Quality Time With MoreSteam Dan Swartwout

WOW, what a difference! In this episode, Alan Payne joins the show to talk about the rise and fall of Blockbuster Video. Alan was one of the most successful franchisees in Blockbuster history. He literally wrote the book on Blockbuster -- Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust, which was released in 2021. Alan and Dan discuss the history of the video business, inventory management, new releases versus older movies, and other aspects of the Blockbuster story. Throughout the conversation, you will recognize many concepts and principles from the world of process improvement and operational excellence. And don't worry. You can listen to the show anytime you want! There won't be any late fees.
 
In this episode you'll hear about:
1:14 - The transition from VHS to DVD
6:00 - The retail price of DVD as opposed to VHS
8:06 - Opening a video store across the street from a Blockbuster
10:30 - The video-rental industry and customer data
12:43 - The early days of Netflix
18:52 - Redbox and the kiosk rental business
22:13 - The Last Blockbuster
23:55 - Closing stores and Blockbuster nostalgia
26:47 - What Alan is doing now
 
Additional Resources
Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust by Alan Payne
Alan Payne on LinkedIn
MoreSteam's Website
Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter
MoreSteam on LinkedIn
MoreSteam's YouTube Channel
 
Subscribe to Quality Time with MoreSteam Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
YouTube

WOW, what a difference! In this episode, Alan Payne joins the show to talk about the rise and fall of Blockbuster Video. Alan was one of the most successful franchisees in Blockbuster history. He literally wrote the book on Blockbuster -- Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust, which was released in 2021. Alan and Dan discuss the history of the video business, inventory management, new releases versus older movies, and other aspects of the Blockbuster story. Throughout the conversation, you will recognize many concepts and principles from the world of process improvement and operational excellence. And don't worry. You can listen to the show anytime you want! There won't be any late fees.
 
In this episode you'll hear about:
2:05 - Concepts and principles from process improvement and operational excellence
4:56 - Alan's start in the grocery business
8:06 - Opening a video store across the street from a Blockbuster
10:19 - Keeping new releases in stock
14:09 - Alan moves to Blockbuster
17:07 - Analyzing the data at Alan's Blockbuster stores
21:15 - Inventory Management at Blockbuster
24:19 - The growth of Blockbuster
28:33 - What people wanted at a video store
31:57 - Voice of the Customer
 
Additional Resources
Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust by Alan Payne
Alan Payne on LinkedIn
MoreSteam's Website
Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter
MoreSteam on LinkedIn
Webinar: Mastering Destructive Gauge R&R
MoreSteam's YouTube Channel
 
Subscribe to Quality Time with MoreSteam Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
YouTube

Become a force of nature! In this episode, Rich "Raz" Razgaitis joins the show. Raz is the co-founder and CEO of FloWater. On multiple occasions, Inc. Magazine has recognized FloWater as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States. In addition to FloWater, Raz has guided multiple startups companies to rapid growth. Raz and Dan talk about the keys to growing a business, Raz's thoughts on leading a team, and the work required to be a successful entrepreneuer.
 
In this episode you'll hear about:
4:00 - About FloWater
6:16 - Working at large companies as opposed to working at startups
9:01 - Growing a company
11:46 - Building a team
14:19 - The challenges that come with growth
17:18 - Fair balance
20:37 - The beginning of FloWater
22:47 - Highlights and victories
27:03 - Growing pains and hurdles
34:18 - Work-life balance as an entrepreneur
 
Additional Resources
"Raz" (Rich) Razgaitis on LinkedIn
FloWater
FloWater on LinkedIn
MoreSteam's Website
Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter
MoreSteam on LinkedIn
Webinar: Exploring the Convergence of CI Frameworks and Agile Methods
The Power of 7
 
Subscribe to Quality Time with MoreSteam Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
YouTube

Improve your processes by making work visual!! In this episode, Peg Pennington joins the show. Peg is the president of MoreSteam and a member of the board of directors of the Lean Enterprise Institute. Before joining MoreSteam, Peg was the Executive Director of the Center for Operational Excellence at The Ohio State University. Peg and Dan talk about root cause analysis, Peg's background before joining MoreSteam, and the learning that happens outside of your comfort zone.
 
Time Stamps
1:08 - Making work visual
4:25 - Root cause analysis
8:14 - Peg's time at Ohio State
13:47 - The Center for Operational Excellence
18:04 - MoreSteam's work with Mercy Ships
21:58 - The future of work
24:01 - The learning that happens outside of your comfort zone
28:21 - The importance of being a mentor
 
Links
MoreSteam's Website
Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter
MoreSteam on LinkedIn
Peg Pennington on LinkedIn
A Voyage of Continuous Improvement: Transforming Operations at Mercy Ships

Episode 1 of Quality Time with MoreSteam arrives Tuesday, April 2. After that, look for new episodes every other Tuesday at moresteam.com.