Rapid Response
321 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 50 ratingsThe pace of change in our culture is unprecedented and shows no signs of slowing. So what is most important to pay attention to when striving to innovate, create, and lead? From the team behind Masters of Scale, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today's top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company, Bob Safian.
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Episodes
How to scale tech responsibly, w/former Google ad chief Sridhar Ramaswamy
September 30, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MBTo compete against bigger players, you need a special edge. Sridhar Ramaswamy, who led Google’s huge ad business, is now going head-to head against his former employer with an ad-free subscription-based search engine called Neeva. Ramaswamy became disillusioned by Google’s priorities and practices and argues that big platforms – including Facebook and Amazon – have failed to scale responsibly. Sharing inside stories of how big tech makes decisions, and his own experiences with a sta...
How to scale tech responsibly, with former Google ad chief and Neeva founder Sridhar Ramaswamy
September 30, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MBTo compete against bigger players, you need a special edge. Sridhar Ramaswamy, who led Google’s huge ad business, is now going head-to head against his former employer with an ad-free subscription-based search engine called Neeva. Ramaswamy became disillusioned by Google’s priorities and practices and argues that big platforms – including Facebook and Amazon – have failed to scale responsibly. Sharing inside stories of how big tech makes decisions, and his own experiences with a sta...
How to lead for enduring impact w/ Spelman’s Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell
September 23, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBYour ability to make quick decisions in the face of a crisis can define your career. That’s been the case for Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman College, the all-women's HBCU in Atlanta. In her second appearance on Rapid Response, Dr. Campbell, who recently announced her plan to retire at the end of the academic year, discusses how listening to her community has led to resolving complex conflicts. As was the case at the beginning of the school year when the Spelman facu...
How to lead for enduring impact w/Spelman College president Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell
September 23, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBYour ability to make quick decisions in the face of a crisis can define your career. That’s been the case for Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman College, the all-women's HBCU in Atlanta. In her second appearance on Rapid Response, Dr. Campbell, who recently announced her plan to retire at the end of the academic year, discusses how listening to her community has led to resolving complex conflicts. As was the case at the beginning of the school year when the Spelman facu...
Applauding the drama of the digital age, w/BroadwayHD CEO Bonnie Comley
September 16, 2021 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBWhen hard times hit, the show must still go on for all of us. But as Drama League board president and Broadway HD CEO Bonnie Comley explains, even when the lights are dark, critical progress can be made. As Broadway's 41 theaters begin coming back to life in New York City, the three-time Tony Award-winning producer takes us through how the 18-month pandemic closure created an opportunity for the $16 billion industry to reimagine itself. At core are new efforts to expand and broaden ...
Applauding the drama of the digital age, with BroadwayHD’s Bonnie Comley
September 16, 2021 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBWhen hard times hit, the show must still go on for all of us. But as Drama League board president and Broadway HD CEO Bonnie Comley explains, even when the lights are dark, critical progress can be made. As Broadway's 41 theaters begin coming back to life in New York City, the three-time Tony Award-winning producer takes us through how the 18-month pandemic closure created an opportunity for the $16 billion industry to reimagine itself. At core are new efforts to expand and broaden ...
When to build the company before the product, with Aurora CEO Chris Urmson
September 09, 2021 09:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBChris Urmson has had to take a different approach in building his company Aurora, which develops self-driving technology. As opposed to creating and iterating a product with a handful of people, and then building a company around that product, Urmson says he’s had to do the opposite. “Given the scale of the problem we're trying to solve and the complexity and breadth of it, we really had to build the company almost ahead of the product,” he says in this interview with Rapid Response...
When to build the company before the product, w/Aurora CEO Chris Urmson
September 09, 2021 09:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBChris Urmson has had to take a different approach in building his company Aurora, which develops self-driving technology. As opposed to creating and iterating a product with a handful of people, and then building a company around that product, Urmson says he’s had to do the opposite. “Given the scale of the problem we're trying to solve and the complexity and breadth of it, we really had to build the company almost ahead of the product,” he says in this interview with Rapid Response...
When you should require vaccinations w/restauranteur Danny Meyer
September 02, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MB“You have to preserve your energy because this year has been about pace,” says iconic restaurateur Danny Meyer in his fourth Rapid Response interview. Meyer catches us up on the past seven-plus months of operating in the midst of the pandemic. In the beginning of the summer, when Covid rates were plummeting in New York City, he says he was full of optimism. His restaurants were back to indoor dining, and despite dealing with a limited workforce, “progress is progress.” Then came the...
When you should require vaccinations w/ Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer
September 02, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MB“You have to preserve your energy because this year has been about pace,” says iconic restaurateur Danny Meyer in his fourth Rapid Response interview. Meyer catches us up on the past seven-plus months of operating in the midst of the pandemic. In the beginning of the summer, when Covid rates were plummeting in New York City, he says he was full of optimism. His restaurants were back to indoor dining, and despite dealing with a limited workforce, “progress is progress.” Then came the...
How Electronic Arts grows a metaverse, with CEO Andrew Wilson
August 26, 2021 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBHollywood may build stars, but gaming is "the biggest, fastest-growing entertainment medium in the world," says CEO Andrew Wilson of Electronic Arts. That's why businesses from Netflix to Disney to Facebook are eyeing the space, along with creators and startups eager to tap into the entrepreneurial opportunities posed by the still-evolving "metaverse." Wilson, who oversees franchises from Apex Legends to FIFA to The Sims, explains how he's playing in this ever-changing field – and h...
How Electronic Arts grows a metaverse, w/CEO Andrew Wilson
August 26, 2021 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBHollywood may build stars, but gaming is "the biggest, fastest-growing entertainment medium in the world," says CEO Andrew Wilson of Electronic Arts. That's why businesses from Netflix to Disney to Facebook are eyeing the space, along with creators and startups eager to tap into the entrepreneurial opportunities posed by the still-evolving "metaverse." Wilson, who oversees franchises from Apex Legends to FIFA to The Sims, explains how he's playing in this ever-changing field – and h...
How mission fuels risk-taking, with Illumina CEO Francis deSouza
August 19, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBFacing off with the FTC isn't for the timid. But when your mission and your business model are aligned, the hard decisions – about risk, about investment, about priorities – become clearer. Francis deSouza is CEO of Illumina, the world’s dominant maker of gene sequencing technology. After playing a key role in the creation of Covid vaccines, Illumina is trying to acquire a company with a breakthrough cancer screening test, over the FTC's objections. DeSouza offers a personal reflect...
How mission fuels risk-taking, w/Illumina CEO Francis deSouza
August 19, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBFacing off with the FTC isn't for the timid. But when your mission and your business model are aligned, the hard decisions – about risk, about investment, about priorities – become clearer. Francis deSouza is CEO of Illumina, the world’s dominant maker of gene sequencing technology. After playing a key role in the creation of Covid vaccines, Illumina is trying to acquire a company with a breakthrough cancer screening test, over the FTC's objections. DeSouza offers a personal reflect...
Cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, w/Reid Hoffman and Sir Richard Branson
August 17, 2021 09:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MBReid’s personal advice on the most important success factor for any scale leader: your mindset. Talking with editor-at-large Bob Safian, Reid shares how he approaches every challenge with a learning mindset: ask the right questions, leverage networks, and build curiosity and resilience. To cement the idea, he shares Lesson One from the new Masters of Scale Courses app, starring Sir Richard Branson! You'll learn an exercise from Reid that you can practice daily. See Privacy Policy a...
How Harley-Davidson set a foundation for the long term, w/CEO Jochen Zeitz
July 29, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBEven an 118-year-old company needs an entrepreneurial jolt. When Jochen Zeitz took over as CEO of motorcycle maker Harley Davidson in early 2020, he moved quickly to restructure the business – even in the midst of the pandemic's highest uncertainty. That defiance paid off, settling investors and refocusing the company. He's trimmed the product line, set up equity grants for employees including factory workers, and doubled-down on Harley’s brand power. Challenges persist, including o...
How Harley-Davidson set a foundation for the long term with CEO Jochen Zeitz
July 29, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBEven an 118-year-old company needs an entrepreneurial jolt. When Jochen Zeitz took over as CEO of motorcycle maker Harley Davidson in early 2020, he moved quickly to restructure the business – even in the midst of the pandemic's highest uncertainty. That defiance paid off, settling investors and refocusing the company. He's trimmed the product line, set up equity grants for employees including factory workers, and doubled-down on Harley’s brand power. Challenges persist, including o...
Inside J.Crew's "purpose-led" pivot, w/CEO Libby Wadle
July 22, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MB"We have to reignite the energy and the fire and the love," says CEO Libby Wadle of J.Crew Group, which launched Madewell Forever this week, a dynamic bet on sustainability. The resale platform, in partnership with ThredUp, is part of a "purpose-led" pivot that Wadle first sparked as head of Madewell. Wadle takes us inside that journey, looking back to J.Crew's heyday – when she ran that brand – and forward to the opportunities that she says more circularity in apparel can unlock. F...
Inside J.Crew's "purpose-led" pivot, with CEO Libby Wadle
July 22, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MB"We have to reignite the energy and the fire and the love," says CEO Libby Wadle of J.Crew Group, which launched Madewell Forever this week, a dynamic bet on sustainability. The resale platform, in partnership with ThredUp, is part of a "purpose-led" pivot that Wadle first sparked as head of Madewell. Wadle takes us inside that journey, looking back to J.Crew's heyday – when she ran that brand – and forward to the opportunities that she says more circularity in apparel can unlock. F...
Scaling a mission w/TAAF president Sonal Shah
July 15, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MB"Hate is not a one community issue," says Sonal Shah, president of The Asian American Foundation, a nonprofit launched by business leaders in May, dedicated to addressing discrimination against Asian Americans. In just its first few weeks, TAAF raised $1 billion – and is now grappling with what all start-ups face: how to iterate fast, pivot, lose what's not working, and scale what is working, fast. Sonal, who launched the White House Office of Social Innovation in the Obama Administ...
Scaling a mission w/TAAF's Sonal Shah
July 15, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MB"Hate is not a one community issue," says Sonal Shah, president of The Asian American Foundation, a nonprofit launched by business leaders in May, dedicated to addressing discrimination against Asian Americans. In just its first few weeks, TAAF raised $1 billion – and is now grappling with what all start-ups face: how to iterate fast, pivot, lose what's not working, and scale what is working, fast. Sonal, who launched the White House Office of Social Innovation in the Obama Administ...
How BuzzFeed bounced back, w/co-founder and CEO Jonah Peretti
July 08, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMillennials and Gen-Z want different experiences, different content, different opportunities. But catering to those distinct needs wasn't enough, says BuzzFeed co-founder and CEO Jonah Peretti; the digital-media outfit also needed to create a flywheel for value. When the pandemic trimmed tens of millions in revenue, Peretti cut back on costs – but kept the flywheel spinning. By the end of 2020 his team had engineered a rebound, finishing the year with record profitability. Now, the ...
How BuzzFeed Bounced Back, w/Jonah Peretti
July 08, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMillennials and Gen-Z want different experiences, different content, different opportunities. But catering to those distinct needs wasn't enough, says BuzzFeed co-founder and CEO Jonah Peretti; the digital-media outfit also needed to create a flywheel for value. When the pandemic trimmed tens of millions in revenue, Peretti cut back on costs – but kept the flywheel spinning. By the end of 2020 his team had engineered a rebound, finishing the year with record profitability. Now, the ...
Tapping into generosity (via Bitcoin), with Charity Water's Scott Harrison
July 01, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe art of promotion can advance any enterprise, as Scott Harrison demonstrated even during the pandemic. As founder and CEO of Charity Water, Scott faced fundraising trouble a year ago but now the nonprofit is on track to bring in a record $100 million in 2021. Over the last 15 years, Scott has dramatically grown Charity Water’s footprint by taking far-sighted and often unconventional strategic steps. Just recently, he launched a Bitcoin Water Trust, to tap into a new community of ...
Tapping into generosity (via Bitcoin), w/Charity Water CEO Scott Harrison
July 01, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBThe art of promotion can advance any enterprise, as Scott Harrison demonstrated even during the pandemic. As founder and CEO of Charity Water, Scott faced fundraising trouble a year ago but now the nonprofit is on track to bring in a record $100 million in 2021. Over the last 15 years, Scott has dramatically grown Charity Water’s footprint by taking far-sighted and often unconventional strategic steps. Just recently, he launched a Bitcoin Water Trust, to tap into a new community of ...
Fighting through headwinds at Marriott, w/President Stephanie Linnartz
June 24, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBWith Marriott's business already reeling due to Covid, beloved CEO Arne Sorenson was lost to cancer earlier this year. Stephanie Linnartz, president of Marriott International, shares how she and new CEO Tony Capuano have picked up the reins in the most challenging travel environment in modern times. Stephanie’s journey, and her prescriptions for Marriott’s future, reveal an unrelenting entrepreneurial spirit and an inspiring dedication to Sorenson's legacy. See Privacy Policy at ht...
Fighting through headwinds, w/Marriott president Stephanie Linnartz
June 24, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBWith Marriott's business already reeling due to Covid, beloved CEO Arne Sorenson was lost to cancer earlier this year. Stephanie Linnartz, president of Marriott International, shares how she and new CEO Tony Capuano have picked up the reins in the most challenging travel environment in modern times. Stephanie’s journey, and her prescriptions for Marriott’s future, reveal an unrelenting entrepreneurial spirit and an inspiring dedication to Sorenson's legacy. See Privacy Policy at ht...
Crypto craziness, ransomware attacks, and "smart risks", w/Reid Hoffman and Bob Safian
June 22, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MB"Will some people lose their shirts with crypto? Absolutely. Will new great industries be built upon this? Absolutely," Reid Hoffman tells Rapid Response host Bob Safian, in a new, unfiltered conversation. The co-hosts dive into cryptocurrency strategy, why cybersecurity "is an emperor-has-no-clothes situation," weighing Target vs. the corner store, what's driving new climate-change habits, and more. Plus: What Reid missed most in the pandemic. Cameos: Compass CEO Robert Reffkin, Gu...
Why business must be a force for good, w/former AMEX CEO Ken Chenault
June 17, 2021 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MB"Corporations can be a force for good – and they can also be very successful," says Ken Chenault, chair of investment firm General Catalyst and former longtime CEO of American Express. During the past year, Ken has been an outspoken advocate for business leaders to actively engage in societal matters. After George Floyd’s death, he and Merck CEO Ken Frazier launched OneTen, a coalition to create 1 million jobs for Black Americans that now includes major brands from IBM to Nike to Wa...
Why business must be a force for good, w/former American Express CEO Ken Chenault
June 17, 2021 09:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MB"Corporations can be a force for good – and they can also be very successful," says Ken Chenault, chair of investment firm General Catalyst and former longtime CEO of American Express. During the past year, Ken has been an outspoken advocate for business leaders to actively engage in societal matters. After George Floyd’s death, he and Merck CEO Ken Frazier launched OneTen, a coalition to create 1 million jobs for Black Americans that now includes major brands from IBM to Nike to Wa...
Fashioning a greener closet, w/Rent the Runway CEO Jenn Hyman
June 10, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBFashion became secondary amid Covid lockdowns. Sweatpants-only life pressed apparel-subscription service Rent the Runway into layoffs and furloughs. But as co-founder and CEO Jenn Hyman explains, the business saw a surprising rebound early this year, fueled by new customers in unexpected places – and by a renewed consumer focus on sustainability. Building a “closet in the cloud,” as Jenn describes Rent the Runway, may not have been an essential pandemic service, but as we move into ...
Fashioning a greener closet, w/Rent the Runway's Jenn Hyman
June 10, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBFashion became secondary amid Covid lockdowns. Sweatpants-only life pressed apparel-subscription service Rent the Runway into layoffs and furloughs. But as co-founder and CEO Jenn Hyman explains, the business saw a surprising rebound early this year, fueled by new customers in unexpected places – and by a renewed consumer focus on sustainability. Building a “closet in the cloud,” as Jenn describes Rent the Runway, may not have been an essential pandemic service, but as we move into ...
The promise and peril of engineering biology, w/Ginkgo Bioworks Reshma Shetty
June 03, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBModerna's Covid-19 vaccine would not have scaled without Ginkgo Bioworks. Reshma Shetty, co-founder and COO of Ginkgo – slated to go public via SPAC acquisition at a reported $15 billion valuation – explains how biotech innovation can build a better future now. Ginkgo's platform already serves industries from food and agriculture, to materials, to healthcare. Shetty acknowledges that engineering genes is a high stakes pursuit, and says Ginkgo is trying to pair the ambition of Silico...
The promise and peril of engineering biology, w/Ginkgo Bioworks co-founder Reshma Shetty
June 03, 2021 09:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBModerna's Covid-19 vaccine would not have scaled without Ginkgo Bioworks. Reshma Shetty, co-founder and COO of Ginkgo – slated to go public via SPAC acquisition at a reported $15 billion valuation – explains how biotech innovation can build a better future now. Ginkgo's platform already serves industries from food and agriculture, to materials, to healthcare. Shetty acknowledges that engineering genes is a high stakes pursuit, and says Ginkgo is trying to pair the ambition of Silico...
Upskilling and the war for talent, w/Guild Education CEO Rachel Carlson
May 27, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBHow do you win the post-pandemic war for talent? Send your frontline workers to online school. That's the pitch that Rachel Carlson has made – successfully – to big businesses from Chipotle to Disney, Walmart to Waste Management. As co-founder and CEO of Guild Education, Carlson runs a digital platform that enables workers to get degrees and certifications as a free employee benefit. Though virtual schooling for kids is under fire, virtual education for adults has caught on over the...
Why real estate matters more than ever, w/Compass CEO Robert Reffkin
May 20, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MB"We may not be able to survive this," remarked Robert Reffkin, founder and CEO of real estate platform Compass, after pandemic lockdown rules essentially outlawed U.S. home selling. Yet today the housing market is booming, and Compass has successfully IPO'ed. Reffkin shares how he kept his team together, why he stayed optimistic, and what businesses lucky enough to have benefited from Covid times owe their communities. He also shares insights on housing prices – after correctly pred...
Why real estate matters more than ever, with Compass CEO Robert Reffkin
May 20, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MB"We may not be able to survive this," remarked Robert Reffkin, founder and CEO of real estate platform Compass, after pandemic lockdown rules essentially outlawed U.S. home selling. Yet today the housing market is booming, and Compass has successfully IPO'ed. Reffkin shares how he kept his team together, why he stayed optimistic, and what businesses lucky enough to have benefited from Covid times owe their communities. He also shares insights on housing prices – after correctly pred...
Inside Google’s Pandemic Safety Squad, w/Chief Health Officer Dr. Karen DeSalvo
May 13, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBGoogle search may be the world’s most powerful public health platform. Dr Karen DeSalvo, Google's chief health officer, has built a team of doctors, scientists and clinicians who – alongside engineers and designers – determine what information and advice shows up when we search for answers about Covid-19, the pandemic, vaccines, and more. She also heads Google’s employee health-safety efforts and leads external in-the-field efforts to broaden vaccine access in the U.S. and across th...
Surviving a close shave, w/Harry's co-CEO Andy Katz-Mayfield
May 06, 2021 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBHarry's took a one-two punch in 2020 – right on the chin. First, the federal government blocked a $1.37 billion acquisition of the shaving and consumer products company; then Covid-19 lockdowns hit. Rather than reeling from the abrupt change in plans, though, Harry's kept its balance. Co-founder and co-CEO Andy Katz-Mayfield explains how the team launched new brands amid the pandemic, tapped into unexpected pockets of demand, and, most recently, raised fresh capital at a valuation w...
Surviving a close shave, with Harry's co-CEO Andy Katz-Mayfield
May 06, 2021 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBHarry's took a one-two punch in 2020 – right on the chin. First, the federal government blocked a $1.37 billion acquisition of the shaving and consumer products company; then Covid-19 lockdowns hit. Rather than reeling from the abrupt change in plans, though, Harry's kept its balance. Co-founder and co-CEO Andy Katz-Mayfield explains how the team launched new brands amid the pandemic, tapped into unexpected pockets of demand, and, most recently, raised fresh capital at a valuation w...
A crucible moment for Instacart, w/founder & CEO Apoorva Mehta
April 29, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBFive years of growth in five weeks. That's how Covid-19 lockdowns accelerated Instacart's business last spring. Now, a year later, the company faces another "crucible moment," says Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta. He's leaning into what he describes as a four-sided market – including software services for grocers and advertising for product vendors – to amplify the appeal of tech-enabled shopping, even as vaccinations proliferate and in-store buying revives. Instacart's focus, he says, ...
"A crucible moment for Instacart," with founder & CEO Apoorva Mehta
April 29, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBFive years of growth in five weeks. That's how Covid-19 lockdowns accelerated Instacart's business last spring. Now, a year later, the company faces another "crucible moment," says Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta. He's leaning into what he describes as a four-sided market – including software services for grocers and advertising for product vendors – to amplify the appeal of tech-enabled shopping, even as vaccinations proliferate and in-store buying revives. Instacart's focus, he says, ...
A pandemic is not a business model, w/Blue Apron CEO Linda Findley Kozlowski
April 22, 2021 09:00 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBWith the pandemic, cooking at home got a renewed boost, and meal kit outfits saw a rise in demand. But a year in, the trend toward at-home dining now faces a new inflection point. We're talking with Linda Findley Kozlowski, CEO of meal-kit pioneer Blue Apron, because she’s on the frontlines of assessing which pandemic-fueled behaviors will persist, and in what ways. Early on, Linda made the choice NOT to sop up every ounce of demand, instead focusing on what she calls sustainable gr...
A pandemic is not a business model, w/Blue Apron's Linda Findley Kozlowski
April 22, 2021 09:00 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBWith the pandemic, cooking at home got a renewed boost, and meal kit outfits saw a rise in demand. But a year in, the trend toward at-home dining now faces a new inflection point. We're talking with Linda Findley Kozlowski, CEO of meal-kit pioneer Blue Apron, because she’s on the frontlines of assessing which pandemic-fueled behaviors will persist, and in what ways. Early on, Linda made the choice NOT to sop up every ounce of demand, instead focusing on what she calls sustainable gr...
Can bankruptcy save movie theaters? w/Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor
April 15, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MB"It's 12 months of no meaningful revenue," says Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor. "And then last weekend was phenomenal." Taylor returns to the podcast to explain why the hip, culture-forward movie theater chain recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, even as movie-goers began to return back to theaters, plus the unexpected lessons she learned about the process – and why she still sees great hope and opportunity ahead for the business. Read the transcript at mastersof...
Can bankruptcy save movie theaters? with Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor
April 15, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MB"It's 12 months of no meaningful revenue," says Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor. "And then last weekend was phenomenal." Taylor returns to the podcast to explain why the hip, culture-forward movie theater chain recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, even as movie-goers began to return back to theaters, plus the unexpected lessons she learned about the process – and why she still sees great hope and opportunity ahead for the business. Read the transcript at mastersof...
GameStop, SPACs, and vaccines, w/Reid Hoffman and Bob Safian
April 13, 2021 09:00 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MB"The future is sooner and stranger than you think," Reid Hoffman tells Rapid Response host Bob Safian in a frank, unfiltered conversation about the lessons of 2021 so far. "The rulebook will be changing month by month." The co-hosts dive into U.S. government stimulus efforts; GameStop, SPACs and potential froth in the investment markets; rising pressure on business leaders to engage on social and policy issues; and how vaccinations are impacting all of us. Plus: the 10-year annivers...
Turbulence, recovery, and risk, w/Delta CEO Ed Bastian
April 08, 2021 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBWith 75% of U.S. customers saying they'll soon be vaccinated, Delta is embracing a new phase, opening up middle seats as of May 1. CEO Ed Bastian bet at the start of the pandemic that focusing on consumer confidence and reinforcing Delta’s brand would ultimately pay big rewards. Now that strategy will be put to the test -- even as Bastian clashes with Georgia officials over the state's new voting law. How quickly will domestic demand rebound? When will business and international tra...
Delta CEO Ed Bastian: Turbulence, recovery, and risk
April 08, 2021 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBWith 75% of U.S. customers saying they'll soon be vaccinated, Delta is embracing a new phase, opening up middle seats as of May 1. CEO Ed Bastian bet at the start of the pandemic that focusing on consumer confidence and reinforcing Delta’s brand would ultimately pay big rewards. Now that strategy will be put to the test -- even as Bastian clashes with Georgia officials over the state's new voting law. How quickly will domestic demand rebound? When will business and international tra...
Leveraging the trampoline effect, w/Morning Brew CEO Alex Lieberman
April 01, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBRevenue for Morning Brew's booming e-mail newsletter operation dried up when the pandemic hit, but its next-generation audience remained devoted. Morning Brew CEO Alex Lieberman, who started the business with co-founder Austin Rief as undergraduates at the University of Michigan, leaned into the brand's distinctive personality, fueling a sharp rebound. By last fall, they sold a majority interest to Business Insider for a reported $75 million. Lieberman explains the roots of this "tr...