Leeds Business Insights

Leeds School of Business
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Leeds Business Insights

The challenges facing business today are more complex and interconnected than ever before. The Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder offers a cutting-edge perspective of trending topics, along with actionable insights, to help you navigate the evolving world of business. Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. ( https://university.fm/ )

  1. S4E1: Ethan Poskanzer - The Politics of Truth: Exploring Moral Flexibility

    OCT 30

    S4E1: Ethan Poskanzer - The Politics of Truth: Exploring Moral Flexibility

    Our guest’s latest research is focused on how voters relate to the concepts of truth and factuality, and how personal moral values tend to drive voters more than facts. Ethan Poskanzer is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. Ethan studies how organizations can select and connect people to develop innovative ideas and is particularly interested in how the opportunity to innovate can be democratized and made more inclusive. In his second appearance on the show, Ethan joins our new host Mariz Kuntz to chat about the latest paper he co-authored. We’ll dive into how moral flexibility influences political parties and challenges the efficacy of fact-checking, and ultimately shows us how across political parties, people are more similar than they are different. Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. EPISODE QUOTES: How can we improve our political environment? [16:55] In the political environment, it would be better if we tried to support candidates who we thought would conduct themselves in a way conducive to the American political system we want to see. Which I would say, frankly, it's not that easy, because I think there's always shades of these behaviors going on, but it's a new variable in my “who am I going to support?” equation. Politicians reflect what voters reward [17:44] As voters, I think the point of a democracy is that politicians are going to do what gets them votes, so we're going to get the things that we have demand for in the world. And so, if you say that, hey, there's too much distrust in politics, and there's too much misinformation in politics, you probably shouldn't vote for a candidate to do that because that's going to keep happening. I think this is a case where the politicians do what is rewarded by the voters, so we have the power to kind of create a political environment. Seeking leaders who value facts over political agendas [12:08] We see that politicians are not really penalized for saying things that aren't true. And politicians generally are going to do what gets them votes. So to an extent that we want to see this stop, the voters have to hold politicians that do this accountable and not vote for them.  SHOW LINKS: Ethan Poskanzer | Leeds School of BusinessEthan Poskanzer | Personal WebsiteEthan Poskanzer | LinkedInEthan Poskanzer | Google ScholarWhen Truth Trumps Facts: Studies on Partisan Moral Flexibility in American Politics

    19 min
  2. Season 4 - Trailer

    OCT 23

    Season 4 - Trailer

    The fall semester is well underway and we are BACK with a brand-new season of Leeds Business Insights! We know it’s been a minute since we gave you new episodes, and we’ve made a few changes. First, we have a new host, Maria Kuntz! Maria is an inclusive communications and marketing professional, storyteller, and now—podcast host!  In Season 4, we’ll continue to explore the challenges and opportunities facing business leaders and share LBIdeas, key takeaways and actionable insights from each episode. So meet us right back here on October 30th, and on the last Wednesday of every month. In the meantime, check out past show episodes already available on your favorite podcast platform.  Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM.

    1 min
  3. S3E10: Brian Higgins - Sales Is Really About Building Relationships

    07/19/2023

    S3E10: Brian Higgins - Sales Is Really About Building Relationships

    Our guest today says sales is all about helping buyers make informed purchase decisions and giving them the information they need. But there is so much more nuance behind that simple definition, and what goes on in the day to day of a salesperson.  So we are thrilled to be discussing applicable lessons from sales that can be useful for any professional with Brian Higgins, a Teaching Assistant Professional at Leeds Business and sales and business development executive.  Brian joins host Amanda Kramer to talk about misperceptions many have about working in sales, the art of a good conversation, surprising skills taught in sales courses at Leeds, and the unique mentorship opportunities available here. If you are interested in becoming a mentor for sales students at Leeds, and have 5 years experience employing a sales process with good results, we would love to have you reach out! You can email Brian directly at Brian.Higgins@colorado.edu to learn more. Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. EPISODE QUOTES: The illusion of good and bad personalities [00:10:02] You know what's interesting is that we suffer from this illusion that we have good personalities and bad personalities. There really is no such thing as a good personality and a bad personality. It's that I have a certain kind of personality, and you have a certain kind of personality. And if we're going to get along, we're probably going to need to flex a little bit so that, you know, we can come together in the middle. The value of building relationship in sales [00:02:54] I think what's important is that people understand that no matter how well you communicate, if you don't have the ability to develop some relationship with a person or the people you're selling to, your ability to communicate is not going to be very valuable. On understanding how to sell [00:08:12] Even though you may not be employed to sell, understanding how to sell and understanding what's important in order to sell yourself or your ideas can be very, very helpful in your life. Questions are powerful [00:14:54] Questions are so powerful. The ability to ask questions that are purposeful and meaningful puts the focus on the other person. It's not about us. It's more about you. Tell me about this. Tell me about that. So the ability to ask questions in a conversation is incredibly powerful. SHOW LINKS: Brian Higgins Faculty Profile at the Leeds School of Business

    22 min
  4. S3E9: Brock Weatherup - You Don’t Get Lucky If You Don’t Work Hard

    07/05/2023

    S3E9: Brock Weatherup - You Don’t Get Lucky If You Don’t Work Hard

    Brock Weatherup is a Leeds alumnus and consumer growth board executive, three-time Exit Startup CEO founder, multi-billion dollar C-suite leader, an active early-stage investor. He was a dedicated startup guy, who went from churning out successful businesses in the pet food & wellness industry, to receiving a diagnosis that changed the entire course of his life.  In this episode, he sits down with host Amanda Kramer to discuss his accomplishments, reflect on getting diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just 18 months ago, finding comfort in risk, and diving into opportunities even if you don't feel 100% prepared. Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. EPISODE QUOTES: Take the risk and embrace the knowledge that comes with it [00:25:24] If you don't take risks and don't take stride, you don't know what will happen in life. And it doesn't have to be necessarily a medical thing, but all those other things—how are you going to end up and what are you going to do with it? And the reality is: take the risk and embrace the knowledge that comes with it. How do you build your comfort with risk and live with a risk forward mentality? [00:13:06] If you have that personal infrastructure and the intentionality in your life, those two things allow you to find success if you're willing to be open for it. But you have to be ready to go do that and know that, hey, things fail all along the way. Okay. How are you going to get out of it? On finding the right support system [00:10:56] Find the people that are supportive, and by supportive, it doesn't mean people who are like, "Yay! You're the best Brock." It doesn't mean that it's the people who are truly there for you and care about you genuinely. SHOW LINKS: Brock Weatherup on LinkedIn

    25 min
  5. S3E8: Alix Barasch - Crafting Immersive, Enjoyable Experiences

    06/21/2023

    S3E8: Alix Barasch - Crafting Immersive, Enjoyable Experiences

    So much of our free time is consumed with posting on social media, sharing our day to day lives and crafting a personal narrative or brand online. But how is the effecting our day to day lives, and is it effecting our possibility to truly live in and experience the moments were in? Today we are discussing the intersection between technology and consumer experiences with Alexandra Barasch, an associate professor at the Leeds School of Business.  She sits down with host Amanda Kramer to talk all about what makes customers enjoy their experiences, how companies can then create experiences that make consumers more immersed or more engaged in the moment, the pros & cons of 5G and more immersive content, as well as posting posed vs candid photos. Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. EPISODE QUOTES: Authenticity is always the winning strategy [00:27:30] Authenticity, in my view, is always going to be a winning strategy. How to do that is changing. How to signal that you care about that depends on the segment, it depends on the technology, but it's always going to be what people care about. How do you find the most genuine content? [00:19:25] You want to let consumers speak for you. In order to do that, you have to be able to let go. You have to be able to not have full control over your content, and that is how you get the most genuine, authentic content that consumers are sharing and really believe in the product and the brand, and other consumers can judge that very well. Reducing frictions leads to better conversions [00:16:46] Reducing friction is only good when consumers are ready to process it, ready to act, and this is going to also lead to better tracking of conversions, better data and metrics, and analytics as well. You can't compare one social media or type of technology to another. [00:18:18] There's no one social media or type of technology that's better or worse than the others. It's about the selection effects, where certain types of consumers—younger consumers and consumers that are more technologically savvy—are able to embrace and engage with more varied and diverse formats and more interactive content. SHOW LINKS: Alixandra Barasch Faculty Profile at Leeds School of Business Alixandra Barasch - Google Scholar

    26 min
  6. S3E7: Ethan Poskanzer - The Gender Gap in Predicting Entrepreneur Success

    06/07/2023

    S3E7: Ethan Poskanzer - The Gender Gap in Predicting Entrepreneur Success

    In this episode, we are discussing innovation and inclusivity in entrepreneurship with Ethan Poskanzer. Ethan is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship in the Leeds School of Business, and studies how organizations can select and connect people to develop innovative ideas and how the opportunity to innovate can be democratized and made more inclusive. Host Amanda Kramer sits down with Ethan to discuss his latest research: the science behind matching entrepreneurs and mentors, some striking data in how gender factors into mentor/mentee relationships, and what we can learn from pitch evaluation & sequencing. Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. EPISODE QUOTES: Why do entrepreneurs need to stick to their convictions? [00:07:38] One thing that I would encourage entrepreneurs to do is stick to their convictions about what they need help with and to reach out to people who they think can help them, because they know what's going on under the hood more than other people do. Gender differences in funding referrals [00:17:42] Women mentors are about equally likely to make a referral for a man, entrepreneur, or a woman entrepreneur. But men mentors were much more likely to make referrals for men. So that meant that through those same-gender relationships, men had greater access to this super coveted resource of introductions to investors and the opportunity to pitch their businesses for funding. Something to keep in mind in the entrepreneurial process [00:24:31] That's something important to keep in mind that an organization is designing a process to select new ideas to fund an investment that you think of. We need to be really careful about defining the criteria that we're going to use to select this.  SHOW LINKS: Ethan Poskanzer Faculty Profile at Leeds School of Business Ethan Poskanzer - Personal Website Paper: Who Becomes an Inventor in America? The Importance of Exposure to Innovation, by Alex Bell, Raj Chetty, Xavier Jaravel, Neviana Petkova, John Van Reenen

    24 min
  7. S3E6: Case Swenson - Define and Hone Your Expertise

    05/24/2023

    S3E6: Case Swenson - Define and Hone Your Expertise

    Commercial construction and real estate development is a difficult space to break into, and building plans can change at the drop of a hat, forcing you to be flexible and nimble with clients.  So joining us to talk about this dynamic and ever-growing industry is Case Swenson, alumnus and president/CEO at Swenson in the San Francisco Bay area. Case joins host Amanda Kramer to share the trends and challenges he is seeing in the construction and real estate space, so-called “green building,” the skillset needed to enter this industry, and what he's learned from scaling a 4 generation family-owned business.  Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. EPISODE QUOTES: The importance of understanding your market [00:11:22] I've seen a lot of different contractors go outside of their area, and a lot of times, they get hurt by doing that because they don't understand the market there, they don't understand the labor there. And it is very important to really understand the market that you're in, how much it costs per square foot, how high you can build, how wide you can build, what kind of municipality you're dealing with, and how difficult they are. The value of leverage [00:12:19] Leverage is the most important part of development and something that you should really focus on understanding. There's a difference between the science of money and the science of maybe something like brain surgery, and the science of money is complicated. But your deep understanding of that is the most helpful thing when it comes to doing development and construction. What is the current challenge in the construction industry? [00:05:24] Right now, the biggest challenge for us is the economic cycle. We have rising interest rates. Also, bring up cap rates, which is how your building is valued at the end of the day.  SHOW LINKS: Swenson - The Swenson Group Case Swenson on LinkedIn

    19 min
  8. S3E5: Gloria Urrea - Get To Know Your Stakeholders and Be Transparent With Them

    05/10/2023

    S3E5: Gloria Urrea - Get To Know Your Stakeholders and Be Transparent With Them

    Crowdfunding and volunteer mobilization are at the heart of how non-profits function on a day-to-day basis. But how does this work in an ever-growing remote workforce? And how can this ethos transfer to the business sector and for-profit organizations? Joining us to answer some of these questions and more is Gloria Urrea, an Assistant Professor of Operations Management in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Operations Management (SEO) Department at the Leeds School of Business. Gloria studies operations of humanitarian organizations (HOs), whose mission is to alleviate human suffering and improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable population.  She joins host Amanda Kramer to discuss crowdfunding in emergency support situations, mobilizing donors without burning them out, weighing volunteer experience, and the power of transparency. Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. EPISODE QUOTES: Getting to know your volunteers is important [00:10:02] When we think about volunteer management, we are thinking about people that are donating their time. It's also important to recognize their heterogeneity, how they are different, and how they may have different priorities, or how I can offer them different tasks depending on who they are. The role of retention in volunteering  [00:17:42] Retention is also important because charities want to avoid losing knowledge and experience. Moreover, research has already shown that when volunteers gain experience with a platform, they are more willing to take over maybe monotonous tasks or other tasks that are needed to be done for the long-term sustainability of the platform. The power of transparency [00:08:54] There is also a lot of research showing that even revealing some sensitive information to an extent, like costs, also incentivize people, really makes customers feel more valued by the companies. And they appreciate that with more loyalty or purchasing more, one key takeaway for businesses in general and for people is the power of transparency. SHOW LINKS: ​​Gloria Urrea Faculty Profile at Leeds School of Business Gloria Urrea - Google Scholar

    21 min
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4.8
out of 5
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About

The challenges facing business today are more complex and interconnected than ever before. The Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder offers a cutting-edge perspective of trending topics, along with actionable insights, to help you navigate the evolving world of business. Leeds Business Insights Podcast is a production of Leeds School of Business and is produced by University FM. ( https://university.fm/ )

Information

  • Creator
    Leeds School of Business
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Leeds Business Insights

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