The Blog
Long-form essays, field notes, and frameworks from the FIRMSconsulting team — published weekly.
All posts
Published weekly-
Professor of Finance at London Business School, Alex Edmans, on Why ESG and DEI Data May Contain Lies
In this episode, finance professor and author, Alex Edmans, offers a rigorous examination of the narratives surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in corporate strategy. Drawing on his critique of widely cited studies, including those from McKinsey and BlackRock, Edmans illustrates how flawed data interpretations and confirmation bias contribute to the persistence of questionable claims.…
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McKinsey’s Tim Koller on Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies
In this episode, Tim Koller, co-author of Valuation and a leading authority on corporate finance, offers a substantive examination of capital allocation decisions under real-world constraints. The discussion moves beyond theory to explore how CEOs and CFOs should approach resource deployment in mature, capital-rich companies—where investment opportunities are limited not due to lack of ambition…
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James Turk on Becoming the Leader Others Want to Follow
In a world that often rewards taking, James Turk believes the most powerful leaders are the ones who give clarity, opportunity, second chances, and their full attention. In this episode, I speak with James Turk who is an executive coach, CEO of The Turk Group, and author of The Giving Game, about what it truly…
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Award-Winning Strategist Hernan Tagliani on What Brands Get Wrong About Multicultural Marketing
What if cultural relevance isn’t just a marketing strategy but a business imperative? In this episode, I speak with Hernan Tagliani, a multicultural marketing expert, award-winning strategist for Fortune 500 companies, and author of The Hispanic Market for Corporate America and Multicultural Mainstream that explains how brands can drive lasting growth by truly understanding and…
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Bill Canady on How a Billion-Dollar CEO Thinks and Leads
I welcomed back Bill Canady, CEO of OTC Industrial Technologies and Arrowhead Engineered Products, overseeing $2.5 billion in annual sales and 3,600+ employees. Bill shared a practical approach to driving profitable growth, centered on focusing resources where they matter most. He described how applying 80/20 analysis revealed that just 200 customers accounted for over 90%…
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Dean Carignan on Using AI to Boost Joy, Focus, and Productivity at Work
This week on the Strategy Skills podcast, I spoke with Dean Carignan, a senior leader at Microsoft with over two decades of experience across AI, Xbox, research, and product innovation. He discussed how AI is reshaping work today, not just by providing answers, but by acting as an agent to handle routine tasks, freeing people…
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Matthew Dixon’s Insights on What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently
In this episode, I speak with Matthew Dixon, founding partner of DCM Insights and bestselling author, about his latest research on business development in professional services. Drawing on a global study of 3,000 partners, Dixon outlines five distinct sales profiles and highlights the “Activator” as the only approach consistently linked to higher revenue performance. Key insights:…
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From Ditch Digger to 9-Figure CEO: Building a Business That Runs Without You
In this episode, I speak with Ken Rusk, nine-figure CEO and bestselling author of Blue Collar Cash, on building and scaling a successful business. Key insights: – True growth comes from empowering entrepreneurial employees and building autonomous teams aligned with the company’s mission and motivated to perform. – Rusk’s approach emphasizes the alignment of personal…
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Microsoft Director JoAnn Garbin on How to Empower Anyone to Innovate
What if the key to driving real innovation isn’t genius, but orchestration? Innovation is often seen as the domain of visionaries or tech geniuses. But in this episode, JoAnn Garbin, former Director of Innovation at Microsoft Cloud and co-author of The Insider’s Guide to Innovation @ Microsoft, shows that true innovation is a craft: one…
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Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir on Rethinking Leadership Through Intuition and Inner Clarity
What if the leadership edge you’re looking for doesn’t come from working harder, but listening deeper? We talk often about productivity, performance, and pushing through. But few conversations explore the quieter forces shaping our best decisions, like intuition. In this episode, I speak with Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, a director, writer, systems thinker, and an award-winning sustainability…
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Anesthesiologist and Reality TV Star on How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection
Dr. Tiffany Moon isn’t just breaking stereotypes — she’s rewriting the script. In this episode, Dr. Tiffany Moon — board-certified anesthesiologist, founder of Aromasthesia, and former cast member of Bravo’s Real Housewives — opens up about what it really takes to balance ambition, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and public scrutiny. From immigrating to the U.S. at age…
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Experiencing The American Dream with Mark Matson
What if the financial advice you trust is actually hurting your future? Mark Matson believes it is — and he has the data to prove it. In this episode, I sit down with Mark Matson, founder of Matson Money and a pioneer in the evidence-based investing movement. With over $9 billion in assets under management,…