What The Teck?

Jason Mandel is the Founder and CEO of Mandel Family Office, a firm dedicated to providing comprehensive financial services to high-net-worth individuals and families. As a Wall Street insider and private financial advisor, he has held senior positions at the LeFrak Organization, D.E. Shaw, and Cantor Fitzgerald. Jason has over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience in financial services and risk management. Additionally, he is the President of Caretrust Financial and the author of DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Stop Wall Street Greed and Rising Taxes From Destroying Your Wealth.

Traditional investment vehicles are primarily controlled by Wall Street and overseen by corporate entities that levy a charge to administer your equity and bond portfolios. These corporate entities derive profits from your investments even in a bear market, and they advocate a wait-and-watch approach while you continue to experience losses. How can you build and maintain wealth without relying on Wall Street?

Former Wall Street executive Jason Mandel realized there had to be a way to invest without losing considerable amounts of money in the process. After leaving the Wall Street scene, he discovered absolute return investments. This alternative investment stream involves purchasing untaxed products like life insurance, allowing you to invest and borrow funds with limited loss and risk. These assets generate a higher return and are protected against creditors. By investing in life insurance rather than a traditional 401k, you can receive tax-free income in retirement and leave a monetary legacy for your family.

In today's episode of What The Teck?, Jason Mandel, the Founder and CEO of Mandel Family Office, joins Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly to share Wall Street insights and how to invest without risk. Jason reveals the investor secrets Wall Street won't tell you, the importance of transparency and honesty on Wall Street, and why he left Wall Street after becoming diabetic.

Dr. Randy Ross is the Founder and CEO of Remarkable!, a consulting and advisory firm specializing in team development and organizational health. He is also a speaker, consultant, coach, and the best-selling author of Remarkable!, a leadership parable guiding organizations toward a compelling and collaborative culture. As a former Chief People and Culture Officer, Randy has worked with renowned brands like Chick-fil-A and Keller Williams to inspire and enable people to find passion and purpose in their work, work together, and maximize their impact and influence.

With the US social and economic environment in disarray, companies are either laying off or losing their employees. Yet amid the turmoil, nationally celebrated brands like Chick-fil-A and Southwest continue to deliver first-class customer service while retaining their top talent. The solution is company culture. What are the nuances of a robust culture, and how can you apply them to your business?

Having studied applied axiology — the philosophy of value creation — culture driver Dr. Randy Ross maintains that people don't quit jobs, they quit managers. He defines culture as an expression of values, beliefs, and behaviors each individual must embody to drive transformational change within an organization. Businesses exist to solve problems and improve the human condition, and exceptionally skilled people drive success, so rather than cutting back your talent base, eliminate the processes that hinder your team's growth. However, sometimes employee layoffs are unavoidable, so Randy advises educating them about the circumstances and providing them with resources to make a smooth transition. When you cultivate employee trust and align your goals, values, and incentives, your team will provide unparalleled customer service in return.

Welcome back to another episode of What The Teck? as Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly host Dr. Randy Ross, the Founder and CEO of Remarkable!, who talks about building an intentional company culture. Randy shares examples of well-known brands with exceptional employee experiences, his predictions for the future of work culture, and how to navigate competing values.

Luke Komiskey is the Founder and CEO of DataDrive, a consulting firm specializing in managed analytic services. With over a decade of experience, Luke has played a pivotal role in making data analytics more accessible to various businesses. Under his leadership, DataDrive has evolved into a global team of professionals, supporting over 150 organizations, including healthcare, public education, manufacturing, and software. Luke's approach emphasizes transforming data into actionable insights, aiding organizations in making faster and more informed decisions. His passion for simplifying complex data challenges has been central to DataDrive's mission of fostering a data-informed society.

Companies are inundated with data, and the rapid adoption of AI has allowed them to extract insights. However, as businesses struggle to trace the origin of their data, attribution remains a challenge. Additionally, AI is still in its infancy and requires human input to be utilized effectively. How can you optimize AI to unravel your data for informed decision-making?

As an expert in decoding data, Luke Komiskey imparts the value of AI in writing code and analyzing data sets to identify insights and trends and make the appropriate recommendations. Yet before AI can perform these analytics, you must gather end-to-end data by tracking the customer journey to connect individual touch points. Making impactful decisions to drive business growth requires integrating sound AI and data strategies. Luke recommends transitioning from performing analytics through spreadsheets and other manual work to leveraging AI reporting platforms that allow you to ask insightful, data-driven questions.

In today's What The Teck? episode, Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly sit down with Luke Komiskey, the Founder and CEO of DataDrive, to talk about decoding data using AI. Luke shares how Amazon's use of AI impacts vendors, the meaning of machine learning, and the risks of not investing in AI.

James (Jim) Keyes is a business and social change agent and the Senior Consultant at Back to Space, which promotes STEM education and enrichment. He previously served as the CEO of 7-Eleven and Blockbuster and created a strategic consumer product in collaboration with Walmart. Passionate about aerospace and aviation, Jim has been a pilot for 40 years and is involved in new tech initiatives, including the Hyperspace startup through Lockheed Martin.

As a seasoned board member, he continues to serve on the board of organizations like Rithem, the Dallas Symphony Association, and Education is Freedom, a nationally recognized college, career, and life readiness provider he founded. James is also the author of Education is Freedom, which outlines the importance of education for all.

Blockbuster's demise caused a national uproar. Many people assumed the company's bankruptcy arose from a failure to keep up with competitors like Netflix, which had adopted streaming services. However, Blockbuster's collapse stemmed from poor cash flow management during the 2008 recession. How can entrepreneurs persevere through financial hardships?

Having grown up in poverty, progressed to the CEO of two Fortune 500 companies, and managed debt and an economic crisis, adaptable entrepreneur James (Jim) Keyes has seen it all. Entrepreneurs and company executives often don't recognize that debt occurs in many forms, including failing to return money borrowed from banks and investors and violating credit terms from suppliers. Jim recommends managing cash flow thoroughly and establishing emergency funds to afford interest rate increases. Additionally, education creates business opportunities, so by investing in your education, you're more likely to raise money for your startup.

Welcome back to the latest episode of What The Teck? as Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly host James (Jim) Keyes, the former CEO of Blockbuster and 7-Eleven, who shares his experience managing Fortune 500 brands. Jim explains how he gained strength through adversity, the inner workings of the investment market, and how his father influenced his career.

Amina Moreau is the Co-founder and CEO of Radious, an online marketplace that converts houses, apartments, and other residential properties into collaborative workspaces, rentable by the day. As a self-described chronic entrepreneur, she has built numerous companies, including Stillmotion, a five-time Emmy award-winning filmmaking company, Sway Storytelling, and Float Small Business.

Research shows that leading organizations have claimed remote work decreases workplace communication, collaboration, productivity, culture, and innovation. However, most of these companies equate remote work with working from home, generalizing the pain points specific to a single definition. While working from home may cause isolation and burnout from an inadequate work-life separation, remote work allows employees to work in accessible locations independent from a traditional corporate office. Learn how monetizing and outsourcing residential homes transforms standard notions of remote work.

With a finger on the pulse of modern-day work trends and demands, Amina Moreau understands that vibrant and optimized workspaces are crucial for employee productivity and creativity. With some residential homes serving as alternative office spaces, employees can select and rent environments that suit their working needs. This solution reduces commute times and carbon emissions, makes work tools accessible in quiet neighborhoods, and allows families to subsidize their rent or mortgages. Additionally, outsourcing homes to remote workers is more profitable than listing them on Airbnb since the demand is consistent. Rather than enforcing return-to-work mandates, organizations should adapt their management styles to these demands and recognize the increased profitability of underutilized office spaces.

Tune in to this episode of What The Teck? as Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly welcome Amina Moreau, the Co-founder and CEO of Radious, to discuss how her platform accelerates remote work. Amina addresses the surge in remote work in response to return-to-office mandates, how Radious generates customer loyalty, and the failures that have shaped her entrepreneurial path.

Rolando Rosas is the Founder of Global Teck Worldwide, which offers business and office technology for seamless customer communications. In his role, he leads his team to provide insights on e-commerce trends, digital marketplace strategies, and client success metrics. Rolando is also the Founder of CircuitLoops.com, which uses AI to match businesses to the lowest-priced internet service provider. As an entrepreneur, he has founded three startups and hosts the What The Teck? podcast.

Dave Kelly is the General Manager of Global Teck Worldwide and the co-host of the What The Teck? podcast. He holds a bachelor's in telecommunications management from the New England Institute of Technology, where he focused on the acceleration of networks transitioning from digital IP to support successful business communications. Before Global Teck Worldwide, Dave was the Account Manager at Jabra and the Territory Manager at Polycom.

During the pandemic, online sales skyrocketed, and brands pivoted rapidly to meet demand influxes. Conversely, when the pandemic ended and people returned to the office, brick-and-mortar retail resurged, leading companies to juggle omnichannel sales simultaneously. Tune in to discover how some retailers doubled profits with strategic systems while others declared bankruptcy after failing to conform to shifting buying patterns.

According to online retail experts Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly, purchasing habits evolve with consumer behaviors, so companies must adapt to these market changes. For instance, individuals working remotely may shop online at specific times of the day and frequent physical retail stores on weekends. Without adequate insight into your consumers' buying patterns, you may encounter inventory shortages and shipping delays, ultimately diminishing revenue and profits. This occurred with the once-popular online brand Zulily, which declared bankruptcy after relying heavily on email marketing to spam customers with seemingly endless flash sales. In contrast, leading retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshalls experienced slight profit drops during the pandemic before escalating by aligning inventory with demand changes.

In today's episode of What The Teck? Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly converse about the changes in consumer shopping habits. Together, they share how to adapt to consumer demands, the ideal times to target consumers online, and the dangers of offering too many discounts.

James Orsini is the President of The Sasha Group, a VaynerX company helping businesses execute brand-building strategies. He works alongside Gary Vaynerchuk and was the Chief Operating Officer at VaynerMedia, one of the largest independent social media and digital advertising agencies. With 30 years of experience in social media, advertising, brand management, public relations, and Wall Street businesses, James has served as a CEO and CPA.

With the digital media industry advancing faster than businesses can manage, many enter a hyper-growth phase to keep pace, scaling revenue while sacrificing profits. This occurs when companies build unsustainable operational models and leverage too many trends simultaneously. Learn the secret to healthy scaling from Gary Vaynerchuk's (aka Gary Vee) trusted executive.

As the integrator behind some of Gary Vee's most profitable business models, James Orsini asserts that businesses can either swell — where excess resources cause them to collapse — or establish an incremental year-over-year growth framework. Meeting demand challenges and capitalizing on profitable trends requires navigating the integration of e-commerce and social media. Having observed Gary, James notes that creating consistent content on your customers' most frequented channels is crucial. To avoid inventory surpluses or shortages, consider pre-selling your products to assess orders for manufacturing.

In this installment of What The Teck? Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly welcome special guest James Orsini, the President of The Sasha Group, to chat about incremental growth in a fluctuating digital landscape. James shares the benefits and drawbacks of AI for businesses, Gary Vee's approach to hybrid and remote work, and how social media and e-commerce drive consumerism.

Rolando Rosas is the Founder of Global Teck Worldwide, which offers business and office technology for seamless customer communications. In his role, he leads his team to provide insights on e-commerce trends, digital marketplace strategies, and client success metrics. Rolando is also the Founder of CircuitLoops.com, which uses AI to match businesses to the lowest-priced internet service provider. As an entrepreneur, he has founded three startups and hosts the What The Teck? podcast.

Dave Kelly is the General Manager of Global Teck Worldwide and the co-host of the What The Teck? podcast. He holds a bachelor's in telecommunications management from the New England Institute of Technology, where he focused on the acceleration of networks transitioning from digital IP to support successful business communications. Before Global Teck Worldwide, Dave was the Account Manager at Jabra and the Territory Manager at Polycom.

AI and advancements in e-commerce and digital shopping have emerged seemingly overnight, taking the tech ecosystem by storm faster than many businesses can adapt. Yet these developments took decades to materialize. So how has the internet evolved to its current state, and where is it headed in the coming years?

From dial-up internet and the dot-com bubble burst to the first smartphone, early innovators and adopters rushed to gain market share in the emerging tech space. Companies like IBM, Dell, Lucent Technologies, and Nortel Networks revolutionized crucial infrastructure for PCs and online communication devices, allowing business professionals to work outside of the office. Yet it wasn't until Blackberry launched the first smartphone that people could connect to the internet from anywhere. This led to Apple, Google, and Microsoft launching disruptive software and devices, making communication and shopping seamless. Now, with AI and TikTok Shop becoming universal, businesses must prioritize the customer experience to stay abreast of these trends.

Join Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly in today's What The Teck? episode as they talk about the evolution of technology and the internet. Together, they explain how to leverage AI for data analytics, how leading companies are improving the worker experience, and the demise of early tech innovators.

Rolando Rosas is the Founder of Global Teck Worldwide, which offers business and office technology for seamless customer communications. In his role, he leads his team to provide insights on e-commerce trends, digital marketplace strategies, and client success metrics. Rolando is also the Founder of CircuitLoops.com, which uses AI to match businesses to the lowest-priced internet service provider. As an entrepreneur, he has founded three startups and hosts the What The Teck? podcast.

Dave Kelly is the General Manager of Global Teck Worldwide and the co-host of the What The Teck? podcast. He holds a bachelor's in telecommunications management from the New England Institute of Technology, where he focused on the acceleration of networks transitioning from digital IP to support successful business communications. Before Global Teck Worldwide, Dave was the Account Manager at Jabra and the Territory Manager at Polycom.

Labor structures have evolved and improved significantly over the past 100 years. In 1914, progressive historical figure Henry Ford instilled an eight-hour work week at 62 cents per hour. While the US federal minimum wage wasn't established until 1924, and national standards surrounding equitable wages and labor hours weren't widely adopted until 1938, this set the stage for worker standards today. However, some antiquated criteria persist, leading many to demand radical change.

With inflation at a record high and the federal minimum wage remaining at $7.25 an hour, workers receive less value for their dollar today than they did during the inception of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Although early labor demands like unsafe working conditions and difficult commutes have been addressed, employees today still request meaningful work and more free time. The introduction of technology has made in-office work settings unnecessary in many cases, and progressive labor advocates Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly maintain that remote work reduces inflationary costs for employees. Additionally, remote work allows for a four-day workweek without compromising productivity.

Join Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly in today's installment of What The Teck? as they address the evolution of labor market trends. Together, they talk about why you shouldn't force employees to return to the office, how to refine the traditional work week, and how to customize work structures for the employee.

Rolando Rosas is the Founder of Global Teck Worldwide, which offers business and office technology for seamless customer communications. In his role, he leads his team to provide insights on e-commerce trends, digital marketplace strategies, and client success metrics. Rolando is also the Founder of CircuitLoops.com, which uses AI to match businesses to the lowest-priced internet service provider. As an entrepreneur, he has founded three startups and hosts the What The Teck? podcast.

Dave Kelly is the General Manager of Global Teck Worldwide and the co-host of the What The Teck? podcast. He holds a bachelor's in telecommunications management from the New England Institute of Technology, where he focused on the acceleration of networks transitioning from digital IP to support successful business communications. Before Global Teck Worldwide, Dave was the Account Manager at Jabra and the Territory Manager at Polycom.

Technology and other digital trends can disrupt even the most renowned brands' retail strategies. Household names like Compaq, Sunbeam, and Digital Equipment Corporation collapsed from increased competition, demand, and innovation. Why couldn't these companies remain in business, and what can you learn from their failures?

According to research conducted by tech authorities Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly, formerly acclaimed businesses couldn't rebound after struggling to innovate efficiently. For instance, Digital Equipment Corporation refused to transition from its proprietary mainframe to the modems required to adopt PCs. Similarly, after competing steadily with other computer companies like HP and Dell, Compaq failed to maintain effective channel distribution and met its demise after Microsoft pioneered software. For home appliance company Sunbeam, quality control issues and a lack of investments in innovation led to bankruptcy. Rolando and Dave maintain that unified communication and solid manufacturing, distribution, and innovation strategies are key to outperforming the competition.

In this episode of What The Teck? Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly analyze companies' failed comebacks. Together, they share how modern companies innovate to adapt to digital trends, how to navigate the competitive digital market, and the Toys-R-Us resurgence model.