Modern Ideas for Business

When the Old Rules Stop Working: Jennifer Vessels on Leadership and AIWhat if the management practices that made your business successful are now holding it back?Artificial intelligence is transforming business, but simply buying new technology won't solve outdated processes or ineffective leadership practices.In this episode of Modern Ideas for Business, host Paul Duren talks with Jennifer Vessels, CEO of Next Step and author of Emergence: How Leaders Break Free From Outdated Thinking.Jennifer shares lessons from Adobe's transformation from packaged software to cloud subscriptions, including why redefining the company's purpose was more important than repeating strategies that no longer worked.She also discusses an organization that invested millions in AI technology and training without seeing a return, and explains why leaders need to begin with business objectives rather than technology purchases.You'll discover:Why traditional management practices are losing effectivenessWhat Adobe's transformation teaches us about business reinventionWhy AI investments sometimes fail to deliver resultsHow the P.E.A.C.E. framework helps leaders navigate uncertaintyWhy smaller businesses can have an advantage when adapting to changeWhy the most effective leaders are willing to admit they don't have all the answersJennifer's P.E.A.C.E. framework stands for Purpose, Exploration, Action, Collaboration, and Empowerment.About Jennifer VesselsJennifer is CEO of Next Step, a global business transformation firm, and author of Emergence: How Leaders Break Free From Outdated Thinking.Learn more: https://www.nextstepgrowth.comJoin Jennifer's upcoming webinarThrive in Uncertainty: How Leaders Can Navigate What's NextDecember 10, 2026 | 10–11 AM PacificWebinar information: https://modernideasforbusiness.comModern Ideas for Business features practical conversations with experienced leaders about business strategy, technology, leadership, and the future of work.Explore more episodes at https://modernideasforbusiness.com.

Register free for our live webinar with Vic McKnight, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. PT: https://modernideasforbusiness.com/what-employees-want-now/ PwC projects group health costs will rise about 9% in 2027 if benefits stay the same. If renewal season is already on your calendar, what can you do about it without gutting the benefits your people value? Paul Duren talks with Vic McKnight, Vice President at Brown & Brown Insurance and an employee benefits consultant with more than 32 years in the industry, about what is pushing costs up and what employers can do before the renewal lands. IN THIS CONVERSATION- Why health costs keep climbing: prescription drugs, GLP-1s, and a surge in very high-cost claims- Why leadership needs a multi-year benefits plan instead of an annual scramble- The "easy" levers (employer pays more, employee pays more, reduce benefits) and the alternatives beyond them- Cost-effective networks and high-deductible plans, and how employer support can change the math- Why the size of your group (under vs. over 100 employees) changes how much your own claims matter- Why employees struggle at open enrollment, and how to help them choose- A real (anonymous) employer story: replacing an HMO, self-funding, and supporting employees through the change- What leadership teams should review before the renewal meeting JOIN THE LIVE WEBINAR"What Employees Want Now: Benefits Trends Every Employer Should Know"Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 10-11 a.m. Pacific | Live Q&ARegister: https://modernideasforbusiness.com/what-employees-want-now/ ABOUT THE GUESTVic McKnight is Vice President at Brown & Brown Insurance. He helps employers find hidden costs and opportunities to improve the efficiency and financial performance of their benefit programs while protecting the employee experience. ABOUT MODERN IDEAS FOR BUSINESSA free monthly webinar and podcast series for business owners and their professional advisors, hosted by Paul Duren. Watch more: https://modernideasforbusiness.comSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Modernideasforbusiness Sources: PwC "Behind the Numbers: Medical cost trend 2027" (9% projected group medical cost trend, assuming benefits stay the same). This program is for general information and is not insurance, legal, tax or financial advice. #EmployeeBenefits #HealthcareCosts #HealthInsurance--------------------------------- END --------------------------------- Notes on the description- The first two lines are what shows before "Show more" and in search: link + 9% hook. Keep them.- The first three hashtags become the ones shown above the title. Keep only three in the description.- The "GLP-1s" and "very high-cost claims" bullets come straight from Vic's first answer. The chapter times were built against the 17:22 edit; see Section 10 to recheck.- The 9% is a projected trend, not a guaranteed renewal for any individual employer. Do not shorten it to "costs WILL rise 9%" in clips or posts.

Could an Employee Stock Ownership Plan help a business owner create liquidity without sacrificing the company’s independence, culture or legacy?In this Modern Ideas for Business webinar, ESOP attorney Kevin G. Long explains how employee ownership can function as both a retirement benefit and a flexible corporate-finance strategy. He examines the practical question owners and advisers ask first: Is an ESOP right for this company?Kevin covers the owner objectives that often drive an ESOP conversation, including liquidity, continuity, control and legacy. He compares ESOPs with private equity, explains leveraged and non-leveraged structures, discusses staged and 100% transactions, and outlines important tax considerations for C corporations and S corporations. The presentation also addresses valuation, financing capacity, repurchase obligations, management succession, employee participation and the adviser team needed to build a sustainable plan.You’ll learn:• What makes a business a potential ESOP candidate• How an ESOP may support succession and owner liquidity• Why cash flow and debt capacity drive transaction feasibility• How staged ownership can preserve flexibility and control• What owners, companies, employees and trustees each need from the structure• When an ESOP may not be the right answerKevin G. Long is Shareholder and President of Employee Benefits Law Group PC and has advised companies on ESOPs for more than three decades.Learn more:Modern Ideas for Business: https://modernideasforbusiness.com/Employee Benefits Law Group PC: https://www.employeebenefitslawgroup.com/ESOP information and research: https://www.esopinfo.org/This program is for educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, valuation or financial advice. ESOPs are highly fact-specific. Consult qualified advisers, including your tax adviser, before acting.#ESOP #SuccessionPlanning #EmployeeOwnership

Could selling your company to an employee stock ownership plan provide liquidity, reward employees and preserve the company’s legacy?ESOP attorney Kevin Long joins Paul Duren for a concise introduction to employee stock ownership plans. Kevin addresses several persistent ESOP misconceptions, explains why employees do not automatically take control of the company and discusses the flexibility owners have to sell anywhere from a portion of the business to 100%.They also examine the characteristics of a suitable ESOP company, why an owner’s attitude toward employees matters and the warning signs that can create problems.Kevin will explore the subject in greater depth during the Modern Ideas for Business webinar “ESOPs Demystified: Is Employee Ownership Right for Your Business?” on September 10, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.Register: https://modernideasforbusiness.com/esops-demystified/Kevin Long and Employee Benefits Law Group PC: https://www.employeebenefitslawgroup.com/This episode is for general educational purposes. Consult your own legal, tax and financial advisers before pursuing an ESOP transaction.

Why do promising prospects understand that they need your expertise but still postpone the decision?Mandi Ellefson joins Modern Ideas for Business to explain how buyer behavior has changed—and why attracting more leads may not solve the real problem.Mandi discusses how buyers evaluate value, reward, and risk; what separates an ordinary service provider from a trusted growth partner; and how professional service firms can improve their positioning without competing primarily on price.She also shares practical ways to find near-term opportunities among current clients, former clients, lost opportunities, and referral relationships.This conversation is especially relevant to consultants, professional service firms, marketing and digital agencies, advisors, and other businesses that sell expertise.Learn more at ModernIdeasForBusiness.com.