Business Roundtable

Choosing the wrong ERP system can cost your business millions.

In this episode of the Business Roundtable Podcast, David Carr sits down with Danny Kaplan, founder of SMC Data Systems, to unpack what most companies get wrong when selecting enterprise resource planning software — and how to avoid expensive implementation failures. Danny founded SMC Data Systems in 1980 and has helped thousands of mid-market manufacturers and distributors optimize operations, strengthen inventory control, and scale through mergers and acquisitions.

With more than four decades of experience, he brings practical wisdom, relationship-driven leadership, and real-world case studies to the conversation. This discussion goes far beyond software features.

Danny explains why ERP selection should begin with a detailed business requirements “shopping list,” not a polished sales demo. He outlines the dangers of siloed systems, poor vendor support, overseas help desks, rushed implementation timelines, and software that forces companies to change their processes to fit the tool.

The conversation also addresses today’s economic realities — supply chain disruptions, tariffs, freight volatility, inventory shortages, and cash flow pressure — and why real-time analytics and accurate net inventory visibility are essential for survival. Danny shares practical guidance on:

• Why real-time inventory accuracy protects against production disruption
• How outdated ERP systems create hidden financial risk
• The importance of vendor delivery performance over lowest cost
• How to evaluate ERP vendors properly before signing a contract
• Why training must be done on-site, not just over Zoom
• The critical role of ongoing support and U.S.-based service teams
• How to use analytics to monitor vendors, customers, receivables, and product performance
• Why relationships matter more than software features

If you are a manufacturer, distributor, CFO, or business owner evaluating ERP systems — or struggling with legacy software — this episode provides a practical roadmap to making a smarter decision.

Because software should serve your business — not disrupt it. Learn more at:
SMC Data Systems – https://smcdata.com Connect with Danny Kaplan on LinkedIn.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

Why do so many companies invest in marketing tools and still get ignored?

In this episode of the Business Roundtable Podcast, host David Carr, founder of Steward Your Business, sits down with Ben Baker, strategic communications expert and founder of Your Brand Marketing, to unpack why most outreach fails today — and it is rarely about the tools being used. It is about the alignment, or lack of it, behind the message.

Ben brings over twenty-five years of experience helping mid to large size organizations fix broken communication ecosystems, align stakeholders, and build brands that earn long-term trust. Drawing from work across healthcare, manufacturing, B2B, government, and consumer brands, Ben explains why short-term thinking destroys customer relationships and how companies can shift toward messaging that actually builds loyalty and lifetime value.

David and Ben also dig into the difference between brand building and marketing, why most organizations cannot clearly articulate what they do or who they serve, and how to use customer feedback as a genuine growth tool rather than a quarterly checkbox.

If you are a business owner, executive, or leader who wants to stop wasting budget on outreach that goes nowhere and start building messaging that people actually respond to, this conversation delivers practical, no-fluff strategy you can apply immediately. In this episode:

• Why spray-and-pray outreach on LinkedIn and email destroys trust before it starts
• The difference between brand building and marketing and why you need both
• How to define who you are, who you serve, and why they should care
• Why short-term thinking raises customer acquisition costs and kills growth
• How to use A-B testing without blowing your budget
• The right way to collect honest feedback from customers and employees

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ben Baker website and free e-books: https://www.iambenbaker.com
• Ben Baker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminbaker

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

In a world full of noise, how do you actually stand out?

In this episode of the Business Roundtable Podcast, host David Carr, founder of Steward Your Business, sits down with JoJo LaRicci, video strategist, super connector, and media veteran with over six decades of experience, to explore what it really takes to get seen, heard, and remembered in business and in life. 

JoJo shares her remarkable journey from learning photography at MIT at age eleven, to building recording studios, appearing on MTV, and reinventing herself during COVID to master video marketing and social media distribution. Her story is not just about media — it is about the principle of adding value at every turn and how that single habit changes everything. This conversation goes deeper than marketing tactics.

David and JoJo unpack why transactional relationships repel opportunity, why most people are invisible online despite doing good work, and how servant leadership and intentional connection create the kind of influence that compounds over decades.

JoJo also shares the personal daily practices that have kept her vibrant, focused, and generous at seventy-one. If you are a business owner, leader, or professional who wants to show up more powerfully, build real relationships, and create content that actually reaches people, this episode will challenge and inspire you. In this episode:

• Why adding value is the foundation of standing out in any industry
• How to approach video, distribution, and online visibility the right way
• Why transactional networking kills relationships before they start
• The power of building connections intentionally over decades
• How inner alignment drives outward influence and business results
• What JoJo does daily to stay energized, focused, and giving

Links mentioned in this episode:

• JoJo LaRicci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojolaricci

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

You spend months hiring someone great, then lose them in 90 days. It is tempting to blame the people. Workforce strategist Joel Schwan says the real problem lies in the system beneath them.

Joel is the founder of Schwan Stratifyr and holds a master's degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, with over 25 years of experience in retail team leadership and enterprise workforce operations. After a layoff of his own, he started seeing the same pattern everywhere: companies do not need more people; they need clarity.

In this conversation, he and David Carr unpack the five areas of workforce audit (role clarity, workflow mapping, capacity, governance, and metrics), when a contractor beats a permanent hire, how to avoid the burnout and layoff trap, and his Constellation Design idea of treating talent as an ecosystem instead of a pipeline. Running through all of it is the Steward Your Business theme: your business is a mirror of how you lead, and your people are the asset worth stewarding.

You will walk away able to spot whether your own "people problem" is really a system problem, and what to fix first.

Connect with Joel Schwan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelschwan/
Schwan Stratifyr: https://www.schwanstratifyr.com


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

Why do so many business owners see HR as an administrative cost instead of a growth engine?

In this episode of the Business Roundtable Podcast, David Carr is joined by Bruce Nichols, a global HR executive and people-first strategist, to challenge the traditional view of human resources and reframe HR as a profit multiplier and strategic advantage.

Drawing from decades of experience across private equity, Fortune 100 companies, startups, and high-growth organizations, Bruce explains why most businesses stall not because of sales or market demand, but because the right people are not in the right seats at the right time.

This conversation explores how talent strategy, culture, and workforce planning directly impact profitability, scalability, and leadership effectiveness.

David and Bruce discuss why many founders struggle to shift from doing the work to leading the business, and how intentional HR strategy helps leaders move from firefighting to sustainable growth. 

They also examine the role of AI in HR and why technology alone cannot fix broken processes. Bruce shares why people-first leadership, clear structure, and proactive planning are essential before layering in automation or artificial intelligence. Grounded in real client examples and leadership experience, this episode offers practical insight for business owners, executives, and professional service firms looking to grow without burning out or bleeding profit. In this episode:

• Why HR should be viewed as a growth engine, not a cost center
• How misaligned roles quietly drain profit and momentum
• What it takes to scale teams intentionally and sustainably
• Why hiring growth requires backward planning, not urgency
• How AI fits into HR strategy without replacing human judgment

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Bruce Nichols on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucernichols
• The Human Resource Consortium: https://hrtalentsolution.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

Why do organizations keep fixing symptoms instead of solving the real problem?

In this episode, David Carr sits down with Hanna Bauer, leadership strategist and founder of HEARTnomics, to explore why misalignment between people, systems, and purpose quietly erodes performance, culture, and trust.

Drawing from Hanna’s experience as a CEO, board chair, and executive advisor, this conversation examines what happens when organizations rely too heavily on process, technology, or structure without tending to the human side of leadership. David and Hanna discuss why communication breakdowns, burnout, and stalled execution are rarely people problems and almost always leadership and alignment problems.

The discussion spans nonprofit, hospitality, financial, and technical environments, offering practical insight into how leaders can restore clarity, psychological safety, and accountability during growth, digital transformation, and cultural strain.

Grounded in real executive experience and systems thinking, this episode reframes leadership as the responsibility to balance heart and rigor, humanity and execution, so organizations can perform without chaos or constant rework. In this episode:

• Why performance problems are usually alignment problems
• The hidden cost of over-relying on systems and processes
• How leadership communication shapes culture and execution
• What it means to align people, purpose, and performance
• Why leadership growth must keep pace with organizational growth

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Hanna Bauer on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bauerhanna
• HEARTnomics https://www.heartnomics.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

Why do so many capable leaders feel exhausted, unfocused, or misaligned, despite doing everything right? In this episode, David Carr sits down with Sara Gayle, founder of EverKind Strategies, to explore how neurodivergence, burnout, and broken systems quietly undermine leadership effectiveness and what it actually takes to design environments where people can thrive. Drawing from Sara’s journey as a late diagnosed ADHD leader and her work with mission driven organizations, this conversation examines how clarity, kindness, and relational intelligence shape sustainable growth. Rather than treating focus and productivity as personal discipline problems, David and Sara reframe them as leadership and systems responsibilities. The discussion also explores how emerging tools like AI can support neurodivergent leaders by capturing ideas, reducing cognitive load, and restoring margin when used intentionally and ethically. Grounded in real leadership experience, coaching work, and collaborative systems design, this episode challenges the assumption that burnout is a personal failure and instead points to the power of alignment, community, and humane leadership structures. In this episode:

• Why burnout is often a systems issue, not a motivation problem
• How ADHD and neurodivergence show up in leadership and teams
• The role of kindness and challenge in healthy leadership cultures
• How AI can support focus, follow through, and clarity
• What it means to design work that fits real humans

Links mentioned in this episode:

• EverKind Strategies https://www.goeverkind.com
• Sara Gayle on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradgayle
• Totally Normal Podcast hosted by Sara Gayle, available on major podcast platforms

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

Why do so many networking conversations never turn into real opportunities? In this episode, David Carr examines the leadership dynamics behind stalled conversions and why relationship-driven professionals often struggle to move conversations toward commitment.

Inspired by the operating principles of Success Champions Network, this conversation explores how leadership, structure, and accountability shape whether conversations lead to results.

David also references the systems-focused leadership behind SCN, led by Jessica Gruber, whose work emphasizes training, infrastructure, and intentional community design to support sustainable growth across chapters worldwide. 

Drawing from real leadership engagements and collaborative work with founders, consultants, and professional organizations, this episode reframes sales and growth as a leadership responsibility rather than a transactional skill. 

In this episode:
• Why conversations alone don’t create growth
• The cost of avoiding challenge in leadership
• How structure protects trust
• What it means to guide rather than convince

Links mentioned in this episode: 

1. Success Champions Network: https://successchampionnetworking.com
2. Jessica Gruber:
   1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-gruber
   2. https://jessicagruber.co/
3. Buzzworks: https://buzzwks.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

What if exiting your business did not mean selling out your people, your culture, or your legacy?

In this episode, David Carr sits down with Kelly Finnell, President of EFS ESOP Consultants and one of the nation’s leading experts on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), to unpack how employee ownership can be a powerful succession and liquidity strategy for business owners.

With more than 40 years of experience helping founders transition ownership, Kelly breaks down what ESOPs actually are, how they work, and why they are often misunderstood. Together, David and Kelly explore why ESOPs appeal to what Kelly calls “compassionate capitalists” — leaders who want to achieve full fair market value for their business while also protecting employees, preserving culture, and sustaining long-term legacy.

The conversation covers how ESOPs differ from private equity and strategic buyers, how tax advantages play a critical role, and why alignment between owners, employees, and performance creates healthier, more resilient organizations.

Grounded in real-world case studies across engineering, defense contracting, and professional services, this episode reframes succession planning as a leadership decision — not just a financial transaction. In this episode:

• What an ESOP is and how it works in plain language
• Why ESOPs are an alternative to private equity and third-party sales
• The role of legacy, culture, and stewardship in ownership transitions
• How ESOPs align employee motivation with long-term performance
• Common myths and misconceptions about ESOPs
• What makes a company a strong (or weak) ESOP candidate

Links mentioned in this episode:

• EFS ESOP Consultants https://www.execfin.com
• Kelly Finnell on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/esopcoach
• The ESOP Coach (book by Kelly Finnell) https://www.esopcoach.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

In this episode of the Business Roundtable Podcast, David W. Carr, founder of Steward Your Business, sits down with Stephanie Simpson, founder of Brand-ification, to explore the powerful intersection of leadership, message clarity, and brand confidence.

Stephanie shares her journey from Warner Bros. to launching a brand strategy firm that helps business owners define who they are, what they stand for, and how to communicate it clearly. Together, they unpack why so many professionals struggle to articulate their value — and what it really takes to create a brand that connects.

What You’ll Learn:

• The real difference between branding, marketing, and messaging.
• How to identify and speak directly to your ideal clients.
• Why clarity beats cleverness every time.
• How to “duplicate yourself” through better communication and systems.
• The missing link between brand clarity and leadership alignment.

If you’re a founder, consultant, or leader ready to simplify your message and amplify your impact, this episode is for you.

Connect with Stephanie Simpson
🌐 Website: https://brand-ification.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephaniefifesimpson

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.

Connect with Steward Your Business:

• Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/cc
• Call: +1 909.404.9865
• Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarr

Watch more episodes  and subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business