Power & Impact

Innovative technologies have opened up a new era of connection, allowing us to build more relationships in new, meaningful ways. The opportunities today are nearly endless, as we can now keep in touch with loved ones abroad and make honest, heartfelt relationships with people that we have never met in person (and perhaps, never will).

Emmet B. Keeffe III has been at the front line of this evolution since the 1990's. He has a long prolific career in the digital space, and has made his mark accelerating technology transformation in the workplace.

Through his work with Insight Partners and iRise, Emmet has noticed how technology has fueled the startup industry in recent years, particularly with the acceleration Covid brought about.

Jim and Emmet sit down to discuss mindset, the evolving technology landscape, and the importance of personal connection in our ever-changing world. Emmet also shares how talking about his goals with others led to him fulfilling his passion and owning his own auto racing team, The Campos Racing Team.

Vicky Ward knows when there is more to the story, as she has built a career covering high-profile events and individuals, always going the extra mile to find the underlying motivations. Vicky Ward is the New York Times bestselling author of Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. She is also the host of the popular podcast series "Chasing Ghislaine," which focuses on Ghislaine Maxwell as an accomplice to Jeffrey Epstein.

Vicky got her start in the UK press before moving to America to strike out on her own. She has a special talent for finding the deeper motives behind an individual's actions and has written for the Huffington Post, Esquire, Vanity Fair, and Town and Country. Vicky is also the author of two other best-selling books, The Liar's Ball: The Extraordinary Saga of How One Building Broke the World's Toughest Tycoons, and The Devil's Casino: Friendship, Betrayal and the High Stakes Games Played Inside Lehman Brothers. Vicky also writes the Substack newsletter "Vicky Ward Investigates."

In this episode, Vicky shares how she found her path as a journalist, the differences between the US and UK press, and some of the dangers she has encountered in her profession.

When I need perspective on resilience, one of the first people I turn to is Anthony Scaramucci. Anthony and I have been friends and connected in many ways for a long time, including our shared Long Island roots.

In fact, Anthony attributes much of his resilience to Long Island's "culture for risk-taking, being yourself, and comfortable in your own skin." Anthony has built a career as a successful entrepreneur largely by following paths he set for himself and those who had a big influence on his life.

In July 2017, Anthony was the White House's Director of Communications for 10 days before being dismissed. In our conversation, Anthony shares how this incident made him more resilient, the emotional dialogue he had with his son afterward, and how his upbringing with his father and uncle helped shape him into the man he is today.

We also have some fun, reveling in our shared love for the Mets, discussing new technologies, and commenting on today's current events. It was a real treat to sit down with a good friend like Anthony for this recording!

Behind the barbecues and pool parties that celebrate the Fourth of July is the remembrance of those who gave their lives in defense of this country. To honor the occasion, Power & Impact is presenting a special military-focused episode.

To share perspectives on the men and women in uniform, we're sitting down this week with Rob Newson. Rob has had a highly accomplished military career as a U.S. Navy SEAL and as the Deputy Director/Director of the White House Military Office, and later became VP of Strategy and Vision for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Today, Rob has taken his years of leadership expertise to his current passion as an anti-cancer catalyst for Cancer in the Military. Rare, terminal cancers and chronic medical conditions are plaguing young, otherwise healthy, top performers of our nation's military following service during the post-9/11 era. Rob's objective is to create a national anti-cancer swarm focused on cancer within the veteran community.

We cover a wide variety of topics, including how military life shaped Rob as an individual, the issues many veterans are facing with cancer brought on by duty-related toxic exposure, and dive into current events such as the war in Ukraine.

Rob's dedication to service, both in his military career and as a civilian, inspires us greatly. It was an honor to sit down with him and get to know him better.

One of my core beliefs is that we have to be intentional about building and maintaining our relationships with the people that matter most to us. Every activity is an opportunity to deepen a connection we have with somebody important or new in our lives which is why I applaud Dan Hermann for what he has created with PaintNite.com.

Paint Nite is a fun and engaging live events company centered around creating experiences for people to get out, have fun, meet new people, and do engaging activities with their friends and family. Through creating these live artistic experiences, people are able to access their vulnerability (after all, not everyone can be Picasso!), strengthen relationships, and make new friends along the way.

In Dan's words, "People want to be with their friends, their family, and to get out of the house; and the painting is just the activity that shapes everything."

Dan and I discuss his entrepreneurial journey from founding the laundry service Lazybones at the University of Wisconsin, to what he's doing today at Paint Nite. We also discuss the importance of building community, the loneliness epidemic, and what happens as our loved ones age.

This week, Smile Farms opens its 12th campus in partnership with Catholic Health. The new campus is unique in serving those who are specifically dealing with mental health diagnoses and behavioral challenges and is the first campus exclusively dedicated to donations.

The donated produce will support Catholic Health's Food Insecurity Initiative, built to screen emergency room patients for vital hunger signs and if deemed food needy, patients are given a "to-go" bag filled with fresh, healthy food options. The program, led by President and CEO Dr. Patrick O'Shaughnessy, will also provide direct referrals to community-based organizations to identify resources for regular access to healthy foods.

Dr. Patrick has an intense focus on quality and performance and is transforming Catholic Health's system of 6 hospitals, 17,000 employees, and a network of facilities and physicians, to advocate prevention as the best defense towards fighting diseases.

In this episode of Power & Impact, Dr. Patrick and I discuss the importance of nutrition in our overall health and longevity and how building deep relationships contribute to our wellness and sense of well-being.

Lately, I've been exploring the role relationships play in our well-being. Cultivating deep and meaningful relationships is critical to maintaining mental health and finding personal fulfillment, but it's also something that many men struggle with.

I've become acutely aware that many men are reporting difficulty connecting with other men beyond surface-level or acquaintanceship, and this trend has only grown worse since the pandemic. What is causing this, and how can we address it?

During the early days of Covid, I read an article written by Dr. George Everly and reached out to express my appreciation for his work. This blossomed into us becoming "Covid buddies," and since then strengthened our bond through many discussions on psychology, mental health, and relationships.

Recently George wrote an article regarding male friendships, so we're diving deeper with two of my other close friends: Larry Zarin and Dick Auletta. Our conversation goes from impactful moments to lighthearted fun as we discuss how different role models have affected our male friendships, taking initiative to create and enhance relationships, and the importance of expressing our feelings to the ones we love.

How does scarcity play into this and are companies using it as a tactic to influence consumer habits?

To answer this question and more, we turn to Dr. Mindy Weinstein. Dr. Weinstein has a 20-year career as a successful marketing consultant and educator and earned her PhD in General Psychology. She is also the Founder and CEO of Market MindShift, and a well-respected expert on scarcity. Her recent book, The Power of Scarcity: Leveraging Urgency to Influence Customer Decisions, unpacks these tactics and explores why we are more afraid of loss than of gain.

In this episode, Dr. Mindy and Jim unpack recent examples of this economic influencing factor in the news, exclusivity as a motivator, and how scarcity affects both the market and the shopper.

Scott Corwin, the US Leader of Sustainability and Climate Change at Deloitte sits down with me for a special episode of Power & Impact.

The massive implications of climate change really came together for me last year at the Techonomy Climate Summit. Ever since that event, I've been on a personal journey learning about sustainability, climate change, and the importance of protecting our environment.

Scott's passion for climate science and sustainability shines through in his work. He didn't stop at just improving Deloitte's environmental impact, he's also helped shift the company towards aiding their clients in adopting more sustainable practices!

In our conversation, Scott shares the importance of this moment in curbing climate change, what it will take for us as a society to switch over to green energy, and what progress Deloitte has been able to make in curbing climate change.

As we age, we face a choice: do we slow down and stop contributing, or do we take our decades of knowledge and connections and put them towards something meaningful?

Author Cynthia Haller visits Power & Impact to discuss how people can live their lives in a crescendo so that their best is always yet to come.

Cynthia is the daughter of Stephen R. Covey, who you may know from his best-selling classic, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." Recently, Cynthia co-wrote the book "Live Life in Crescendo" by drawing from some of her father's unfinished work. Not only is this project a moving tribute to her late father, the result is a beautiful book that will help so many readers live their best lives - including me! I recommend this book to everyone I meet and is my go-to gift this year.