Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has become the official kick-off celebration to the holiday season. Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, joins Tim and John to talk about the complexities of putting together this signature holiday event.

Norwegians cruise like no other people on earth. With more choices of what to do and see, and more freedom to do it your way. The Cruise Director of the Norwegian Jewel stops by to talk about the business behind the perfect vacation. Join the conversation at 866-305-6887.

Briggs Inc. principals Anthony Napoli, a proud native New Yorker, and Gary Newman, a New Yorker since 1978, invite you to help yourself to the greatest city in the world. Briggs is New York’s Number One Destination Management Company, delivering unforgettable New York experiences with extraordinary care and flair. For three decades, Briggs’ unmatched reputation has been built on a foundation of reliability, creativity, total team commitment and ever-present good humor. They come armed with knowledge of unique spots in the city that will make a visit unforgettable. Join the conversation at 866-305-6887.

Machelle Williams leads Volkswagen Group of America‘s Corporate Diversity initiative. She works to align the company’s diversity and training vision with overall corporate objectives, by developing initiatives including Diversity Awareness and Outreach programs, and a Leadership Development program. Machelle joins Tim and John to talk about the importance of diversity in the workplace, and how it actually plays out in daily office life.

Paul Hagen of Metrosource magazine returns to continue his mission of putting the “culture” back in “pop culture” for our listeners on Metroscope. Join the conversation at 866-305-6887.

Giving a presentation is never easy. Just gathering all of the information and laying it out it in a way that makes sense can be formidable! But a good speaker knows that an audience wants more than facts and figures – they need a story. Staged Right’s Ed Roland shows us how on this first installment of Express Yourself, a new segment that aims to show you how to best deliver your ideas in any business setting.

Sonya Fitzpatrick, host of Animal Intuition on Sirius XM Stars 107, is widely regarded as the most experienced and trusted animal communicator in the world. A lifetime animal advocate, Sonya helps pet lovers understand and connect with their pets—both living and passed on, and teaches people how to see things from the pet’s point of view. Get your questions ready, and join the conversation at 866-305-6887.

“I felt like I had been transformed overnight from a youthful, carefree jock into someone who needed to grasp the backs of chairs and counters for an arduous five-yard trip to the bathroom,” says actor Kevin Sorbo, best known as the demi-God on the ’90s TV hit Hercules. In his new book True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal—and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life, he recounts how his life sharply changed when he was 38, at the height of his career.

Focus Group Academy: Interview Skills is a new segment where Tim and John have our listeners answer some of the most frequently asked HR questions, followed by a critique of how they fared. Join the conversation at 866-305-6887.

Star Wars: The Blueprints brings together the original blueprints created for the filming of the Star Wars Saga. This limited edition book gives voice to the groundbreaking and brilliant engineers, designers, and artists that have created the most imaginative and iconic locales in the history of cinema. J. W. Rinzler, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Making of Star Wars, and Star Wars: The Blueprints, joins Art Director Les Dilley for an in-depth conversation about the talented men and women who work behind the scenes making movie magic.

Focus Group team member Andrew Somer joins John for a Shop Talk segment on the challenges of selling the LGBT consumer to corporations. Ben and Dave, from The Six Pack, take on Tim’s List, so join the conversation at 866-305-6887.

Launching in late October 2011, OffTo.com will deliver the first website devoted entirely to providing great deals on customized LGBT getaways in the U.S. and abroad. With over 40 years of experience in LGBT web‐based travel services, the founders are dedicated to delivering unique getaways at up to 40‐50% below retail value. Co-Founder Brian Goldthorpe discusses the inspiration to start OffTo.com, and some of the challenges the business faced along the way.

Las Vegas: The Strip and Beyond returns with a look at classic Las Vegas—The Fremont Street experience. Not to be missed, it’s the way Vegas does urban revitalization. Join the conversation at 866-305-6887.

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, owners of Beekman 1802, and stars of “The Fabulous Beekman Boys” on Planet Green, join Tim and John this Saturday. New Yorkers for years, they have moved upstate to try and revive a farm and create a new organic lifestyle brand, Beekman 1802. For them, that turns out to mean wrangling pigs and wrapping 14,000 bars of organic goat milk soap—not a typical day in their previous New York life. But, as they said: “We believe that a farm can be much larger than its fences. If someone told us that we’d trade in New York City for eighty goats, two pigs, a dozen chickens and a narcissistic llama, we would have told them that they were crazy. It turns out that we are.”

Tim’s List

Live from the D.C. studios, Tim and John welcome Megan Closset to the show. Armed with an idea that she wanted to work in the automotive industry, Megan’s journey started with her upbringing in Boulder, Colorado, followed by a degree in Romance Languages from the University of Georgia. Megan took her first post-college job selling Volkswagens, and now has attained her dream job as a VW sales and product trainer. She joins Tim and John to talk about life as a female in the auto industry, and will hopefully put us in the know on some of the new and exciting VW products about to come to market.

Jason Fried, one of the authors of “Rework,” discusses this unique business book, and how it came about. Jason is one of the founders of 37signals, a company praised for it’s web-based business management applications. Later in the show, Tim’s List. Join the conversation at 866-305-6887.