Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast What's Working with Cam Marston

Episode Summary

In this final installment of a multi-episode tradition, Cam sits down with his youngest son, Mack Marston, 19, days before Mack heads off to the University of Alabama. What starts as a father-son farewell turns into a remarkably candid window into how the next generation thinks about work, learning, responsibility, friendship, technology, and what a good life actually looks like. For business leaders, managers, and anyone hiring or leading young people today, this conversation is required listening.

About Mack Marston

Mack is 19 years old, the youngest of four children, a recent high school graduate, and a former varsity football player. He starts at the University of Alabama in the fall, likely majoring in biology with an eye toward dentistry — or possibly finance and the markets, which he's already dabbling in. He works on a farm this summer, plays guitar, listens to Dire Straits and Pink Floyd, and has approximately 18 close friends from two different schools. He is, by any measure, well ahead of where most 19-year-olds are in self-awareness.

What Business Leaders Should Hear

1. He knows exactly how he learns — and it's not from a lecture.

Mack articulates clearly that his best academic experiences came from teachers who varied their delivery: reading, writing on the board, hands-on practice, real-world application. When a teacher lectured exclusively, he disengaged — and so did everyone else. His AP Statistics teacher connected math to card games. His history teacher rotated methods daily. Those subjects stuck.

The implication for leaders: Training programs, onboarding, and internal communication built around one-way information delivery will lose this generation fast. If you want them to retain it, vary the method. Connect it to something real.

2. Understanding beats memorization every time.

Mack got a 95 or above in calculus not because he drilled formulas, but because he understood why the formula worked and what it was for. He explicitly distinguishes between understanding and rote retention — and has little confidence in the latter.

The implication for leaders: Don't hand Gen Z a policy manual and expect compliance. Explain the reasoning. When they understand the "why," they perform. When they don't, they disengage or work around it.

3. He's already self-managing and accountable — and he knows it.

At his summer job this week, his coworkers unanimously pointed to Mack as the most responsible person on the team. He keeps track of everyone's hours and pay. He made his own lunch, did his own laundry, and cleaned his own room throughout high school. He was given increasing responsibility year by year at home and internalized it.

The implication for leaders: This generation isn't allergic to responsibility — they're allergic to being handed responsibility without context or trust. Mack was given ownership gradually, and it built genuine accountability. Micromanagement will kill that.

4. Social intelligence is a core competency for him.

Mack has 18 people he considers close friends — from two different high schools, built through introduction, genuine interest in meeting new people, and consistent follow-through. While his peers tend to stay within one group, Mack moves between them. He shakes hands when he walks in a room. He says "please" when he orders. He noticed — unprompted — that these small social signals matter in how people are perceived.

The implication for leaders: Don't write off Gen Z as socially awkward or screen-addicted. Some of them — including the ones you want on your team — are building social capital deliberately and skillfully. Look for the ones who know how to enter a room.

5. He thinks AI will make the world dumber — and he's already navigating it.

Mack describes classmates who use AI to write their papers, then run them through "humanizers" to fool detection software. He predicts AI will displace accounting and math-heavy roles. He also believes nursing and medicine will become more valuable precisely because patients want human touch, not machines. He's thinking ahead about where the work will be.

The implication for leaders: The young people joining your workforce have already formed opinions about AI's role. The sharp ones — like Mack — are thinking about where human judgment and human presence remain irreplaceable. That's a valuable instinct to cultivate.

6. A good life, in his own words, is about comfortable stability and things to work on.

When asked to describe a good life — not a successful one, a good one — Mack didn't describe a title, a salary, or a status symbol. He described: a job you don't hate, enough money to live without panic, meals on the table, hobbies that give you something to accomplish, and not worrying too much. He specifically named playing guitar, learning a new song, and doing things around the house as examples of what "working on something" means.

The implication for leaders: This generation isn't as driven by prestige or promotions as the generations before them. They want to feel capable and engaged — at work and outside it. If your culture only rewards climbing, you may miss what actually motivates them.

Standout Moments

• Mack's final play of his high school football career: caught a touchdown pass in the end zone with no time left, thrown by a 6'5", 280-pound defensive lineman who was being tackled as he released the ball. Mack describes being immediately punched by his offensive linemen in celebration. "I kind of forget I did that," he says.

• On his Spotify listening age being calculated at 86 years old: "I just listen to old songs." His musical heroes are Eric Clapton, Dire Straits, and Pink Floyd. Once he started playing guitar, he says, the old music started sounding better.

• On what this family does that other families don't: "We clean our rooms before the house cleaners come." (He offers this with complete sincerity.)

• His bold prediction for college: a 3.8 GPA as a biology major. Cam is appropriately skeptical given the fraternity commitments ahead — and says so.

Key Takeaways for Managers and Leaders

• Vary how you communicate and train. One-size delivery doesn't stick.
• Explain the reasoning, not just the rule. Understanding drives performance.
• Give responsibility gradually and genuinely. Watch what happens.
• Don't mistake quietness at home for disengagement everywhere. Mac is more animated with friends than with family — that's healthy, not concerning.
• Look for young people who shake hands, say please, and know how to enter a room. They exist.
• The best ones are already thinking about AI and automation more clearly than most adults in the room.

Every year a Marston kid graduates from high school, Cam sits them down and puts them on the record. This time it's Ivey Marston — his youngest daughter, twin, varsity volleyball captain, NHS treasurer, and AP scholar — hours before her baccalaureate ceremony and but a few months before she heads to Auburn University to study aerospace engineering.

It's a candid, unscripted conversation with a sharp 18-year-old who's paid close attention to the world around her.

• The lunch table moment. Ivy walks through the junior-year friendship breakup that rearranged her social life — gradual, then sudden — and what it took to make a very public declaration in a small school cafeteria.
• Natural talent vs. work ethic. Without prompting, Ivy draws a clean distinction between classmates who skim and ace tests versus those who grind for every grade — and where she honestly places herself on that spectrum.
• Dreaming past the moon. Her goal isn't just a job — it's NASA, and a project that pushes human exploration beyond anything we've reached so far. She also shares why she thinks intelligent life elsewhere in the universe would still have lunch table problems.

What's Working with Cam Marston is a look at the next generation of students and workers — and occasionally, the ones closest to home.

If you've ever chased a prospect for months only to get ghosted, delivered a perfect proposal and heard nothing back, or found yourself unable to walk away from a deal that was going nowhere — this episode is for you.

Arthur Gonzales, Managing Director of Cypress Consulting Group and area franchisee for Sandler Training, joins Cam to talk about why most salespeople struggle and what to do about it. Arthur's journey from near-broke billboard salesman working bar doors at night to sales leader and trainer is both entertaining and instructive — and the lessons he learned along the way apply to anyone who has to persuade someone to say yes.

Three things Arthur says that will stick with you:

• "You're not struggling with your close rate. You're qualifying poorly." Most salespeople skip the hard diagnostic work and rush to the proposal — then wonder why nothing closes.
• "Without pain, there is no sale." If your prospect doesn't have a problem they're emotionally compelled to fix, no amount of charm or information will move them.
• "Before every appointment, I remind myself I'm independently wealthy and don't need the business." That mindset shift changes your body language, your tone, and your entire approach.

Connect with Arthur Gonzales: 📧 arthur.gonzales@sandler.com 📱 803-509-3873 💼 LinkedIn: Search Arthur Gonzales

Kyle Sweetser is back on What's Working for a second conversation with Cam Marston. A former lifelong Republican who described himself as betrayed by a party that abandoned its own values, Kyle is now running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Tommy Tuberville. In this wide-ranging conversation, Kyle and Cam dig into healthcare, energy policy, executive overreach, the challenge of winning crossover voters, and what it actually takes to run a statewide campaign in Alabama on a shoestring budget. Kyle is candid about where he breaks with his own party, what keeps him grounded, and why he believes 2026 could be a turning point — even in one of the reddest states in the country.

1. The Crossover Voter Strategy — Kyle lays out a frank electoral math: he needs a motivated Democratic base, disengaged Republicans who simply stay home, and a few hundred thousand crossover voters. His pitch to lifelong Republicans isn't ideology — it's issues, and he believes more common ground exists between moderate Democrats and disenchanted Republicans than most people realize.
2. Standing His Ground on Party Pressure — Kyle reveals he pushed back when Democratic insiders pressured him to take more progressive positions on certain social issues. He held firm, saying his job is to represent Alabama — not a national platform — and that credibility with crossover voters depends on that honesty.
3. The Woman in Blount County — Kyle's most powerful story: a now-naturalized U.S. citizen who saw his Facebook post, showed up to a speaking event with her family, and delivered an emotional impromptu speech about her community's fear under current immigration enforcement. She left determined to register every eligible voter she could find. Kyle called it the moment that reminded him exactly why he's doing this.

Matt LeMond and Luke Peavy have done something most restaurateurs only dream about — they've built six thriving concepts in Mobile, Alabama, and kept them running. From the original O'Daly's to Post Downtown, Post on the Hill, Stamped Sandwich Company, Cedar Street Social, and the Insider/Outsider complex, Matt and Luke (along with partner and former MLB pitcher Jake Peavy) have quietly assembled one of the city's most recognized hospitality brands. In this episode, they pull back the curtain on how the partnership formed, how they divide responsibilities, and why their biggest coaching challenge with young managers has nothing to do with P&Ls — it's empathy. They also share what Mobile is missing, why they almost said no to Post on the Hill, and what a trip to Scottsdale taught them about the value of being in the same room.

THREE TAKEAWAYS

1. Culture starts with being a good human. Long-tenured staff in a high-turnover industry isn't an accident. Matt and Luke credit treating employees as teammates — being available when a car breaks down, giving them a voice, and coaching empathy over task completion — as the foundation of their retention.
2. Know your role in the partnership. Their three-way partnership works because responsibilities are genuinely divided: Matt runs day-to-day operations, Luke bridges the kitchen and future planning, and Jake provides big-picture vision. They communicate daily and overlap when needed — without stepping on each other.
3. The right deal has to pencil out. Passion for a concept isn't enough. Matt resisted Post on the Hill hard before the numbers made sense. Their discipline around when to say yes — and when to walk — is a big reason they're still standing when so many others aren't.

Retired FBI Special Agent Dan Sigmond returns to What's Working to discuss his 21 years investigating financial crimes, a remarkable story of how a previous episode of this very podcast helped crack a case, and his new private-sector firm, Special Agent Advisory Group. Dan shares how fraud always comes down to the manipulation of trust, offers vivid case stories ranging from a Jamaican lottery scheme to the "Pepper Spray Bandit" bank robber, and closes with a preview of his next topic: cybercrime as financial crime in a hoodie.

• Fraud is relational, not transactional. Today's scammers build long-term trust with victims — often elderly — before extracting money. The shift from one-time hits to slow, sustained manipulation makes detection far harder and the psychological damage far deeper.

• Most financial crime goes unreported. When Dan left the Bureau, only 40–50% of crimes were being reported, meaning billions in losses — particularly in business email compromise and cryptocurrency fraud — never make it into official tracking systems like the FBI's IC3.

• Internal fraud bleeds slowly. The most significant embezzlement cases Dan worked unfolded over years, exploiting trusted employees with access to financial systems or merchandise. Most companies, focused on revenue and optics, don't know what signals to look for until significant damage is done.

• Criminals aren't masterminds — they're persistent. The biggest misconception people carry is that scams are too sophisticated to fall for. In reality, the tactics are often simple. What's changed is the access to personal data and the ability to personalize attacks at scale.

Mobile, Alabama's development scene is quietly building something significant — and it's being done one catalytic project at a time. Cam sits down with John Ruzic, who helps run day-to-day operations at Porchlight Communities, a small and nimble real estate development firm focused on long-term impact over short-term gains. From affordable housing in Oakdale to the historic Ace Theater on MLK Avenue, John walks through the projects Porchlight is shepherding — and the creative financing, unexpected partnerships, and patient vision required to make them work. The conversation also ventures into Mobile's larger housing challenge: not just a shortage of roofs, but a shortage of the quality and volume needed to compete for the companies and workers the city is trying to attract.

Key Takeaways:

• Housing as an economic tool, not just shelter. Porchlight's philosophy treats new and restored housing as a catalyst for neighborhood vitality — driving school quality, retail, tax base, and the city's ability to recruit businesses and workforce talent to Mobile.

• The Ace Theater redevelopment is a public-private partnership between Porchlight and the Mobile County Commission, using historic rehabilitation tax credits to create a permanent home for the historic Excelsior Band on MLK Avenue.

• The Hoffman Furniture Building on Dauphin Street is Porchlight's most ambitious puzzle in progress — possibilities include a hotel, ground-floor retail, and residential units, all anchored by a deep commitment to honoring the building's nearly century-long history with the Hoffman family.

• Title issues are the hidden obstacle in community revitalization. Clearing title on vacant and tax-delinquent properties — through processes like "quiet title action" — is often more expensive than the properties are worth, and John argues a public-side land bank or redevelopment authority is the missing piece Mobile needs to do this at scale.

• Porchlight is open for partnerships. If you have a property or project idea and don't know how to move it forward, John is willing to have the conversation. Find them at porchlightcommunities.com — a development partner focused on creative financing, civic relationships, and long-term community impact.

Something genuinely exciting is happening in Mobile — one of the city's most treasured cultural institutions, the 143-year-old Excelsior Band, is on the verge of a remarkable renaissance. Led by Hosea London, this legendary walking jazz band — founded in 1883 by Creole firemen who played instruments between calls — is preparing to establish a permanent home at the historic Ace Theater on Davis Avenue, a beautifully symbolic resurrection of both a band and a neighborhood. Developer John Ruzic and his firm Porch Light are restoring the 1943 segregation-era theater into a jazz performance venue and education studio that will train the next generation of Mobile musicians, feeding young talent directly into the Excelsior Band's living, unwritten, tradition-to-tradition legacy. The vision is breathtaking: a place where Mobile's extraordinary musical heritage — a city that has quietly produced world-class talent for over a century — is finally given the spotlight it deserves.

Top Four Points:

• 143 years of living tradition — The Excelsior Band has no playlist, no rehearsals, and no written music; everything is passed down person to person, making it one of the most authentic oral jazz traditions in America
• The Ace Theater revival — The historic Davis Avenue theater, built in 1943 to serve Black audiences during segregation, is being restored by Porch Light Development as a permanent home and performance venue for the band
• A jazz studio for young Mobilians — A new jazz education studio connected to the Ace Theater will expose local youth to professional music careers — not just performing, but composing, engineering, and producing
• Mobile's musical legacy is staggering — The city has produced nationally and internationally recognized jazz artists for generations, and this project aims to tell that story proudly to a new audience

This episode of What's Working introduces SNASY (Special Needs Assistant Station for You), founded by Dale Jackson after years of struggling to take his severely disabled teenage son to public events with no accessible adult changing facilities. Dale connected with Julian and Olivia Stevens — parents of a wheelchair-bound, ventilator-dependent 14-year-old — after spotting them at an Auburn game, and together they've built an organization that provides not just physical facilities but full itinerary coordination and on-site volunteers. A key insight from the families: SNASY reduces stress on the entire family, including siblings, allowing everyone to actually enjoy the outing. The organization is launching in Mobile with a 24-foot accessible trailer ready for Mardi Gras, and Senator Katie Britt's office has awarded a grant to build three more.

Highlights:

• SNASY provides adult changing stations, accessible bathrooms, and coordinated volunteer support at public events
• Founded after Dale's son Colin — severely brain-damaged from undetected infant seizures — became too large to change in typical public spaces
• The Stevens family joined after Dale approached them at an Auburn game; their son Preston uses a wheelchair and ventilator following a childhood drowning accident
• Press conference at Fort Conde in Mobile on February 5th with Senator Katie Britt to announce the grant for three additional trailers
• SNASY will be live at the Mobile Mardi Gras parade February 6th — not waiting until fully funded
• Needs: business sponsors, volunteers (fraternities, civic clubs), and outreach partners — snasy.org

Jo Bonner is president of the University of South Alabama and in that role is building the school in both students and infrastructure. A couple jobs before that he represented Alabama's Distict 1 in Washington, taking over from Sonny Callahan for whom he was chief of staff beginning in 1989. Joe spent a lot of time in Washignton and has insights on what has changed and what has driven the change in Washington. He, like so many of my recent interviews, is disturbed by what he sees. Joe and I discuss what's changed and what may it may take to return to country to decency to one another and loyalty to the constitution. 

Christina Woerner McInnis is running for Alabama Agriculture Commissioner, and the job turns out to be far bigger — and far stranger — than most of us realize. Once she and I started talking, the scope unfurled like a county fair map: everything from how many gallons come through the gasoline pump to whether the grocery-store salad bar scale is honest, all the way to steering timber policy across the entire state.

Historically, candidates have fit a familiar mold: men in cowboy hats, thick accents, and a kind of mythic farm-boss swagger. Christina is a sharp break from that pattern. She's a woman who grew up on the office side of her family farm — the side where you learn not just how a farm works, but why it works. She'll tell you she can drive a tractor and pull a calf, and she can, but her real power is in understanding how all the pieces of a complex system knit together to create a viable, resilient operation.

That's the same lens she brings to the commissioner's office she's aiming for: a deep grasp of how Alabama's many agricultural worlds — fuel, food, timber, regulation, commerce — interlock. She wants to pull those pieces together with intention and clarity, not nostalgia, to strengthen the state's future.

Comments: Cam@CamMarston.com. 

Bradley Byrne served in Washington for Alabama's First Distrct from 2014 to 2021. Today, he says, he couldn't get elected as a Republican. He's not Republican enough. The party has moved further right and any act of working with Democrats to find solutions to national issues or creating local opportunities would put a target on his back, almost literally. He, like the other poiticians I've interviewed recently, has received credible death threats and he tells me the story. What's the opportunity in Washtington today? What's the temperatue? Why are the sane people retiring and what happened to their desire to serve? Bradley and I discuss these things in a far ranging conversation. 

Feedback? Cam@CamMarston.com

Governor Frank Keating was elected as a Republican in a state full of Democrats. He figured out how to work across the aisle to achieve some major accomplisments. He was reelected due to his success. Today Washington is in a standstill with a government shutdown. Gov Keating discusses what worked for him and what may work today. He insists that it is the responsibility of the citizens to give back to their cities, states, or country in the form of political service of some sort - it's a rare opinion today. But, he says, it's a way to find quality candidates. 

Contact What's Working at Cam@CamMarston.com. 

James Ballentine has lived and worked in DC for thirty plus years, lobbying and working for both sides of the aisle and serving in leadership positions for various members of congress. He's widely admired for his integrity and knowledge of how things work inside the beltline and, suffice it to say, Mr Ballentine has never seen anything like DC in its current state. He knows I think that a third party is sorely needed today to provide a voice for people like me. He and I discuss what it would take for a third party to make a difference. Two things are absolutely necessary, he says - tons of money and an immaculate candidate. Both are very very hard to find. 

Kyle Sweetser is as sick of politics and politicians as the rest of us. His big beef, though, is that the people elected to represent Alabama in Washington, DC have forsaken their state and, instead, are puppets of the White House. They back the tarrifs that are harming Alabama citizens and businesses. Furhermore, they won't do their jobs as a branch of the federal government and instead are doing whatever the Trump admin tells them to do. 

Kyle had bought a piece of property in western Mobile County where he was going to hole up with his wife and children and ignore the issue and maybe it would go away. But Kyle is a do-er. He gets things done. He's worked his whole life and has done his best to treat people right throughout his life and in his family business. Kyle couldn't stay idle and couldn't stantd what he was seeing. He couldn't ignore how the people he had voted for had abandoned his state and abandoned the Constitution. So Kyle declared his candidacy for US Senate to replace Tuberville when Tuberville announced his candidacy for governor. 

Kyle's and his family have had death threats. He's been told no Dem will ever win in Alabama again. But he's quietely received significant support. And Kyle senses that people like him can be found all over Alabama - people who are ready for significant change. So much change that Alabama could become a Blue State.

https://www.kyleforalabama.com

Tony McCarron is Mobile's Public Safety Recruiting Coordinator. He and I first met three years ago and he came on What's Working, when the microphones were off he told me that the Mobile Police Department was 120 officers short of what they were budgeted for. That's a lot of law enforecement vacancies and the criminally minded, had they known that, may have taken advantage of it. Today they're fully staffed and it's because Tony found a recruiting recipe that works. He learned what today's youth, primarily males between the ages of 20 and 26, wanted in a job and, more importantly, a mentor. Tony delivers that message and stands behind it his commitment to the recruits. He also worked to up their pay. The City of Mobile is lucky for it. Furthermore, Mobile Fire and Rescue is now riding four to a truck and that's a big deal. The city's fire and crime numbers reflect fully staffed departments - success measurements for fire and policing have risen and stay high. Tony tells me how he did it, what his message was, and what private companies who struggle to recruit can learn from what Tony is doing.

We then turn to the Mobile mayoral race. Tony warns the wrong election results will cause droves of law enforcement to leave their job. "Mobile is in a good place," Tony says. "Let's not jeapordize that." 

Tony offered his phone to anyone interested in joining the force: (251) 554-2298

What's Working has been quiet for a while. It's time to get back with a conversation with mayoral candidate Spiro Chieriogotis. His vision for the City of Mobile is what compelled me to reach out to him for this podcast. Too many mayoral candidates are running on their pasts or, in my opinion, grievances with something or someone. That makes for good fiction or TV movies but not good governance or leadership. Spiro is the only one that I've heard with a compelling vision on where Mobile can go and a plan for getting us there. 

We discuss crime which seems to be the siren song of all campaigns everywhere. Crime in Mobile is down. Way down. But you'd not know it to listen to the others. The antidote to crime is not more police (where you going to find them?) or harsher sentencing. It's opportunity. And the majority of violent criminals are between the ages of 18 and 24. How to get their attention? How to present opportunity in a way they find it appealing? Never an easy task. 

We also meet Spiro the person. He and I agree that a hot dog overlooking the Mobile River at some new riverfront venue is a great idea. And trolleys (aka street cars) add soul to every city where they exist. It's an ambitious idea. 

If you're looking for an unbiased interview of a candidate, this is not it. I'm all in for Spiro. Mobile has momentum. Finally. There's a lot to be done but what CAN'T happen is to lose this momentum. This city was on the brink of brankruptcy and some candidates seem to think those were better times. Not so.

Meet Spiro and you'll see why he has my vote.

Well, holy crap. I was pointed to an AI that will take content and turn it into a dialogue between two AI voices. This is the introduction to my book called What Works. I've turned it into an interview between two AI voices and... it's pretty doggone good. Take a listen - do you like this? Is it worth doing all ten chapters? 

It's amazing. How to best use this? 

Let me know what you think: Cam@CamMarston.com

I've never met a soul who dislikes Frankie Little. I've never met anyone who doesn't like the food at Roosters. I've never met a successful entrepreneur who doesn't advocate creating multiple streams of income. Frankie's got it going on. His story is of a guy who says "why not try?" He's got initiative and drive and a dream of something bigger than himself. There's seldom a time I'm with him that I don't leave inspired and ready to tackle big things. Hear his story. Become inspired. Meet Frankie Little. 

Roosters Downtown

NY Life - Frankie Little 

Airbnb

What's Working is Sponsored by the Poarch Creek Indians. 

Reach out!

Cam@CamMarston.com

The cathedral in San Antonio, Texas displays a remarkable light show every night. People gather to watch it and they have for years. Tourists and locals alike are drawn to the spectacle of the history of San Antonio done in rich, overlapping moving images and the music that accompanies it. Xavier De Richemont created it and wants to bring one of this light shows to Mobile to display it on the Mobile History Museum as a fixed installment. He's done his light shows across the world and was in Mobile over Mardi Gras, always with his camera, capturing the city. 

Xavier and I sat down while he was in town to discuss how he creates the images, what he's lerned about the proud cities that want to showcase his art, and what he saw when he was in Mobile. 

What's Working is Sponsored by the Poarch Creek Indians. 

We rushed this episode to the front due to its timiliness. Connor Lokar was on with me this fall and he and I agreed to check back in after the election. Oddly, we felt if SHE were elected President it would lead to uncertainty. Instead, HE was elected and we've gotten degrees of uncertainty that no one had predicted.

Connor and his collegues at ITR say growth is coming this year, UNLESS....too many factors to list. Connor and his team are no fans of tariffs in any way, shape, or form. They're inflationary. Period. And they will hit all of us. Will they prevent economic growth? No way to know. On and off tariffs and threats of tariffs prevent business leaders from being able to plan. It's leading to uncertainty. Lots of it. 

ITR Economics

2030s Great Depression

ITR Free Resources

We'd love to hear from you: Cam@CamMarston.com

Devon Harris is a female tech leader for OberaConnect based in Fairhope, Alabama. It's a company she started with her father and now includes her sister. Their growth has been intense, fueled by the rise in demand for tech services by small businesses and regional and local governement clients and Devon and her team's remarkable commitment to client relationships. All companies claim relationships are key to business - I've heard it a thousand times - but OberaConnect takes it to a new level. While sitting across from me in the studio, I got the sense that what Devon and her team do regarding relationships is indeed different. Meet Devon, hear her story, hear me argue that the solutions technology claims to offer are now null and void - there is no longer any convenience in tech - and her reply. 

OberaConnect - 251.308.4592

Many cities need more urban housing with Mobile, Alabama certainly being one of them. It's hard to find, though, and where you do find neighborhoods and houses many of them are blighted and unsuited for living. Porchlight is changing that. By carefully identifying properties, doing the often cumbersome work of locating property owners and then building homes that match the design and spirit of the neighborhood, Porchlight is returning streets and neighborhoods to their bygone thriving days. John Ruzic leads the initiative. Working from within Rogers & Willard construction, John knocks on many doors, makes hundreds of calls, and works to get the many stakeholders on board for the revitalization. And John foresees the day when urban centers across the southeast seek out his team's model and guidance to solve their own urban residential challenges. 

Brought to you by the Gen Savvy Communications Academy. 

Got someone who needs their story told? Reach out: Cam@CamMarston.com.

Mark Colson has oversight of the Alabama Trucking Association and has insight into the 131,000 people the industry represents in the state. That's 1 out of every 13 jobs. They're good people, Mark says, who get a bad rap. It's an expensive business to run - the rigs cost a good but, the drivers and diesel mechanics earn a nice salary and wage, but its the insurance that hurts these small businesses the most. The cost of insurance, per Mark, is driven up by the attorneys who adveriste in such a way that makes the truck drivers and trucking companies look like careless villans. Mark's goal is to spread the good word about the hard-working men and women who make up the trucking businesss. 

Reach out to us with show ideas: Cam@CamMarston.com.

The "modern elder." It's a strange term. Chip Conley describes it this way: As curious as you are wise. I heard Chip at a conference in San Francisco, wrangled a meeting with him, and booked this podcast. I was moved by his content. If modern medicine has its way, we're going to live a long time and need a place to apply ourselves during and after middle-age. Chip went through this transformation and teaches his lessons at his Modern Elder Academy. He has 6000 graduates who have been through his program with the aim of finding new purpose. He has an infection optimism and makes some points that hit me right in the "Ooooofff. That's me!!"

Enjoy. And let me know if you see yourself in this interview anywhere. 

Entrepreneur Operating System. It's building momentum amongst small to medium sized businesses in the area. Sid Sexton and Forrest Derr are advocates of it. Both have seen the results on their own work. 

Sid runs Sexton Lawn and Landscape and says EOS has changed his company. Forrest was part of the transformation. The biggest place where you can see the results? Meetings. They're efficient, decision making gatherings, not rambling chatterings from a few people. EOS method insists on a meeting formula that begins with somewhat personal observaitons and then moves into the work. This recipe, I've learned other places, is part and parcel to many successful workplace cultutres - don't be afraid to get personal and vulnerable. 

Sid and Forrest discuss EOS, the book that triggered it for them, and where you can go locally (in southwest Alabama) to learn more and get involved. 

Judge Roy Bean Spirits began when David Gibson sold his advertising and marketing agency and decided to try his hand at whiskey and tossed a new brand into the marketplace. His product has a distinct pecan wood finish, making it unique. The regulatory body in the state of Alabama offered him a trail in markets south of I-10 and his product quickly caught on. Today the product is avaiable across the state and David is now working to gain distrubtion outside Alabama. 

David has also created ancillary products to support the brand - soap, coffee, and a line of hats and T-shirts. He also has a wonderful satsuma based bitters that, along with his whiskey, make a stellar Old Fashioned. 

As we recorded the interview, his annual honey cask was hitting the shelves. It's a limited bottling. The idea presented itself to David when some hobbiest honey farmers wanted one of his casks to provide a whiskey flavor to their honey. He then took that cask and re-added whiskey, giving the whiskey a slight honey flavor. It's a match made in heaven.

David Gibson has a great story to tell. And maybe he's looking for an introduction to a country music singer? To understand that reference, you'll have to listen...

Sponsors:

Bill-E's Bacon

Generational Insights Communications Academy

The What's Working radio show has come to a close. The podcast remains. This is the first of the new podcast-only, non-radio versions of What's Working. No forced breaks for commercials, no time limit per episode. Much easier to edit. More fun for me. No obligations and no deadlines for new weekly content. If you're a fan of the show, please give this new format a chance.

-----

My part of town has experienced a surge in owl attacks. In the pre-dawn hours (and a few in the early evening), joggers are getting attacked. Owls are flying away with earbuds, hats, jogging lights. One runner was more than harassed, he was attacked! Cuts on his hands and face. There's been over a dozen attacks. 

I speak with an owl expert on what's going on. It's all normal, she says, but understandibly unnerving. The topic is not exactly a workplace, workforce, or marketplace trend but...it's a trend around here of some sort. So, it counts for the show. At least the new show.

Owl attacks this week on What's Working! (Please forgive my giggles. I just find these owl attacks a bit humorous!)

Monte Criswell is a songwriter. A big time, bad-a$$ songwriter. 200 of his songs have been recorded by Nashville artists and he's had several number 1 hits and a few Grammy nominations. His passion from a young age was to be in music. From the University of Alabama (and St Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile, Alabame before that) he declined a law school enrollment at Syracuse and went to Nashville where he hustled and slept in his car looking for a break. Today's he's a known name in the country music scene, having written for George Strait, Darius Rucker, Trace Adkins, Morgan Wallen, and many many more. 

On this episode of What's Working we discuss the music business from the point of view of a songwriter. 

Find Monte on Instagram. 

Monte Criswell Songs.

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

Low T. What's it mean? What does a man with low T experience? What does testosterone replacment feel like? Whan changes can you expect? Dr Matt Barber has taken on this issue with his new business called Gameday Men's Health. In a private environment, you will get tested to see what your testosterone level is and whether you need their services or any of their other offerings. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

The Isle Dauphine Oyster Company was born out of Doug's passion for process, the coastal waters, and Doug's fondness for oysters. A trained engineer, Doug has now created a predictable product that's ready for the big time. That's a part of his pitch when he enters restaurants in Nashville, Birmingham, Atlanta, and New Orleans - they can count on his oysters tasting good all the time and always being available. He's not worried about storms, about too much fresh water, about any of the variables that smaller, less sophisticated farmed oysters companies struggle with. Doug is now spreading the word and one of the markets he's targeting the most right now is his own home town of Mobile, Alabama where about a dozen farmed oyster companies operate yet, strangely, few restaurants offer them on the menu. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

Ron McBay travels to places most of us only fainly know about to represent NATO and train these countries leadership on NATO approved engagement practices. It's very precise content and Ron, trained as an attorney and a background as a JAG, knows it very well. Curious how NATO really works? Want to know what engagement tactics are allowed? Listen in to this week's show. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

Maymay went on to YouTube from Chilton County, Alabama many years ago out of a desire to create some beautiful paper creations. People watched. Then more people. Then many more people. Now she hosts events online with hundreds of attendees and they travel internationally to come to her hosted events in Chilton County. Social media is her advertising tool and she does it very well. This is an amazing story of success from a charismatic lady who you can't help but fall in love with. Enjoy!

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

The National Association of Realtors changed home buying rules and they've been in effect about a month. Home buyers will now have a new conversation with their realtor when they go to buy a home. The realtor will need to negotiate a fee with the buyer. Previously it was in the background as the deal went forward with a typical 6% commission split between buyer's agent and seller's agent. Now, that's all changed and is highly negotiable. 

Angelo DePaola has seen this coming. It's no surprise. He thinks it will make the best realtors stand out even more and the "hobbiest" realtors who sell homes as a side-hustle slowly go away. We discuss how he now has to give extra effort at defining his value to home buyers and what it means for realtors going forward. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

Telling people things allows them to disagree with you. Asking them questions allows you to understand their perspective and allows you to align with their ideas before directing them. Bob Tiede is an author of the book Leading with Questions. He and I discuss the power of questions as a leadership tool. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

The business of moving and movers. Pretty tried and true. Very little room for disruption, right? Wrong. Ron Holt has upended tradtional businesses before and is doing it again. His first was Two Maids where he based the payment of the service providers on the evaluations of the customers. The result? Huge efforts from the cleaners to please the customer and treat them well. He's taking this same non-tradtional thinking to Pink Zebra moving. The movers play music. They buy the homeowner dinner. They have a great time. It's about reimagining the stale and throwing some energy and ideas into it. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

With all the free weather apps avaialble, why pay for a forecast? Because Crown Weather offers something a bit more, a bit personal. Rob Lightbrown offers a subscription only weather forecast that gets into the weeds of the weather. I was referred to him by a retired banker who used Rob's service to help his agricultural clients try to prepare for the storms that may destroy their crops. I spoke to Rob a few weeks ago where he predicted that by late July and early August there would likely be some tropical storm activity forming. And, as I write this today, right on cue, there is prediction of a storm in the Atlantic to arrive around August first. Rob offers something additional to his subscribers, too. Want a weather prediction for your picnic? Your outdoor wedding reception? Your high school football game? He'll gladly reply to your request with your own personal weather forecast for your event. Pretty cool. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last - The best daily news newsletter I've found is Morning Brew. I've read it every morning for years. Good content written with a dash of snark. Find it here.  

Who is the hero of your business? Too often, it's you. It SHOULD be the customer. Stephanie Greenwood is a StoryBrand consultant and explains it all so simply to me. She's with IMMIX Strategic and walks me through the process. The customer is the hero. You - the business - are a guide that helps the hero overcome their problem. You bring them to solutions and help them avoid disaster. It's so simple. And yet we botch it again and again. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News
• CR Mitigation

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Cam's "Here's What's Cool" list each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Leadership consultant and author Brandon Smith has written a book that I've had referenced to me too many times in the past weeks to simply ignore. Called Author vs Editor Dilemma, the book is a management and leadership guide with simple plans for turning your employees into a more highly productive team. It's a simple concept - as the leader, too often you're an author, telling people what to do. You need to edit - guide their behavior and leave them to take initiative. On with Brandon and me is Wills Moore. Wills is an executive coach and uses the book in his client interfaces. Wills shares stories of the book has changed his client's efficacy. 

Brandon Smith - "The Workplace Therapist" or "The Worksmiths"

Wills Moore - Agilitas Human Resource Consulting, 404.863.6511

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Cline Jones spent time as a boy watching the locks and dams near his home take and receive tow-boats on the river. The attraction of the work was deep and he signed up to be a part of that industry. Today he's the Executive Director of the Tennessee River Valley Association and the Tennessee-Cumberland Waterways Council. He knows the numbers: the 12,000 miles of waterways transport 1/3 of the nation's GDP; 541,000 jobs come from the inland waterways; 15 barges equals 1000+ 18 wheelers or 216 train cars. There are 219 locks operating today.  And it's the locks and dams that worry him the most. Many are well over their 50 year life-cycle for which they were designed.  We discuss the waterways, their infrastructure, and their threats. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Economist Connor Lokar says it's goign to get worse before it gets better. Then it's going to get much worse. Connor is with ITR Economics. He and his firm work with businesses to help them prepare for economic change. Avowedly apolitical, Connor and his team only say the November election is unlikely to change our economy in any meaningful way, regardless of who wins the presidential election. To get a good read on the economy you need to know government spending, demographics, imports and exports, and a dozen other numbers. Connor knows his stuff, and you'll want to hear what our future holds. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Lots of changes coming to workplace rules ranging from the legality of non-compete agreements to changes to the salary of exempt employees. Windy Bitzer of the Hand Arendall law firm explains the changes and what they mean for you and me. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Lots of chatter out there about AI. Lots. Every day some some sort of news about how it will make our world unbelievably better and another about how it will be the end of humanity. I reached out to Kai Gray to ask him to answer some questions - what can AI really do? Aside from being the best source tech help I've ever found, what can it do for me? Today? Right now? It wrote me a sonnet to read to my wife on Valetines Day (which my wife thought was the most romantic thing I've ever done until she learned the truth) but what practical application does it have for me, right here, today. Well, listen to find out. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Tenaska has created a method for capturing the greenhouse gasses emited from industrial sites and pushing it through pipelines to a hub where it is injected 10,000 feet under ground. The diposal site must have a top layer of impermeable rock and the CO2 ultimately turns into an inert stone. The process requires a significant investment and Tenaska (the biggest privately held company you've never heard of) has what it takes. Tenaska rep Brett Estep leads me through how it works.

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

For years Scott McKain has led audiences and his consulting clients how to become distinct and different in a crowded marketplace. His approach is simple yet most companies won't do it - what are the extra things you can do to remain memorable to customers and how can you incorporate them into your business? Most people will claim their expertise is all they need to secure business, not the small, additional customer service items. That's where they're wrong. In a crowded and competitive marketplace, standing out requires more. 

Show Sponsors:

• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Burnie Juneau can walk into a business and tell if it is franchisable. He's gained a sense of how easy it will be based on his years of experience. His approach to the owner is "are you interested in growing quickly." The company he works for, Franchise Marketing Systems, does all the paperwork, files the trademark documents, and readies the business owner for growth. FMS then goes on to help sell the franchises, too, marketing the opportunity and finding the right customers. 

If you like what Burnie has to say, he offers his phone number: 225.733.4680.

Show Sponsors:

• Mason Hills Farms - True Farm to Table Meats
• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Harris Vacation Rentals
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Col. John Kilpatrick saves veteran lives. He offers a system for doing it, with key roles filled by other veterans. "Unless you're a veteran," he told me, "you'll never know what we've gone through and no one will listen to you." His agency, Vets Recover, is the first of its type he knows about in the country. From vets in despair on the edge of suicide to ones struggling with years of addiction to ones suffering from the traumas that only vets can understand, John has built a system to care for them. He's on a mission, not unlike the missions he undertook as a part of his active military service, and won't stop until the mission is complete.

John offers this phone number for Vets in need: 251.405.3677. John promises a Vet will answer.

Show Sponsors:

• Mason Hills Farms - True Farm to Table Meats
• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Harris Vacation Rentals
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Last time on the show Dr Robert Pearl gave a general overview of the impact he predicts AI with have with medicine. I asked him to return to the show on the release of his new book, ChatGPT MD, now availble on Amazon. Dr Pearl gives a wonderful example of someone injured in a ski accident and when they entered details about their accident and the resulting pains, ChatGPT correctly diagnosed the injury and the needed surgey. It's next level stuff. And there is so much more yet to come. Hear Dr Pearl tell us where he thinks it's all headed.

Show Sponsors:

• Mason Hills Farms - True Farm to Table Meats
• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Trey Langus - Transworld Business Advisors
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Harris Vacation Rentals
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Dan Sigmond has seen a great deal in his time with the FBI. He and I discuss his pursuit of financail fraud the the crooks who commit it. Some the crooks are idiots, Sigmond says. Some, however, are brilliant. Sigmond tells us what to look for, how to defend ourselves, and the most common mistakes businesses make.

Show Sponsors:

• Mason Hills Farms - True Farm to Table Meats
• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Trey Langus - Transworld Business Advisors
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Harris Vacation Rentals
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here. 

Lauren Fernandez - Full Course - can spot a restuarant that's destined to make it. Her years of experience in the industry as an owner / operator and as a promoter has given her the insight. Today she works with owners of small restuarant concepts to get them launched big and fast by helping the owners make smart growth decisions and avoid the pittfalls that she knows can ruin a promising concept. Once the restaurant has its footing, she backs it with private equity money to truly get it soaring. Hear what she looks for, what mistakes too many restaurateurs make, and how she learned her trade.

Show Sponsors:

• Mason Hills Farms - True Farm to Table Meats
• E3 Termite & Pest Control
• Roy Lewis Construction
• Trey Langus - Transworld Business Advisors
• Allison Horner - State Farm Agent
• Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection Realty
• Persons Services Corp
• Seth Cherniak - Jeffrey Matthews Financial
• Bill-E's Bacon
• Harris Vacation Rentals
• Roosters Restaurant in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
• Bay Business News

Find Cam Marston's book - What Works: The Ten Best Ideas from the First Two-Hundred Episodes on Amazon.com. 

To get the Top 3 Tips of the show each week and a Free Chapter of What Works, sign up here.