Table she’ll tell us: Why precision beats volume - and how to build a system that turns chaos into actionable data.Understanding the deal psychology that is foundational to winning corporate contracts.How identity is what motivates people to buy - not logic or even emotion. This episode is part of our new Sales Power series, where you’ll learn the power moves that separate sales leaders from everyone else. I can’t wait to sit down with  Margo and find out how to fire up my sales game! USEFUL LINKS: "Survivors, Inventors" - Book Description and Free Download of the first 50 Pages >> https://prospectingbroker.com/survivors-inventors-book/  "Survivors, Inventors" Hardcover on Amazon >> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSZ65F7M Margo on Instagram >> @prospectingbroker (https://www.instagram.com/prospectingbroker/) On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

    33 min
  3. From Burnout to Buy-In: Navigating Senior Leadership’s Toughest Moments

    12/20/2025

    From Burnout to Buy-In: Navigating Senior Leadership’s Toughest Moments

    Sometimes  the most difficult challenge senior leadership faces is finding purpose in their work.   It’s not that they don’t care about the company or their teams.  It’s a more subtle sense that something is missing.  The job is no longer fulfilling.   That they are stagnating or are meaningless in their roles. This can be particularly perplexing when overall you are successful at what you do – and it’s not like there’s something else that looks a lot better. Today we are joined by the fabulous Marla Bace.  Having successfully navigated several career transitions herself, Marla now helps senior leadership find renewed purpose in their work – or identify what their next - more fulfilling - role might be. In this episode of A Seat at The Table, Marla will share  Why leadership needs to look beyond self-awareness  and emotional intelligence, and lean into intuition and purpose in order to find work that aligns with them.Practical strategies for senior executives who are facing career boredom that can help reignite excitement and identify strategic pivots.Balancing data-driven decisions with intuition to build greater team engagement and loyalty. This episode is part of our new Leadership Edge series. We developed this series because while performance gets you in the room. Presence is what makes people listen. We’re unpacking the leadership skills that help you stand out—create real influence, earn loyalty, and build the right relationships. Because visibility isn’t luck. It’s built. USEFUL LINKS: Connect with Marla Bace on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlabace/ Marla Bace's website:  http://www.marlabace.com/ On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

    30 min
  4. Modernizing Heritage Brands – Without Losing Their Legacy

    12/14/2025

    Modernizing Heritage Brands – Without Losing Their Legacy

    One of the biggest challenges companies face is how to maintain their heritage while adapting to changing consumer preferences. The task can be even more daunting for legacy brands that on the one hand have built their reputations on their brand or company history.  But on the other, need to compete with newer brands that feel more modern. Establishing that critical but delicate balance requires the skills of a branding master. Today we are joined by Michael Kønig, a brand expert with two decades of experience leading transformations at companies like Bang & Olufsen, Georg Jensen, Wedgwood, Waterford, Royal Copenhagen and Moomin through shifts in product direction, brand positioning and operating model design.  Today he runs his own agency helping leadership teams use their heritage as a strategic advantage. His work focuses on making legacy brands culturally relevant again, simplifying their portfolios and enabling them to deliver at speed. I can’t wait to sit down with Michael and find out what he did to give  these legendary brands a modern makeover - without losing the essence of what makes them unique. USEFUL LINKS: Michael Konig Designs website:  https://www.michaelkonig.design/ Free 5-day Heritage Playbook Linkedin On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

    33 min
  5. A Smart New Approach to Building Successful Virtual Teams

    12/09/2025

    A Smart New Approach to Building Successful Virtual Teams

    Hiring remote staff is not a new concept.  Companies get access to a wider talent pool. Can oftentimes arbitrage wages and find people who are eager to work with you. The downside is managing those people.  The fact that are often not even in the same country adds complexity.  Especially when it comes to payroll or even basic HR functions. Today we are joined by Richard Hogben, founder of Worldwide VA, a company that helps businesses recruit and manage virtual staff - from assistants to CFOs.   In this episode of A Seat at The Table, Richard will be discussing: Best practices for managing virtual staff or remote workers The key advantages of sourcing talent from outside your local area Some of the biggest mistakes companies make when working with virtual staff - and how to avoid them. So let’s sit down with Richard and find out why we might want to look at the global talent pool for our next hire. USEFUL LINKS: Connect with Richard Hogben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hogben-23723b2/ Website: https://www.worldwideva.com On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

    34 min
  6. Making International Payments Simple, Safe and Humanized

    11/30/2025

    Making International Payments Simple, Safe and Humanized

    Sending international payments is no longer something only large companies do.   Increasingly everyone from startups to individuals are sending money to more destinations.   That’s led to a need for a system that offers ease-of-use, is safe and reliable – and ideally provides actual customer service. Not a chatbot, but support by real people who are they to help you. Sound too good to be true?  Stay tuned. Today we are welcoming a long time friend and modern day visionary to our podcast community. Stephen Patton seems to always be one step ahead – seeing opportunities and turning them into success stories. On this episode of A Seat at The Table, Stephen is going to tell us about Banpay - a new fintech service he has recently launched and what the future of international payments could look like. So let’s sit down with Stephen and get an insider view of what might be next for global payments. USEFUL LINKS Connect with Stephen Patton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spatton1/ Learn more about Banpay: https://banpay.com/ On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

    28 min
  7. Turning A Business into a Powerful Brand

    11/24/2025

    Turning A Business into a Powerful Brand

    Everyone wants to build a brand.  Not just a brand, but a power brand.  A viral brand.   The problem is few companies know how.  Most focus on creating of a super cool logo.  A catchy tagline. Developing their vision of the perfect brand colors. Or adding lots of fun features. And they’re disappointed when their brand literally dies on the vine.   How could something that fabulous not be a marketplace sensation? Today we’re joined by Dr Pieter Steenkamp founder of Brand for Success, a boutique brand consultancy. He holds a doctorate focused on brand strategy and is a multi-award-winning academic in the Marketing Department at a university in Cape Town and a visiting Professor in Germany. In this podcast, Dr. Steenkamp will be discussing:  Misconceptions behind brand building that lead to failureWhat winning brands do that helps them outperform competitorsHis science-based  ‘Brand for Success’ process turns regular businesses into sophisticated brands Let’s sit down with Dr. Pieter Steenkamp and learn how to get our brand strategy on the right track. On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

    32 min
  8. Tactics for Building Leadership Momentum in Uncertain Times

    11/15/2025

    Tactics for Building Leadership Momentum in Uncertain Times

    One of the biggest challenges people in leadership roles face is steering the business while also managing their own careers.   It’s a delicate balance to be sure.  Especially in times when the landscape is changing seemingly all the time. Winning in this environment takes a new skills and new tactics.   If you’re looking take your professional and leadership skills to the next level then you’ll want to have Shelli Brunswick on speed dial. She’s a tireless leader and bold visionary who has been a long time champion of the space industry.   Shelli has taken lessons learned from this science-based sector and created a modern day playbook that leadership in any industry can use. In this episode of A Seat at The Table, Shelli will be talking about  How Bold vision and self-leadership create momentum in uncertain timesHow to use storytelling to turn complexity into clarity.Why we need to build pathways and frameworks to open doors to growth. If you’re ready to get wired up and fired up, then let’s sit down with Shelli. On the Balance Sheet®Interviewing executives from community banks and credit unions about key economic issues.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

    35 min
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Industry leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and authors join us on A Seat at The Table to share their insights and help us build more successful businesses.

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