Past Shows
Guess who lost 65 pounds since the demise of OutQ?
Frank Decaro and Jim Colucci help The Focus Group kick off the Holiday Season. Frank shares his weight loss success, and tells us about being on the road with Lisa Lampanelli. Jim updates us on his New York Times bestseller, Golden Girls Forever, which happens to be the gold standard for books of this genre. If you are looking for gifts this season there is nothing better for a Golden Girls Fan than Jim’s latest book and, as Frank reminds us, The Dead Celebrity Cookbook and the Christmas in Tinseltown companion are also “must haves” for the home! We had a blast with Frank and Jim who let us know that this year’s Christmas and Holiday decorating theme at their home is: Blue and White.
Why does the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) rarely ascend to the top job at their organization?
Thomas Barta, co-author of The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader: How to Succeed by Building Customer and Company Value, joins the show. He has concluded, after some exhaustive research, that the reason CMOs rarely rise to the top job is quite simple. Listen and or watch the interview and see if you agree. But first, Starbucks has brought Holiday, particularly Christmas, back to their cups, Newman’s Own branded products need to reboot for millennials, and remember to shop small today—It’s Small Business Saturday!
13 Great Pieces of Career Advice You Never Hear.
It’s World Toilet Day and 1 in 5 millennials have never had a Big Mac. Tim and John share Career Advice You Never Hear. In Shop Talk the funeral industry is among the last to succumb to Apps, but they are here to stay. Tim and John share four of their favorites. Three Business Birthdays today—Ted Turner, Jack Welch and Campbell Soup Heiress Charlotte Weber. What would you do with over a billion dollars on hand?
Will the LGBT Business Community Still Have A Seat at the White House Table?
Jonathan D. Lovitz, Sr. Vice President at The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) says: “YES!” Jonathan joins The Focus Group to talk about the massive policy victories that have occurred in 2016 for LGBT business owners and he reiterates the importance of being an LGBT Certified Business through the NGLCC. But first, meet Jack Ryan, the inventor of the Barbie Doll, Hot Wheels, Chatty Cathy and Zsa Zsa’s 6th Husband. It’s Ok to eat the egg yolk, Happy Business Birthday to Charles Walgreen III, and now you can feel really old—Madonna’s Like a Virgin Album was released 32 years ago today! Tim and John share their views of the election and the importance of moving forward with eyes wide open.
Should you Vote “Yes” for Marijuana Legalization?
Todd Mitchem is an entrepreneur, leader, disruptor, and expert when it comes to aiding or managing companies in the cannabis space. He discusses the budding issues surrounding ballot initiatives this November as more states decide on marijuana legalization. But first, Tim wants to pay a visit to B-52′s band member Kate Pierson’s Lazy Meadow Motel, and John reveals that he is impatient in Shop Talk.
How to create engagement and loyalty through premiums?
Brian Roman, President and Founder of AdMark360 joins the conversation and unveils the new Focus Group Radio socks—and a couple of surprises. (Our listeners picked the sock color this time.) It’s National Cat Day so Donald will be happy…. Does being cold make you sick? Find out in the Week in Science. Shop Talk explores the importance of bringing your whole self to work.
Yes, It is Possible to Find Happiness at Work.
Ben Brooks, Founder and CEO of Pilot Inc. joins The Focus Group to discuss his product the Job Renovator. It is an innovative 5-Step process designed to put customers in control by helping them create a plan of action to finding happiness at work. But first, it’s National Nut and CAPS LOCK DAY! John wants to visit a see through glass suspension bridge in China and Tim says “NO” as the low bidder probably got that job! Happy 74th Birthday to Judy Judy—television’s highest paid TV star at $47 million a year. Not bad for a second career.
What’s the Best Career Advice You Ever Received?
Tim and John share some of the best career advice they have ever received…Why is cash flow important for a small business? Where is the best place to head for in a parking garage? Shop Talk looks at 5 ways to politely deal with people who keep interrupting you. Pumpkin Chocolate French fries caught Tim’s Eye while John plans to visit a Kitten Taxidermy Wedding. Happy Business Birthday to Palmolive Madge—Jan Miner and Lee Iacocoa!
What’s next on the LGBT Agenda?
Cathy Renna, Managing partner at Target Cue, joins Tim and John for an important conversation about the state of the LGBT movement. Cathy is nationally recognized as both a media relations and communications expert and leader within the LGBT community—having been a major force behind the success and growth of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). But first, we celebrate John’s Birthday, learn that Anne Murray may not be so wholesome, and there’s money in a meteorite hitting your old Malibu.
Road Trip with the 2017 VW Golf Alltrack
Tim and John share their eight state, 2,000 plus mile journey in the all new VW Golf Alltrack making their way from Seattle to Denver. Hear and see what attractions they loved, places they would skip, and what hotel had the best water pressure—hint not the Kimpton! The VW Golf Alltrack became part of the Focus Group Family as it guided us over the beautiful but gut wrenching Beartooth Pass in Wyoming. Come along for the ride!
