Phil Smoker finds himself in a unique situation these days. The fifth generation to build Smoker Craft boats, Smoker has seen his company average about 20 percent growth since rebounding from the recession in 2010. He’s had to hire a lot of people to keep up with that growth. The concessions and perks that Smoker and other employers are offering to bolster their workforce today may become standard expectations for workers in the future. Join us for a timely discussion of what that could look like.

Lisa Mestas is passionate about giving high quality care to her patients. She loves the systems that provide the care and loves the need to continually refine those systems to reflect the changing needs of her patients. Lisa came of age in a health system where it was common for senior nurses to "eat their young," but now that Lisa is running the show, she offers compassionate mentoring to her new nurses and works hard to put them into roles that are a natural fit.

Peter Ricchiuti is a funny guy. A normal guy. He's intelligent and fun to be around. Strangely, he's also an economist and teaches at Tulane University's Freeman School of Business. We're way overdue for a recession he says, and he's no fan of tariffs, citing them as one of the reasons for the volatility. We focus on businesses based in the deep south with a focus on energy companies which play a big role in business in the deep south. 

Listen for an intelligent, fun, and funny look at today's economy.

Octavio and Shannon Arzola left corporate America to pursue being business owners. They both had deep backgrounds in food service and hospitality. They recruited Shannon's brother, Chuck, who has some experience in running businesses of his own. Based in southern Mississippi, Pop Brothers artisan ice-pops are making waves. Their story and their product have caught the attention of the customers in Ocean Springs, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis. They're the real deal.

(Order the Berries and Cream.

Staying busy and relevant in the New Orleans music scene isn't easy. It requires talent and commitment because there is someone in the wings waiting to replace you, especially in New Olreans - one the the nations busiest and most competitive music scenes. How John stays sharp is a lesson for all of us, and how me feeds energy to his bandmates and how he takes their inspiration is a message we can all benefit from. John knows What's Working because he's doing it every day.

Mark Tibergien is a titan in the financial services profession. He's "industry famous" for his deep understanding of how the investment community should grow their companies and their people. And he was then paired with Kayla Flaten, a Millennial, to be mentored. It's called reverse mentoring and Mark, though initially skeptical, has become a disciple. Mark and Kayla walk us through what it is, how it works, and how we should take reverse mentoring to heart.

Those old retail buildings that have been unoccupied forever? Well, they're in demand again. The co-working spaces offer community to small businesses or regional outposts who are tired of spending their work days at their kitchen tables. And the retail spaces are great offices spaces for companies interested in investing in  their community and for employees who want to live and work where they can walk to and from. Taylor Atchison leads the development in both spaces in cities across the southeast.

What are employers looking for? What are the biggest mistakes people make in interviews when they're looking for a job? What types of questions should employers ask to get the best understanding of a job candidate's abilities? These questions and more with Liz Freeman who is third generation in the family's temporary staffing industry.

Conflicting accounts surface all the time regarding whether we as a nation are retirement ready or not. And whether our Social Security benefits will be there for us or not. And how much they'll be, if anything. And what about inflation? And what is the responsibility of my kids to care for me? What about me caring for my parents? So much to know. We try to get to the bottom of this issue and what you and I need to take responsibility for ourselves so that we, personally, can say we are retirement ready.

Chris Fuchs of Bud-Bush Distribution calls it "SKU"mageddon. So many different types of beer now available and necessary to keep today's fickle consumers happy. Add to that the challenge of finding drivers, sales staff, and keeping up with the whims of the youngest generation of consumer and Chris is...busy.