Fast Forward Maine Podcast

How does Maine stack up against other states for our economy? There are plenty of factors to look at, and the Maine Development Foundation is measuring all of them!

From wages to entrepreneurship, the cost of doing business to broadband access, the Measures of Growth report considers a wide variety of factors and rates them all. They've even included some new measures this year including racial/ethnic income equity and pre-K education.

For a breakdown of the report's findings, we talk to the MDF's Executive Director, Yellow Breen.

Due to social distancing, facemasks, and work from home orders, networking events ground to a halt in 2020. Sure, there are virtual networking events, but can you really make meaningful connections in 2D?

Networking expert Debra Boggs enthusiastically says yes! and shares specific tactics on how to work a Zoom breakout room and make connections on LinkedIn.

Get ready to up your virtual networking skills with this week's interview!

Maine has a challenge in keeping young people here in the state. But as owners and employers, we can do our part to keep them here, or get them to return after college. What they need is opportunity.

But are there challenges in finding, hiring, and managing a young person? Leah Gulliver from Eastern Maine Development Corporation joins us this week to talk about the benefits of keeping young people here in Maine and what you can do to help.

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. What do those terms each mean, and how can you implement each in your business?

Chris Hunt, the Associate Provost for Community, Equity, and Diversity at the University of New England joins us today to talk about the power of a diverse workforce, and the benefits it brings your company.

Discover how to overcome hidden biases in your hiring practices, and create an environment that gets the most out of your team in this week's episode.

When CEO Kevin Hancock was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia at a critical, challenging time for his company, he wondered how he could lead his team out of the housing bust.

However, he discovered the power of shared leadership, which he wrote about in his book The Seventh Power. In this week's interview, Kevin shares with us his journey and how you can implement shared leadership in your own company to empower your people and grow your business.

High-performing women often have more barriers to overcome than their male counterparts, both internally and externally. To support their professional growth and to improve your own business, you need to understand what might be keeping them from leveling up and make sure they have the resources to succeed.

This week we talk to business coach Jodi Flynn of Women Taking the Lead on how to best nurture high-performing women.

As an owner, do you have too many things to get done in a day? Are you often the bottleneck in your own business growth? Do you find yourself working late nights and weekends, and missing time with your family? Have you considered hiring an Executive Assistant? Derek Volk, President of Volk Packaging, shares with us how his life and business have changed since he brought on his EA.

Discover the trigger point for hiring an EA, how the hiring process works, and how to get the most out of your EA in this episode of Fast Forward Maine.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, has become a goal for many businesses, but what does it exactly mean? Are there real and tangible benefits of DE&I, or becoming an LGBTQ-friendly workforce? We sit down with Ed Patterson, Head of Global Communications for Hill+Knowlton, to talk about what companies should be doing today.

Would a Board of Advisors or a Board of Directors help jumpstart your company? If so, which is right for your business, how do you find the right people to sit on your board, and do you need to compensate them? We'll tackle all of these questions and more with Colleen McCracken.

he coronavirus has ravaged Maine's business ecosystem with no end in sight. Businesses, schools, and organizations are opening, but with many restrictions. How do we get out of this? What is Maine's economic plan for recovery? Today, we talk to Joshua Broder, CEO of Tilson and co-chair on Governor Mills' economic recovery committee to see what the future will bring.