Stern+: How One of Germany’s Biggest Magazine Brands Rebuilt a Subscription Business From Scratch
German publisher RTL Deutschland rebuilt its digital subscription arm, stern+, from a seven‑person team to nearly 100 staff focused on product, data, engineering and marketing. The rollout introduced weekly pricing, personalized trial offers and a dynamic paywall that tailors free versus paid content per reader. Conversion rates rose to 35‑50% of trial users, though early churn remains a challenge. Stern+, GEO and Capital now operate under a unified digital desk that blends editorial judgment with algorithmic personalization.
Scape Turns Student-Inspired Stories Into National Campaign via Jane Doe Creation
Jane Doe Creation launched “You Had To Be There,” an integrated campaign for Scape that turns student‑inspired moments into national brand storytelling across YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Meta, Reddit and out‑of‑home. The mixed‑media films showcase everyday campus connections, from hallway greetings to shared...
Why the Most Important Food Prices Are Rising Again
Canadian grocery inflation rose to 4.4% in March, outpacing the headline 4% CPI figure. Meat prices surged—beef up 12.7%, chicken 7.5%, pork 6.2%—as herd reductions and higher feed costs tighten supply. Vegetable prices also jumped, with cucumbers up 28.4% and...
How Quebec’s Secularism Push Is Reshaping Workplace Rights
Quebec’s Bills 94 and 9 tighten bans on religious symbols and lower the threshold for refusing religious accommodation in public‑facing sectors. The new "more than minimal hardship" standard lets employers reject requests for minor inconvenience, prompting mass resignations—over 200 school support staff...
Labor Market Power Flip Was Brief and Now Gone
Something shifted in the labor market that most people did not notice until it was already gone. There was a window where the negotiating dynamic actually flipped. I watched it happen in real time through the volume and tone of...
Chase Tucker Takes on New Leadership Role at Shoe Show
Chase Tucker, third‑generation family member, will become senior vice president of merchandising at Shoe Show Inc. on July 3, succeeding retiring veteran John Walker. Tucker’s career spans secret‑shopping as a child, distribution, sourcing, planning, and most recently men’s buying for the...
Companies Are Standing Firm on Salaries
Companies are tightening fixed compensation while boosting variable pay, according to Korn Ferry’s pulse survey of 4,250 firms in 133 countries. About 72% expect bonuses at or above target in 2026, but median base salary hikes in the U.S. hover...
OCC Enters the Interchange Fight and Raises the Stakes
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has stepped into the U.S. interchange fee debate by filing an amicus brief in the Seventh Circuit appeal of Illinois’ Interchange Fee Prohibition Act and by submitting a rulemaking proposal on...
US Businesses Begin Claiming Tariff Refunds
The episode examines the rollout of a new U.S. Customs portal that lets businesses claim refunds for tariffs imposed under the Trump administration, featuring firsthand accounts from small‑business owners Beth Benneke and Cassie Abel who describe technical glitches, locked accounts,...
Wells Fargo, Citi and Goldman Lead in AI Venture Investment
Large banks are accelerating AI venture investments, posting a 21% compound annual growth rate since 2023, according to Evident AI’s report on the 50 biggest global banks. Wells Fargo, Citi and Goldman Sachs lead U.S. activity with 81, 77 and 70 deals...
AI Could Automate Team Journaling, Saving $14K Monthly
every sunday I journal through every person on my team. can this role be automated? can AI do 80% of it? last month i cut $14K/month in team costs doing this exercise.
Jet Fuel Shipments Tank; Global Supply In-Transit Plunges 60%
Global jet and kerosene fuel volumes in transit by tanker have fallen 60% since March 1, 2026, with European‑bound shipments plunging 80%, according to Kpler data. The drop reflects tighter refinery output and shifting demand patterns. Industries that rely on just‑in‑time delivery...
How HR Can Lead the Charge in Building an Amazing Culture — And Why Most Organizations Are Getting It Wrong
Ian Khan argues that culture is the invisible operating system that drives every decision and must be treated as a strategic asset, not a peripheral HR project. Drawing on interviews with 500+ C‑suite leaders and his Future Readiness Score (FRS),...
The Closer – Hawkish Shift, Rate Outlook, Canada Data – 4/20/26
Volatility metrics such as the VIX and MOVE have slipped back below their six‑month averages, while oil‑related volatility remains unusually high, sitting a full standard deviation above its norm. Historical patterns show payroll figures tend to weaken in the second...
Daily Bulletin...
The Trump administration announced the launch of a $166 billion tariff refund program. The initiative follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down a series of tariffs on imported goods. Treasury officials will begin processing claims from importers who paid...
The Onion Has Agreed to a New Deal to Take over Infowars
The satirical site The Onion has reached a deal to lease the Infowars domain and brand from a Texas state receiver for $81,000 a month, pending judicial approval. The arrangement would strip Alex Jones of his flagship platform and allow The...
Startup Hype Eclipses Real Product and Cash Reality
Overheard in NYC “we can’t just vibe code this product we have to build a real saas platform [pounds the table]” “we just need to get on calls and we’ll have fucking sales pouring in through the windows” “we could just keep doing...
Could Hollywood Actually De-Monopolize?
The episode examines recent antitrust actions affecting major media and entertainment conglomerates, focusing on the blocked $6.2 billion Nexstar‑Tegna TV‑station merger and the jury verdict that Live Nation’s Ticketmaster operates as a monopoly. Host Matt Belony and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw discuss...
Apple C.E.O.s Through the Years: From Michael Scott (Not That One) to John Ternus
Apple announced that longtime CEO Tim Cook will step down in September 2026, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus slated to take the helm. The move marks the latest transition in a lineage that began with Michael Scott in 1977...
Tim Cook To Step Down As Apple’s CEO
Apple announced that senior vice president of Hardware Engineering John Ternus will become CEO on September 1, 2026, while longtime chief Tim Cook will transition to executive chairman. Cook’s tenure saw Apple’s market cap soar and operational stability, but the...
The U.S. Financial Regulatory Week Ahead
Kevin Warsh is slated for a Senate Banking Committee hearing on April 21, with the committee expected to approve his nomination to chair the Federal Reserve. However, the Justice Department’s ongoing probe into former Chair Jay Powell’s testimony has become...
Apple Announces John Ternus as New CEO, Cook Steps Down
Didn’t realize that day in Grand Central I was getting a selfie with Apple’s new CEO. John Ternus, far right, takes over as Apple CEO in September. Tim Cook (second photo), CEO since 2011 becomes Executive Chairman. Between us is...
Tiny Triggers Can Jeopardize $110 Trillion Economy
turns out it doesn’t take much to hold a $110 trillion global economy at risk.
6 Months Into Substack: What's Working, What We're Changing, and Where We're Headed
Six months after launching the Substack publication *The Sacred Art of Selling*, the author saw explosive growth despite starting with virtually no strategy. By repurposing a decade’s worth of intellectual property and applying a low‑effort "Miracle Hour" approach, the newsletter...
Baird Swipes Billion-Dollar Team From Indiana RIA
Robert W. Baird & Co. announced that three veteran advisors—Donald Hutchinson, Dean Weseli and Jeffrey Borgert—have joined its Indianapolis operation, bringing a practice that manages roughly $1 billion in assets. The trio, known as HWB Partners, arrived from Goelzer Investment Management...
Key Legal Updates for Employers: Join Us for Our May Webinar Series
Squire Patton Boggs is hosting a complimentary four‑part webinar series in May for HR leaders, in‑house counsel, and compliance teams. Each one‑hour session, scheduled for the first Thursday of each week, tackles pressing US labor and employment law developments, from...
Threads Adds Shareable View‑count Card for Profiles
You can now create a shareable views count card on Threads 🆕 And choose to display your view count on your public profile Here’s my view count for the past 30 days
Apple's Cash Soars, Product Innovation Stalls
Apple is an amazing company, that's printed money for a decade... .... but it's been uninspiring on the product front... excited to see if a product-focused CEO will make some bolder bets than the watch and airpods
Regulatory Shift Could Influence Private Markets Landscape
The SEC and CFTC have proposed amending Form PF to raise reporting thresholds for private‑fund advisors, cutting the number of firms required to submit detailed exposure data. Regulators say the change will lessen compliance burdens while preserving systemic‑risk visibility. The...
Youth Sports Turn Into High‑stakes Luxury Market
Sign of the apocalypse when Robb Report does a story on Youth sports. Meet the Families Betting Big on Their Kids’ Athletic Futures https://t.co/I40UVdgZM3 via @RobbReport
Danny Pinter Lands $2.75M Ravens Deal, $1.5M Guaranteed
G Danny Pinter signed a 1 year, $2.75M contract with the Baltimore #Ravens that includes $1.5M fully guaranteed. Pinter played on a $1.6M contract with the Colts last season.
‘Community Letter From Tim’
Apple announced that CEO Tim Cook will step down in September 2026 to become executive chairman, while longtime hardware chief John Ternus will assume the CEO role. Cook’s transition marks the end of a 15‑year tenure that saw the iPhone, services,...
Falcons Fill Roster Gaps with $21M One-Year Deals
Recent Atlanta #Falcons Contracts (est. $21M of cap space) OT Jawaan Taylor 1-year, $5M; non-gtd RB Brian Robinson Jr. 1-year, $2.5M; $775k gtd QB Trevor Siemian 1-year, $1.3M; non-gtd LB DeAngelo Malone 1-year, $1.5M; $215k gtd CB Darnay Holmes 1-year, $1.2M; non-gtd RB Tyler Goodson 1-year, $1.145M; non-gtd
Consolidate AI Experiments, Focus on High-Value Use Cases
RT If you're serious about AI in 2026, start killing or consolidating scattered experiments and back a smaller set of high-value use cases with clear ownership, metrics, and governance. Less chaos, more compounding value. #CIO #AI @Star_CIO https://t.co/VtuS5rQ0ZG
National Wrestling Alliance Inks Deal with Sinclair’s Comet
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) has secured a broadcast deal with Sinclair’s multicast network Comet, launching its flagship show “NWA Powerrr” with a two‑episode premiere on May 1‑2. After the debut, the series will air weekly on Saturdays at 4 p.m., with...
US‑Iran Talks Will Steer Markets over Next 48 Hours
Here's the top global macro event risk over the next 48 hours. I think there is a lot of important backdrop to the likes of US retail sales, UK jobs and Tesla earnings....however, I think the US-Iran negotiations will be responsible...
Unified Hub Links Agents to SMB Ad & Analytics Tools
What is the best platform for connecting agents to the everyday systems needed by SMBs? Eg support for Google and Meta ads and analytics
When a CFO Finds Fraud
Fraud incidents are climbing at U.S. public companies, and CFOs are often the first to notice irregularities. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners advises CFOs to immediately report suspicions through established channels such as hotlines, HR, or security teams, and...
Apple CEO Tim Cook Announces Departure, Executive Shake‑up
Apple CEO Tim Cook To Step Down. IPhone Maker Shakes Up Executive Ranks. https://t.co/I8KNNFMGab $AAPL
Dr. J’s Bottling Deal Sparked Billionaire Success
Today, I moderated a panel in Philly with the legend Dr. J talking business and trade. We even recapped his deal owning a Coca-Cola bottling company decades ago. It’s the same business that turned the late, great Junior Bridgeman into...
Abercrombie CEO Fran Horowitz’ Pay Slips to $13.3M for 2025
Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Fran Horowitz earned a $13.3 million compensation package for 2025, down $3.7 million from the prior year. The bulk of the pay—$10.5 million—came from stock awards, with $1.4 million each in salary and incentive compensation. The retailer reported record net...
Bills Lock in Low-Cost Depth, Preserve $12.7M Cap
Recent Buffalo #Bills Contracts (est. $12.7M of cap space) C Lloyd Cushenberry 1-year, $1.4M, $1.2M gtd C Austin Corbett 1-year, $1.4M, $1.2M gtd S Damar Hamlin 1-year, $1.2M, $25k gtd WR Trent Sherfield 1-year, $1.3M, non-gtd
Bolt Employees Lose Paychecks Amid Payroll Glitch Claims
Sources telling me @bolt employees have had their most recent paychecks clawed back from their bank accounts. Bolt is blaming 'tech glitch' at payroll processor, but speculation is Bolt can't even make payroll, per sources familiar w/situation.
AI Meeting Notetakers Spark Hidden Compliance Risks for RIAs
AI-powered meeting notetakers are now commonplace among registered investment advisers, but compliance experts warn they automatically generate email summaries that become official business records. The SEC has made clear that any AI‑created client communication must be reviewed by a human...
Jaguars Free $5.7M Cap, Walker Earns $10M Raise
Travon Walker's #Jaguars Extension 4-years, $110M new 5-years, $125M total $50M g'teed at signing $15M more next March 3-years, $77M practical The Jags free up $5.7M of 2026 cap space with the extension, while Walker gets a $10M raise this season.
Passion at Work Attracts Top Talent, Says Tim Cook
Tim Cook reminds us that a passion for work is a talent magnet for the best recruits https://t.co/TYGbP7Mxsl
Meta Previews Updates for Its Edits App
Meta marked the one‑year anniversary of its standalone video‑editing app Edits with an invitation‑only webinar, unveiling a slate of upcoming features. The company highlighted recent Threads enhancements—new fonts, color adjustments, and better project management—that complement Edits’ creator toolkit. Meta also...
Alex Cooper's Media Empire Faces Unexpected Growing Pains
Great reporting from @ashleyrcarman on media darling Alex Cooper and her struggles to build a media business.
Steve Jobs Championed Small Teams for Big Breakthroughs
Tim Cook on how Steve Jobs believed that small teams could do amazing work. https://t.co/k7bMtFM6hs
AI and Creativity: CEOs Forecast Future Collaboration
MyPOV: @Adobe CEO @snarayen with @nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sharing insights on the future of AI and creativity. #AdobeSummit https://t.co/Fmlwzxeza8