On Will Guidara's 12th birthday, he had the experience of a lifetime while dining with his family at Four Seasons. Less than thirty years later, Will and his co-partner of Eleven Madison Park were being lauded for the top spot of The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2017.Will's new book is Unreasonable Hospitality and I now call it one of the best books written on this topic. The book is part memoir and many parts of inspiration, encouragement, and instruction. In this conversation, Will explains the 95-5 rule, restaurant smart vs. corporate smart, pre-meal meetings, and the primary reason hospitality can be taught in any business. 

You probably know a little or a lot about a business practice called open book management. This podcast prefers the term, financial transparency.During this episode, a CEO and co-founder of a physical therapy organization explains how he got started with financial transparency, why he did it, and how. Dr. Arlan Alburo of Orthopedic and Balance Therapy based in rural Indiana near Chicago also explains that he shares non-financial metrics and how his team members can impact each of those critical numbers.Think of this conversation as a mini MBA in financial and operational acumen that's practical and easy to understand.Link to episode highlights on our website: What is Financial Transparency?

The Crazy Eddie stores of the 1980s are probably most remembered by the Jerry Carrell commercials that have been parodied in the movies, TV shows, and even by other CEOs in the past such as Steve Ballmer.Gary Weiss is the author of Retail Gangster, The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie. Through Gary's research and captivating narrative, we learn the origin story of Eddie Antar and how he first started various skimming schemes to both undercut competitors and stash untaxed sales and profits in bed mattresses and overseas bank accounts.We also learn about one of the masterminds of Crazy Eddie's IPO and the fraud that was required to support a high stock price following the public offering. Finally, we hear about how the house of cards crumbled and the family's failed attempt to take the company private in order to hide their misdoings.Mark's Notes on Retail Gangster

As of the release date of this episode, the prime interest rate in the U.S. had surpassed six percent, nearly double the rate a few months earlier.Are higher rates good or bad for the economy? What about lower rates? The answers may seem self-evident, but should we be over-confident with our opinions? What about the law of unintended consequences when rates are universally low for an extended period of time?Additionally, how are rates determined? Why do they go up or down? What is the history of interest?We learn the answers to all of these questions and more as we hear from Edward Chancellor, the author of The Price of Time.

Sophie Theen is the author of The Soul of Startups. Sophie states that there is a misconception that a company's people make its culture. Instead, that culture starts at the top and works its way down into other teams which is consistently changing. And that can lead to unplanned and unforeseen consequences for the staff working in these startups.In this conversation, we learn about the three audiences this book is intended for. We learn that people do indeed leave bad companies, not necessarily bad bosses or managers. And we get some great advice for any person thinking about a role in a startup.

Dr. Sam Savage is the gifted teacher all of us would have loved having as our professor in stats classes.Sam is the author of The Flaw of Averages and Chancification. During this conversation, we talk about the arithmetic of uncertainty, probability management,  and the limitations of risk matrixes. And we do it on a fifth-grade level.

Thomas Erikson is the author of Surrounded by Idiots, a book that simplifies four basic personality types using a coloring system and a two-by-two matrix.In this conversation, we address:the difference between the four letters in DISC and the colorsthe purpose and role of personality assessments in the workplacethe validity and reliability of such assessmentsthe three parts of the human mindSome people believe personality assessments are bogus. Others live and swear by them. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, we address the questions you have about any type of personality assessment.

Can you think of a top business book exclusively for professional services firms? If so, your list is probably short and presumably headed by any title from David Maister. In this episode, a new book for this industry is introduced, The Boutique: How to Start, Scale, and Sell a Professional Services Firm by Greg Alexander.In this conversation, we talk about elephant and rabbit hunters, the one-thirds of billings, the only three types of firms in existence, and two critical metrics that buyers of professional services firms are examining closely.

If we think the reasons for the fall of BlackBerry are an open and shut case, we need to think again. Sean Silcoff is the co-author of Losing the Signal. The book covers the rise of BlackBerry, how its foundation started cracking before Apple's iPhone came on the scene and the breakup of two iconic founders of a company that once topped $20 billion in revenues.This interview explores some of the highs and lows in this story, a very readable narrative that also serves as a great business case study. Finally, we ask if there could have been a different ending. The ideas you hear might surprise you.

When I read a biography, I want the words to jump out by telling me something I never knew about the person that's both memorable and interesting. I want to read about the subject's impact they had on others. And, I want to be inspired.Before reading Dirk Smillie's very readable and accessible biography on Harry Guggenheim entitled, The Business of Tomorrow, I knew nothing about this iconic family name.While one business publication heralded Harry as the godfather of flight during his day, there is so much more about this larger-than-life historical figure of the 20th century warranting a closer look at what made him special.