Coffee with Closers

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers are authors Chris Mettler and Jon Yarian.

They discuss their new book: Spark: 24 Concepts to Ignite, Unstick or Supercharge Your Work Life. Due out May 16th, Spark is designed to challenge those who are stuck in their jobs and wandering aimlessly through the hallways of bloated companies to lead the life they have always wanted to live. It’s a call to action, not a typical “business book.” 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Dale Buckner, the CEO of the international security firm Global Guardian.

A 24-year US Army veteran, Dale explains why many companies are failing to adequately prepare for crises, including regional conflicts, national health emergencies, natural disasters and other security threats. In the face of increased global disruptions, he discusses why the time is now to develop resilient and actionable plans, with foresight, that can protect an organization’s people and assets in times of emergency, and the dire consequences that can result from failing to do so.  

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) President Jim Ward.

He addresses some of the most pressing issues facing the trucking industry today, including the future of autonomous and electric trucks, driver shortages, supply chain, workforce training and more.  

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Holocaust historian, curator and American Jewish University professor Dr. Michael Berenbaum.

Dr. Berenbaum previews “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” This world-renowned traveling exhibition is now open at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.  

Through more than 700 original artifacts, this powerful and moving exhibit chronicles what was one of the greatest crimes and darkest chapters in all of humanity-the horrors and atrocities that took place at the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Anne Balcer,  Senior Executive Vice President, Chief of Government Relations and Public Policy at the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA). 

Anne explains why a highly controversial push in Congress aimed at regulating credit cards would increase costs for Main Street banks and put consumers’ rewards programs and card security protections in jeopardy. She also weighs in on why efforts to get the U.S. Postal Service into the banking business is a bad idea and why ICBA will continue to advocate for legislation allowing cannabis-related businesses to have access to the banking system in states where it is legal.  

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is New York Times bestselling author and Fox News Channel’s FOX & Friends co-host, Brian Kilmeade. 

We discuss his latest book, The President and the Freedom Fighter. Now in paperback and with a new epilogue, it tells the little-known but historically significant story of how two self-made, accomplished American heroes from very different backgrounds, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, rose to power and overcame strong disagreements to forge an unlikely friendship during the Civil War that changed the entire course of history by paving the way for freedom. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Christine Cochran, the President and CEO  of SNAC International, a trade organization representing snack food manufacturers, suppliers, marketers and other stakeholders. We discuss what kinds of snacks consumers are demanding today, supply chain challenges, nutrition and the opportunities that lie ahead for a segment that continues to grow. And, with Americans consuming 112 million pounds of snacks on Super Bowl Sunday, she also shares her thoughts on what snacks mean to those who enjoy watching the Big Game. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is former school superintendent, Dr. David Vroonland. He is launching a new non-profit to help school leaders reimagine 21st century education with Learning Environments Action Research Network (L.E.A.R.N.). This non-profit will be a clearinghouse of the latest research, cutting-edge resources and best practices in education to drive the changes needed for students to thrive in a 21st century economy. L.E.A.R.N. is comprised of leading experts and practitioners from across the country committed to transforming schools into learning environments that promote equitable access to innovation, health, safety, and sustainability. Visit L.E.A.R.N. at https://golearntoday.org/.

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Dr. J. Stephen Jones, a nationally recognized healthcare leader who serves as the President and CEO of Inova Health System in Northern Virginia. Inova is the only large health system in America to have every one of its hospitals rated five stars by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

With our nation’s healthcare delivery system undergoing major changes, which include facing continued incursions from nontraditional disruptors like Amazon and Walmart, Dr. Jones discusses some of the serious challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for an industry in transition. 

He also recounts what the early, uncertain days of Covid-19 were like inside Inova and important lessons learned from the pandemic that will affect how care is delivered in the future. 

Joining us on this week’s episode of Coffee with Closers is Serene Almomen, CEO of sensor-based monitoring systems leader Attune (formerly Senseware). She discusses how her company’s only one of its kind Air Quality Monitoring solution is enhancing indoor protections for students, teachers, office workers and first responders by detecting and mitigating against bacteria, toxins and airborne virus threats.