The Challenges of Representation Through the Eyes of a Casting Director
Casting director Marie‑France Michel highlights a persistent gap between industry‑wide diversity pledges and the reality of lead‑role representation. While supporting characters see increased scrutiny, headline parts remain dominated by traditional, often white‑male talent. She attributes this to entrenched hiring habits, risk‑averse financing, and a lack of comprehensive data on diverse actors. The post argues that systematic outreach and better metrics are essential to broaden the pool of lead candidates.
Séries Mania: The Strategic Power of International Acquisitions
France Télévisions is accelerating its purchase of foreign television series to attract new viewers, a strategy detailed by Deputy Director of International Series Morad Koufane ahead of the Séries Mania festival. The network aims to diversify its lineup with proven international dramas...
Urbania Acquires Binge Audio to Bridge Podcasts and TV
Montreal‑based media company Urbania announced the acquisition of Binge Audio, the independent French‑language podcast network known for hits such as "Les Couilles sur la table" and "Programme B." The deal gives Urbania a portfolio of popular podcasts with an estimated...
Navigating Complexity in Industrial 3D Printing Sales: An Interview with Corbel’s Le’ora Lichtenstein
Corbel’s AI platform tackles the knowledge bottlenecks that slow industrial 3D‑printer sales by turning dense manuals and tribal expertise into conversational answers. The system ingests PDFs, videos and sales conversations, then surfaces relevant specifications instantly for prospects. Feedback loops let...
9 New Immediately Useful NotebookLM Prompts for Content Creator Businesses
Google has rebuilt NotebookLM, adding a one‑million‑token context window and native generation of cinematic videos, one‑click infographics, PowerPoint‑ready slide decks, debate‑style audio episodes, structured data tables, and a blog‑post report generator—all usable directly from the chat interface. The blog post...
Forgive Me Dr. Alhajji, I Was Unfamiliar With Your Game
Dr. Anas Alhajji argues that the U.S. is a major winner from the Hormuz crisis, aligning with the November 2025 National Security Strategy that ties AI dominance to cheap, abundant energy. By disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas...
Is There an Optimal Number of Public Companies? (Part 1)
The article examines whether there is an optimal number of public companies in the United States, questioning the SEC chair’s push to “make IPOs great again.” It highlights the shift toward dual‑class structures, where 78% of market cap in controlled...
B. Draddy Introduces Camper Van Experience for Tournaments and Club Events
B. Draddy, a Summit Golf Brands label, has launched the B. Draddy Camper—a purpose‑built mobile unit that blends premium retail, on‑site customization, and hospitality for member‑guest tournaments and club events. The camper features expanded interior space, custom shelving, a built‑in...
Pop a CAPM in Non-O&G Equities.
Markets are increasingly pricing equity risk premiums based on inflation expectations rather than the Federal Reserve’s real‑rate policy, a shift that tilts the advantage toward oil and gas (O&G) equities. Global oil and gas revenues have risen above 4% of...
Use Audience Projection to Let People Discover Your Feedback
The article introduces “audience projection,” a technique where leaders ask team members to view their work through another’s eyes, prompting self‑discovered feedback. By framing questions that simulate a reader, customer, or junior colleague, leaders help employees uncover insights without direct...
Port of Rotterdam Ensured Loan for Shore Power Infrastructure
European Investment Bank approved a €90 million ($98 million) loan to the Port of Rotterdam Authority to fund shore‑power installations at three deep‑sea container terminals. The loan is complemented by a €70 million ($76 million) European Commission grant, bringing total public financing to roughly...
Palm Primary Care Expands in Tarrant County with Acquisition of Two Clinics in Azle
Palm Primary Care, backed by MBF Healthcare Partners II, has acquired two primary‑care clinics in Azle, Texas, expanding its Texas network to nine locations across Tarrant and Dallas counties. The two sites, Azle Central and Azle Parkway, will continue operating...
Top Links 1051 Looking at the Wrong Oil Price. Insuring the Straits. Rupee Weakness. Epstein and Primal Fathers.
The White House is reportedly using an outdated oil price benchmark—specifically the OPEC basket—when calculating costs and sanctions related to the ongoing Iran conflict. Analysts argue that this misalignment skews revenue projections, inflates insurance premiums for vessels transiting the Strait...
Three Interviews. Three Different Tests.
The post outlines three distinct phases in a retained executive search—screening call, recruiter interview, and hiring manager interview—each demanding a unique preparation strategy. It warns that treating all stages alike leads to early disqualification, especially at the recruiter interview where...
Challenge All Requirements
The article urges leaders to treat every existing requirement as a hypothesis rather than a mandate, encouraging teams to actively challenge and discard rules that lack clear justification. It outlines a four‑step framework—assuming requirements are wrong, identifying the originator, rejecting...
Twenty Years of Hospitality Storytelling and Brand Building
Andrew Freeman’s af&co. celebrated its 20‑year anniversary, having launched more than 500 restaurants, hotels and lifestyle brands and co‑founded the data‑driven branding firm Carbonate. The agency’s annual trends report, now in its 17th edition, correctly predicts roughly three‑quarters of the...
Target Architecture Planning 1: Transformation Is Hard
LeanIX announced a new Target Architecture Planning feature that will let SAP‑focused customers map both their existing and future IT landscapes. The tool is designed to simplify the complex process of enterprise transformation by providing visual roadmaps and scenario analysis....
EU and Australia Finally Reach Compromise on Prosecco GI
The EU‑Australia free trade agreement was finally signed, ending a protracted dispute over geographical indications (GIs). Australia will protect 396 EU GIs, including the Prosecco designation, while still allowing the term “Prosecco” to be used as a grape‑variety name within...
English National Opera Fails to Recruit CEO
The English National Opera (ENO) announced the appointment of Paul Reeve, MBE, as interim chief executive after months of an unsuccessful search for a permanent CEO. Reeve, a former Covent Garden employee and ex‑head of the charity IntoFilm, will start...
Organizational Behavior Expert Makes The Case For A “Meeting Doomsday”
Organizational behavior specialist Rebecca Hinds argues that meetings persist because they are visible, not because they add value, creating a "visibility bias" that inflates calendar time. She labels the accumulated, low‑value schedule as "meeting debt" and proposes a "Meeting Doomsday"...
The Starbucks Mobile Order Timing Problem That Chick-Fil-A Already Solved
Starbucks’ mobile‑order system often prepares drinks either too early, leaving them to cool on the counter, or too late, forcing customers to wait after arrival. The root cause is a mismatch between order placement and actual customer arrival, essentially an...
How Should An Office Sound? Rethinking The Future Of Collective Productivity
Recent research by Ark Research Lab measured sound levels across a Raleigh office and identified a sweet spot for productive acoustics. Vibrancy begins around 55 dB, while deep focus thrives at 30‑35 dB, with acoustic ceiling tiles delivering 10‑20 dB reductions. The study...
Dollar Dominance in Central Bank Reserves
The IMF’s COFER database shows the U.S. dollar still commands roughly 60% of global foreign‑exchange reserves, keeping its status as the premier reserve currency. Over the past decade the euro and Chinese yuan have inched upward, while the British pound...
Behavioural Geopolitics: When Your Ally Turns Narcissistic
A German think‑tank paper outlines seven "narcissistic" foreign‑policy patterns, arguing that states can exhibit behaviors akin to individual narcissism. The authors illustrate each pattern with recent U.S. actions under President Trump in 2025, citing performative superiority, attention‑seeking stunts, vindictive retaliation,...
Future of Work Leadership Is Changing: From Burnout to Trust, Purpose, and Performance with Kurtis Lee Thomas, Stephanie Chung and...
The Future of Work podcast episode brings together Kurtis Lee Thomas, Stephanie Chung and Jasmine Escalera to argue that employee well‑being, trust‑based leadership and Gen Z expectations are reshaping how organizations succeed. Thomas shows how companies like Nike and NASA are...
Why Most Brands Struggle to Stay Memorable
Most brands achieve visibility but fail to be memorable because they play it safe with generic design and messaging. They focus on what they do rather than how they make people feel, resulting in recognition without recall. Memorable brands differentiate...
Canada Life Finalises £30m Buy-In with Phoenix Medical Supplies Pension Scheme
Canada Life has completed a £30 million (≈ $37.5 million) full‑scheme buy‑in for the Phoenix Medical Supplies Pension Scheme, securing the future benefits of more than 145 pensioners and 80 deferred members. Barnett Waddingham served as lead broker, adviser and administrator, while Gateley...
The Algorithm: The Five-Step Framework That Drives Business Success
Jon McNeill, former Tesla president and serial entrepreneur, has released "The Algorithm," the first book authored by an Elon Musk direct report. The book outlines a five‑step framework—question, delete, simplify, accelerate, automate—used to drive hypergrowth at Tesla, SpaceX, Lululemon and...
The Collapse of Indra–EM&E Deal Tests Dan Loeb’s Playbook: Third Point’s Merger Setback:
Third Point’s high‑conviction merger‑arbitrage bet on the Indra Sistemas‑EM&E defense tie‑up collapsed, wiping out the fund’s European position. The breakup was driven by political push‑back, valuation disputes and integration complexity, sending both Spanish defense stocks lower. The failure has forced Dan...
Private Credit Yields Outperform High-Yield Bonds:
Senior‑secured U.S. direct‑lending funds are delivering 10%‑13% yields, outpacing traditional high‑yield bonds that trade at 7%‑9%. The roughly 300‑basis‑point spread reflects an illiquidity premium that has become a strategic differentiator for private credit. Institutional investors are accelerating allocations despite heightened...
Thanks For The Memory
President Donald Trump postponed a threatened strike on Iran, prompting a brief market rally, but analysts quickly shifted focus to the memory‑chip sector. AI‑driven demand for high‑bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM has turned the traditionally cyclical memory market into...
Isaacman, Jared Isaacman
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was praised at the Washington Space Business Roundtable luncheon for revamping the Artemis lunar program. Rep. Mike Haridopolos called him a “James Bond for America,” noting a dramatic turnaround in NASA’s public sentiment over the past year....
Q ENERGY Acquires Stake in Pennavel Floating Wind Project
Q ENERGY has acquired a stake in the Pennavel floating offshore wind project off southern Brittany, joining a consortium that includes Elicio France and BayWa r.e. France. The deal leverages Q ENERGY’s two‑decade track record in French offshore wind and...
Scott Kennedy’s BDC Series: Blackstone Secured Lending’s NAV, Valuation, And Dividend Versus 11 BDC Peers – Part 2 (Includes Cal...
Blackstone Secured Lending (BSL) reported its Q4 2025 results, showing a NAV increase to $1.12 per share and a dividend yield of 9.2%, positioning it ahead of eleven comparable BDC peers. The fund’s price‑to‑book multiple compressed to 0.9x, reflecting a modest...
Amazon System Design Interviews: The LP Angle Nobody Mentions
Amazon’s system design interviews embed Leadership Principles (LPs) throughout, meaning candidates are evaluated on ownership, customer obsession, frugality, and more alongside technical skills. Interviewers receive 1‑3 specific LPs to assess, and they ask explicit behavioral questions while watching for implicit...
Founder-Led Prospecting
The post outlines a founder‑led prospecting framework that treats sales outreach as a series of rapid experiments. Using Whitetruffle’s two‑week email test, the author shows higher open and reply rates when targeting VPs of Engineering versus recruiters. The piece stresses...
Trump Claim of Productive Talks with Iran Greeted with Skepticism
President Trump announced a five‑day postponement of planned strikes on Iranian power infrastructure, saying recent talks with Tehran were “very good and productive.” Iran’s parliament speaker rejected the claim, stating no negotiations had taken place and accusing the United States...
The IPO Buzz: HMH Holding (HMH Proposed) Launches $215.7 Million IPO
Houston‑based HMH Holding announced an IPO of 10.52 million shares priced between $19 and $22, targeting roughly $215.7 million in proceeds. At the midpoint price of $20.50, the company would be valued at about $883.5 million. The offering is led by JPMorgan, Piper...
U.S. Treasury Rates Weekly Update for March 20, 2026
U.S. Treasury yields rose for a third consecutive week, with the 30‑year rate up 0.06 percentage points and the 10‑year climbing 0.11 points to 4.39%. The 3‑year Treasury held steady at 3.90%. The upward movement reflects market expectations of sustained...
Fuel Rationing Starts to Bite
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a bilateral understanding with Singapore’s leader Lawrence Wong to maintain the flow of essential fuels such as diesel and liquefied natural gas. The pledge comes as both countries confront tightening global fuel supplies and...
An Interview with Dianna Cohen, Crown Affair Founder
Dianna Cohen, former collaborator with Into The Gloss, Away and Outdoor Voices, launched luxury haircare label Crown Affair in 2020. The brand quickly gained a cult following, emphasizing slower rituals, quality‑first formulas, and a distinctive mint‑green visual identity. Crown Affair...
Heritage Global: A Distressed Asset Platform Trading at 5x EV/EBIT and Near Liquidation Value
Heritage Global Inc. (NASDAQ:HGBL) operates a multi‑segment distressed‑asset platform that trades at less than 70% of book value and roughly 5.5 × EV/EBIT, placing it near liquidation pricing. The San Diego‑based firm has posted profits every year since 2018 and exhibits counter‑cyclical...
This Recruiter Prioritizes Meeting Candidates Where They’re at, Provides Five-Star Service Along the Way
Senior corporate recruiter John Geaney at Dollar Tree has overhauled the company’s hiring approach, moving from a reactive "post and pray" model to a proactive, data‑driven pipeline built on LinkedIn Recruiter projects. He introduced structured screening notes tied to job...
Chubb Just Told the MGA Market What It Really Thinks
Chubb Chairman and CEO Evan Greenberg told investors that managing general agents (MGAs) are “a bad bet in the majority of cases,” warning that the delegated‑authority model often inflates costs without delivering underwriting value. He also announced that AI will...
![Cheesecake Factory: Free Slice Of Cheesecake For Downloading App, No Purchase [4/1 – 5/7]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/cheesecake-factory-1.png)
Cheesecake Factory: Free Slice Of Cheesecake For Downloading App, No Purchase [4/1 – 5/7]
The Cheesecake Factory is launching a new mobile app and will give a free slice of cheesecake to anyone who downloads it by April 30, with redemption available from April 1 through May 7. No purchase is required, and the app also offers...
One in Four Canadians Admit to “Resume Botox” To Seem Fit
Employment Hero's survey reveals that 28% of Canadian workers and job seekers trim their resumes—removing older roles, graduation dates, or senior titles—to avoid age bias and appearing over‑qualified. The practice, dubbed “resume botox,” is most common among those 35‑54, with...
Personegy Earns 2026 Lighthouse Award for Talent Acquisition Solution
NXTThing RPO has been named a 2026 Lighthouse Tech Award winner for Talent Acquisition: Best Frontline‑Focused Solution, recognizing its Personegy platform. Personegy combines AI‑driven screening, mobile‑first applications, and automated scheduling to move candidates from application to interview in under 60...