The Human Side of Grief and the Power of Ritual | With William Villanova

The Human Side of Grief and the Power of Ritual | With William Villanova

In this week's episode of Power & Impact, I sat down with William Villanova, president of the iconic Frank E. Campbell funeral home in New York City. After more than 25 years in funeral service, William has guided families through some of life's most difficult moments while helping preserve traditions that have endured across generations. Our conversation explored how those rituals are adapting to a changing world. Technology now allows services to reach loved ones across continents, but the purpose remains the same: creating a space where people can come together and honor a life. If anything, the disruptions of the pandemic reinforced how deeply people need those moments of connection. We also discussed a subject many of us tend to put off indefinitely: planning for the end of life. We make plans for our careers, our finances, and our families, yet often avoid conversations about our own wishes, leaving loved ones to make difficult decisions without guidance. William has seen how powerful those conversations can be. Far from being morbid, they can provide clarity, reduce uncertainty, and reflect what matters most to us. In that sense, preparing for the inevitable is less about death than it is about giving a final gift to the people we leave behind.

What a 173-Year-Old Company Knows About the Future of AI | With Judy Marks

Most of us step into an elevator without giving it a second thought. That's exactly how Judy Marks likes it. In this week's episode of Power & Impact, I speak with the CEO of Otis Worldwide Corp. about the invention that helped make modern cities possible — and what it can teach us about another technology now reshaping daily life. Otis moves 2.5 billion people every day, and Judy sees firsthand how trust, safety, engineering, and human judgment all have to work together before people will fully embrace a new way of moving through the world. Judy believes AI will transform nearly every industry, though she sees the future as "human-led and AI-enabled." Her advice for graduates and business leaders alike centers on lifelong learning, communication, judgment, and adaptability. She also offers a fascinating perspective on the question: What can a 173-year-old elevator company teach us about navigating one of the biggest technological shifts in history? As you'll see in this week's podcast, the answer is a lot.

The Death of Corporate Integrity — And How to Bring It Back | With Eric Ries

In this episode of _Power & Impact_, Eric Ries, creator of Lean Startup, joins Jim McCann to reveal why even the most successful businesses can lose sight of the core values that first propelled them to greatness—insights found in his new book, Incorruptible. From Costco and Johnson & Johnson to AI, venture capital, Wall Street pressure, and the future of leadership, Eric breaks down the hidden forces that push companies toward short-term thinking, corruption, and cultural collapse. He explains why metrics can become dangerous, why trust is disappearing in modern business, and why the next generation of leaders must rethink what success actually means. The conversation takes a fascinating turn into artificial intelligence, where Eric warns that society may be moving faster than it understands — and why the world could be headed toward a "Chernobyl moment" for AI if innovation outpaces responsibility.

AI Is Moving Fast. Are We Ready? | With Sol Rashidi

In this week's episode of Power & Impact, I speak with Sol Rashidi about one of the biggest questions facing leaders, workers, students, and families today: How do we prepare for a future that is arriving faster than almost anyone expected? Sol is an AI strategist, board adviser, and former chief AI officer who has spent years helping organizations understand how artificial intelligence is changing business. She brings s deep expertise and real concern to this conversation, especially as companies race to adopt AI before they've fully thought through the implications for governance, security, and the people whose work will be affected. We talk about what AI may mean for career paths, classrooms, consulting firms, startups, and family life. Sol explains why efficiency alone is not enough and why critical thinking and judgment may become more valuable than ever. Sol never loses sight of the human side of the issue. AI fluency is becoming essential, but technology alone will not determine the future. The question is whether we can use these tools wisely while preserving the expertise and relationships that make work — and life — meaningful.

The Future Belongs to Those Who Keep Learning | With John Donovan

In this week's Power & Impact, I speak with John Donovan, the former CEO of AT&T Communications, about what it takes to lead when technology is changing the ground beneath your feet. John had a front-row seat to some of the most important technological shifts of the past several decades, including the rise of fiber communications, smartphones, and cloud computing. One of his most important insights is that real innovation happens when an idea reaches customers at the right time and helps them do something better. That lesson feels especially relevant today. As AI reshapes the workplace, leaders cannot promise that every job will stay the same. What we can do is invest in people, help them learn, and build cultures where curiosity and continuous improvement are part of the daily rhythm. John offers a simple formula: Try to do your job a little better each day, do something kind for a teammate without expecting credit, and steal a little time each day to get better. Change may be unavoidable, but how we meet it is still up to us. As John says, the future will belong not only to those who understand the technology, but also those who keep learning and bringing others along.