The Unshakeables

Unravel, Rebuild, Repeat: OSOMTEX

Patricia Ermecheo always knew she would build something. She just didn’t know what — until she saw mountains of discarded clothing headed for landfills. When she couldn’t find a way to break textiles back down into usable fiber, she built one. That company became OSOMTEX. But building a solution no one else has figured out comes at a cost. The same drive that powered Patricia forward pushed her toward burnout, putting both her health and her company at risk.    In this episode, Ben and Kathleen talk with Patricia about the isolation of entrepreneurship, navigating partnerships with major brands as a small player and why sometimes going backward through the supply chain is the only way forward. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Refugee Who Led a Software Revolution - with Ben Walter

Millionaire-making tech start-ups are most often associated with Silicon Valley. But this software revolution begins on a woman’s kitchen table in rural Britain in the 1960s. Steve Shirley faced extraordinary odds. After escaping Nazi Germany as a child, she later encountered workplace discrimination and endured deep personal tragedy. But she persevered to build a business decades ahead of its time, creating opportunities for hundreds of women. Tim Harford is joined by Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of The Unshakeables [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unshakeables/id1725983618] podcast, to explore the life, legacy and lessons of an overlooked titan of tech. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Is AI Here to Help You Grow, Build, or Replace Your Business?: Live from SXSW

Everyone's talking about AI. In boardrooms, in government and around the kitchen tables — it's everywhere. But what does it actually mean for small businesses, and how are they using it to get ahead?   Recorded live at South by Southwest, Ben and Kathleen are joined onstage by Oz Woloshyn — journalist, CEO of Kaleidoscope tech podcast network and a small business owner himself — to cut through the noise and focus on what AI actually means for the people running businesses day to day. Kathleen also shares how several past guests are already putting AI to work. You’ll hear real examples with real impact, and learn whether this moment finally tips the scales in favor of small business owners. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Who’s Running the Shop?: Gretna Machine Shop

Nubia Perez had a plan for her life — marry abroad, raise trilingual kids and build something global. But when her father fell ill, Gretna Machine Shop needed her more than her plans did. The family business was suddenly without direction, and Nubia stepped in to put out fires. But the business didn’t need a firefighter — it needed a leader. For a decade, both Nubia and the company muddled through what she calls the "dark ages," until one day, a children's movie gave her the answer she'd been looking for.  Join Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith as they talk to Nubia about stepping up unexpectedly, building an oil and gas business in Houston (it’s a good place for it!), and why flat leadership doesn’t mean leaderless. These are The Unshakeables. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

How to Stop Work From Taking Over Your Life

Work doesn’t end when the workday does. Even after we close our laptops, our minds keep replaying awkward meetings, looming deadlines, and unfinished to-do lists. Over time, that “always on” mentality can quietly hijack our relationships, our health, and our happiness. Dr. Laurie sits down with psychologist and bestselling author Guy Winch (Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life [https://books.apple.com/us/book/mind-over-grind/id6747038189]) to explore the science of work stress — and why so many of us get stuck in fight-or-flight mode long after we’ve left the office.  Plus, Ben Walter, host of “The Unshakeables [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unshakeables/id1725983618]” and CEO of Chase for Business, shares what he’s learned from working with small business owners who don’t have the option to simply “clock out.” If you’ve ever felt like work is bleeding into everything, this episode offers science-based tools to help you take your life back. Resources mentioned in this episode: Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life [https://books.apple.com/us/book/mind-over-grind/id6747038189] "Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8834764/]" "The Relationship Between Workplace Stressors and Mortality and Health Costs in the United States [https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/mnsc.2014.2115]" "How Small Businesses Drive the American Economy [https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/03/25/how-small-businesses-drive-the-american-economy/]" "Small Business Facts [https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Job_Creation_fact_sheet_FINAL_0.pdf]" “The Unshakeables [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unshakeables/id1725983618]” "Yerkes-Dodson Law Of Arousal And Performance [https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-the-yerkes-dodson-law.html]" “The Use of Imagery to Manipulate Challenge and Threat Appraisal States in Athletes [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20587822/]” “Rebuilding After a Blaze: Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rebuilding-after-a-blaze-luna-gourmet-coffee-tea/id1725983618?i=1000642623023]” See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.