Blazing Trails

Latest Episodes:

The Small Business Revolution: A Conversation with Amanda Brinkman Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

‘Doing well by doing good’ is the mission that drives Amanda Brinkman as the Chief Brand Officer at Deluxe and the Host and Creator of the Small Business Revolution series. Her passion for small businesses has evolved over time, and now, six seasons into the show, she has a wealth of knowledge to share.

Brinkman believes that consumers want brands that are doing good in the world. Learn how -- through simple digital housekeeping of your brand’s online presence -- a small business can stand to lose or gain a great deal. Plus, Brinkman shares how to build a unique business that not only stands out but leaves a positive impact.

The Power of Transformation: A Conversation with Karen Fang and Jen Fisher Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that change and transformation is not only inevitable, but it takes shape in a variety of ways: large and small, personal and collective. In this week's episode, we hear from two business leaders who know all about change from two different perspectives and scales.

Jen Fisher is the Managing Director and Chief Well-Being Officer at Deloitte, bestselling author of "Work Together Better," and host of the WorkWell Podcast, and Karen Fang is Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance at Bank of America. Despite their different roles, they bring to the conversation a rich understanding of the power of transformation—from the small ways we thank ourselves every morning to the large ways we allocate capital in a corporation.

Why Hiring Military Veterans Is Good Business: A Conversation with Taylor Justice, Co-Founder and President of Unite Us Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

When you hear the word ‘entrepreneur’ what kind of person comes to mind? An athlete? An artist? A doctor? A celebrity?

How many people imagined a military veteran? Veterans possess a lot of the qualities needed to be successful. They are great at building teams, are focused, and have stamina and integrity.

In honor of Veterans Day, we spoke to Taylor Justice, who, after leaving the military in 2007, co-founded Unite Us, a tech start-up, that reached unicorn status this year and is valued at more than $1.6 billion dollars.

In today’s episode, Taylor and Michael discuss how the pain points he experienced transitioning from active duty military to the civilian sector inspired him to start his company.

After Taylor, we’ll hear from Sam Allen, the Chief Operating Officer of Salesforce.org. He’s a former Marine, and he joins us to talk about Salesforce’s commitment to helping re-skill veterans for the jobs of tomorrow.

Boss Talks: Creating Your Personal Brand with Kyra Kyles Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

How do your coworkers perceive you? How about your boss, or your clients? If these aren’t questions you’ve given much thought, then today’s guest, Kyra Kyles, is here to help. Kyra is the CEO of YR Media and the former Editor in Chief of Ebony Magazine -- she’s spent her career helping establish the brand image of the companies she’s worked for, and simultaneously learning how to establish her own personal brand.

How you work, speak, and present yourself are imperative in today’s digital environment. Kyra joined host Ebony Beckwith, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Salesforce, on #BossTalks to share her tips and tricks for establishing yourself at work and online. She explains why you shouldn’t identify yourself by your job, how to incorporate your interests and goals into who you present at work, and why you always need to show up the way you want to be perceived. All that and more on this episode of Blazing Trails.

Digital-First Leadership: Featuring US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton Oct 27, 2021

Show notes

How are we staying safe, secure, and innovative in the era of digital-everything? The urgent need to democratize technology is creating an equally critical need to ensure we protect technology users.

Up next on Blazing Trails, please enjoy this conversation from Dreamforce 2021 featuring U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton. They discuss the role of policy in helping secure our communications and technology and how they are both striking the careful balance between improving consumer trust in data safety while still implementing new technologies.

Redefining the Future of Work - A Conversation with Jennifer Tejada and Stewart Butterfield Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

As employers continue to navigate the changing landscape of work, many are faced with a myriad of difficult decisions. Should employees return regularly, irregularly, or at all? What digital tools should we invest in and rely on? And how can we build an amazing workplace culture with a partial or fully remote staff?

Stewart Butterfield, the CEO and co-founder of Slack, and Jennifer Tejada, the Chairperson and CEO of PagerDuty, joined Fortune Magazine's Michal Lev-Ram for a discussion about managing and leading increasingly digital teams. They share their personal experiences, recommendations for fostering meaningful, remote relationships, and the tools they use every day to stay connected.

Designing the New Era of Experience: A Conversation with Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

Are employee and consumer experiences connected? Mellody Hobson, the Co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments, definitely thinks so.

As we continue our coverage of Dreamforce 2021, this week you’ll hear Kristen Bellstrom, the Features Editor at Fortune, and Mellody Hobson discuss the challenges and many benefits of improving customer and employee experiences in tandem.

From getting employee buy-in while working remotely, to creating a fulfilling work environment, to aligning processes with company values, Kristen and Mellody uncover how all these aspects of the employee experience ultimately play a major role in what the customer sees and how they feel about your brand.

Black Women in Leadership - A Conversation with Soledad O'Brian, Elaine Welteroth, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Minda Harts Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

The question for Black women should never be, “Do I deserve to be in this room?” It should be “Does this room deserve me?”

As our Dreamforce 2021 coverage continues, today we feature a conversation with moderator Soledad O'Brian and a panel of powerful women for a conversation on Black Women in Leadership. Soledad, an award-winning journalist and author, is joined by Elaine Welteroth, New York Times bestselling author; San Francisco Mayor London Breed; and Minda Harts, workplace & equity consultant, award winning Author

The panel discusses leadership challenges they have each faced, overcoming double standards, and what “Black excellence” means to them. Plus, they explain that to do the right thing, you must be willing to champion change that makes people uncomfortable. All that and more on today’s episode of Blazing Trails.

Ripple Effect: The Movement to Protect our Oceans – A Conversation with Jane Fonda and Douglas McCauley Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

"Climate change is a life-and-death crisis." That's the message Jane Fonda wants us all to hear in this urgent and important conversation in this week's episode of Blazing Trails. As part of our special Dreamforce 2021 coverage, the Academy Award-winning actor, producer, author, and activist shares how she turned her despair into action and became a champion to save our planet. In a discussion with Douglas McCauley, professor of ocean science at UC Santa Barbara and director of the Benioff Ocean Initiative, Fonda talks about concrete steps we can all take to battle climate change and why protecting our oceans is key. Tune in to the episode for more!

Back to School: What Parents Need to Know - A Conversation with Dr. Geeta Nayyar, Dr. Carlos del Rio and Aneesh Chopra Sep 15, 2021

Show notes

As kids head back to the classroom this fall and the Delta variant's presence in the US increases, what do you need to know as a parent?

Our scientifically-minded panel this week includes Dr. Geeta Nayaar, Executive Medical Director and General Manager of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Salesforce; Dr. Carlos del Rio, the Executive Associate Dean at the Emory School of Medicine; and Aneesh Chopra, CO-Founder and President of CareJourney, who was also the first US Chief Technology Officer under President Obama.

They outline some of the steps you can take to keep your kids safe from infection and discuss how companies can take the lead in prioritizing the safety of their employees by providing flexibility and developing trust with them.

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