Cam Marston Podcasts

The words enthusiastic and charismatic don't come close to capturing the energy Bello Nock gives away. We had breakfast at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi where he was performing - he's now at MGM National Harbor - and later got him on the phone for our interview. He's the perfect mix of "show" + "business". He manages his own troupe …

Father's Day is Sunday. I've done some brilliant things on Father's Day and Mother's Day. And I've made some bone-headed mistakes. Transcript: Father’s Day is Sunday. I hope all you fathers have a wonderful, celebratory, appreciation filled day. And I hope that you with fathers still alive offer the same yours. My newly widowed father simply wants …

Marty Strong got tired of vapid platitudes about busienss leadership and wrote a book full of simple, actionable ideas called Be Nimble. We talk about what makes SEAL training an incubator for business leadership, how to interview to find a nimble leader, and the deep power of humility in leadership. Thanks to Show Sponsors: E3 Termite and Pest Con…

Eunice Mingo is a licensed therapist. I invite her on the show to help me understand the voilence that's escalating everywhere across our country these days. Where is it coming from and what can you and I do to keep people around us from getting so far out of control? We also hear her perspective as an African American after the Buffalo, NY shootin…

I feel like the world is on fire right now. The discord and the shootings won't stop. We need to change something and it must begin with you and me.By Cam Marston

Scot Hunsaker took over the family business, built it, then sold it to his employees. Along the way he learned how to create and execute a succession plan. He asks business owners, "Could you be the limiting factor to your businesses success?" and told his own successors "I did the best I could, now you make it better." Leadership, empowerment, and…

Our Memorial Day Weekend day trip to Perdido Bay to float with the family didn't turn out as we had hoped.By Cam Marston

Mike Adams - aka "Cajun Mike" - has grown his company, E3 Termite and Pest Control, by leaps and bounds over the past few years. One reason is he can treat and bond buildings with sprayfoam insulation and I can find no other companies around who will. His focus on service and technlogy is a perfect match. Then I visit with Norman McCrummen and Caro…

Crazy Season ended Tuesday with the primary elections, thank the Lord.By Cam Marston

A doctor friend lost his practice due to an anonymous social media accusation. Awful. Absolutely awful.By Cam Marston

Cliff Kennedy tells a wonderful story of being stuck in traffic and pulling over to take a break and try a gourmet popsicle. In short order he became CEO of Frios Gourmet Pops with franchises across the country and aggressive plans to get in to making private label product. His bet is paying off. Thanks to show sponsors: E3 Termite and Pest Control…

Travel is picking up and that's a VERY good thing. I love dropping into new routines on the road and I love dropping into my cherished tried and true routines when I return home.By Cam Marston

My father has a bravery that's hard to find. He's never found an experation date on a bottle or jar or jug that has intimidated him.By Cam Marston

Phillip Faulkner owns Avid Boats in Armory, Mississippi. He's the son of a boat builder and once the family business was sold, Phillip knew he needed to be back in the business as a innovator and decision maker. He's created new tools that shape the aluminum in a unique way, giving the boat the light-weight and low-cost of aluminum with appearance …

Scott Tindle is fresh off a trip to the Middle East and Egypt with the US State Department to represent the US's interest in web 3.0 technology. Johnny Gwin adds to the conversation with his deep understanding of the technology and I try to keep quiet or risk total embarrassment and I do a poor job.By Cam Marston

My teenaged son tells me nothing. Absolutely nothing. I want a little more information, but not too much. However, I've learned that he's a delight to his friend's parents and I guess that matters for something.By Cam Marston

I'm pretty sure after God got done with all that creation business on the seventh day he sat down with a cup of Homemade Vanilla Blue Bell Ice Cream topped with fresh picked blackberries.By Cam Marston

Hurricane Ivan wiped out Beatrice, Alabama's Monroe Meats but a small team of investors brought it back. Their flagship product is Monroe Sausage and it is fantastic. Hear managing partner David Steele tell the story of the company and of today's surging growth. And, heck, go find some and try it for yourself - you'll be happy you did. Thanks to Sh…

Solar technology continues to advance. More energy can be gained from a solar panel than ever before. And the panel's are lasting longer than ever. Sam Yates sees huge opportunity in Alabama because of abundant sunshine and the fact that the state lags behind neighboring states in deploying solar technology. And lags by a LOT. Hear Sam's plan for g…

An old college buddy is coming through town tomorrow night and I simply can't wait to see him. I just need to make sure he and I don't tell any college stories in front of the kids.By Cam Marston

When my image popped up on 1000 computer screens across the world, they saw a middle- aged white guy trying to teach them something. And baby, I was so careful about everything I said.By Cam Marston

This week my favorite economist in all the land returns to address the status of the world today. Tulane's Peter Ricchiuti makes predictions for inflation, addresses rumors I've heard about corporate bankruptcies, and addresses what the government's huge infusion of cash post Covid may do to us. He also updates us on his MBA program call The Burken…

Farmers from Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama bring their peanuts to Atmore, Alabama and sell them to Coastal Growers, LLC run by Dirk Lindsey. Dirk's been in the peanut industry for a long time, traveling the world consulting on growing, harvesting, and shelling peanuts. He now makes his home in Alabama (his final stop, he says) to oversee the ne…

A man stood in line at the pharmacy and when he finally got to the front he asked the pharmacist, in nearly a whisper, if she had anything for hiccups.By Cam Marston

The young engineer couldn't read the schematic. The owner of the company had no idea how to do the software update. Individually, they were helpless.By Cam Marston

Tony McCarron is Public Safety Recruiter for the City of Mobile. Formerly in the Air Force and a firefighter, Tony took on the job of Public Safety recruiter for the City of Mobile the Monday after he retired from his job as firefighter the previous Friday. Passionate about public service, Tony discusses the difficulties of the jobs and how he has …

Checking in on past guests: Carla Williams' album is now out and surging in London! Bert Scarbrough says the price of hardwood remains high and some of it is due to Putin. Bill-E Stitt has never seen such high demand for his Bill-E's Bacon. Thanks to Show Sponsors: E3 Termite and Pest Control Keith Air Conditioning Bryant Bank Trey Langus - Transwo…

My first golf tournamanet revealed quite a few things about me and my people that I'd prefer to not acknowledge. (This commentary disappeared off the Keepin' It Real podcasts and I'm repostiing it at the request of a friend. Originally posted 9/16/19.)By Cam Marston

Bill Wasden is a partner with law firm Burr Foreman and advises clients on the do's and don'ts of managing and supervising a remote workforce. I share with him stories of abuse from both sides of the contract and we discuss the importance of the hiring agreement and what does / does not classify an employess as a 1099 contractor.…

I took a break from preparing my mother's eulogy to write this week's commentary.By Cam Marston

Susan Whitfield is director of HR at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. Rocket scientists are in demand these days, and NASA competes with Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson for them. Learn how a government agency successfully competes with the private sector to attract and retain this cherished talent.…

If you feel you're owed an apology from me from my antics around Mardi Gras, get in line,By Cam Marston

Mark Twain said we all need to get out of our own little corner once in a while. I couldn't agree more.By Cam Marston

One of life's most difficult transitions is from the purpose driven world of work to the often ambiguous and aimless world of retirement. David Topus of Revision Retirement has created a service to help retirees find a way through this difficult transition. He has listed nineteen different ways to find purpose in retirement along with consultants a…

REPLAY: The "Great Resignation" has not impacted Threaded Fasteners like it has other organziations. Why? Their intentional and methodical cultivation of a culture of service to the customer and, more importantly, to one another. This focus on a culture of service began long ago; it is not a reaction to Covid or low unemployment. It's who they are.…

Making friends is hard. But a panelist at a recent event offered a very simple recipe for it.By Cam Marston

Baldwin County's Christina Woerner McInnins has made the once cumbersome process of collecting and diagnosing soil samples for the DIY homeowner simple and easy through her innovative product SoilKit. Lowe's Home Improvement stores loved the idea and the product is now carried by Lowe's nationwide. After sitting down with her for the interview, my …

An author repeated this phrase several times and I wasn't sure I understood. Then an email arrived from a woman I hadn't spoken to in fifteen years or more.By Cam Marston

Dr Ramon Rodriguez explains the remarkable new technology that is shaping orthopedics today. He's second generation orthopedist and today practices at the Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic. We discuss custom 3D printing replacement ankles for total ankle replacements and the future of the profession.By Cam Marston

I watched bucks chase does for four hours. I had only ever heard about it. Seeing it was something completely different.By Cam Marston

Described as Alabama's commercial real estate's futurist, Derek Waltchack of firm Shannon Waltchack, sees what's possible for commerical real estate. Blockchain will be a part of it. Real-time retail customer tracking, too. Hear him paint a compelling and very exciting and picture of what's to come. Derek will also be the keynote speaker at the upc…

An update on the confrontation that was due to happen this week.By Cam Marston

My office roof has leaked for a year. The issue has become less about the leak and more about the person I aspire to be. Yet, what do I do?By Cam Marston

Edward Dismukes' father and grandfather sold fish, then appliances, then small engine lawn and garden equipment (chainsaws, lawn mowers, weed eaters, and such) in an ever evolving attempt find a toe-hold in a shifting marketplace. Today, Edward works to grow Wilson Dismukes through calculated investments and growth plans. He talks about talent mana…

When the Alabama economy was soaring in February of 2020, the state's unemployment rate was very low. Today, though the pandemic and government assistance, it's nearly as low as it was then. What are employers who desperately need workers doing to find people? Where are the workers? Alabama Secretary of Labor Fitzgerald Washington gives us an updat…

There's a picture taking satellite the size of a tennis court orbiting earth four times further than the moon. How did they do that?By Cam Marston

Threaded Fastener's culture is a retention tool. Billy Duren is the company president and Chief Motivational Officer. When asked about the company, Billy spends more time describing the culture than the products. Hear how the former company leaders chose an ESOP for the company as they retired and how Billy works to perpetuate the culture day-in an…

The last commentary about my wife's Uter-Pot did not go well in some circles. I called my friend in the diversity and inclusion space and asked her what I missed. She explained. I understand. Onward.By Cam Marston

Episode 200!! WooooHoooo!! Stephen Fitzgerald gave up an enviable career to pursue a passion that began with him building the mountain / gravel bike he always wanted but couldn't find. That passion led to him making bikes for others. Word got out. People showed up. His customers became advocates and followers and his company, per one customer, is n…

Olivia and Mary Thomas MacKinnon have known since a very young age that they wanted to dance professionally at the highest level their talent would allow. Today they're members of the corps at the New York City Ballet where I chat with them them prior to their nightly holiday performance of the Nutcracker. Born and raised in Mobile, they share thei…