Episodes

Every two years, the Fellows of VeraSage gather to learn from one another. It is rare to find so much knowledge and wisdom in one place, at one time. You have the chance to sit in the same room and participate in two days of mind-blowing sessions. VeraSage Institute is the revolutionary think tank for professional knowledge firms. We challenge people to break free of practice methods that marginalize their professions, undermine their purposes, and fail their clients.

Every two years, the Fellows of VeraSage gather to learn from one another. It is rare to find so much knowledge and wisdom in one place, at one time. You have the chance to sit in the same room and participate in two days of mind-blowing sessions. VeraSage Institute is the revolutionary think tank for professional knowledge firms. We challenge people to break free of practice methods that marginalize their professions, undermine their purposes, and fail their clients.

Every two years, the Fellows of VeraSage gather to learn from one another. It is rare to find so much knowledge and wisdom in one place, at one time. You have the chance to sit in the same room and participate in two days of mind-blowing sessions. VeraSage Institute is the revolutionary think tank for professional knowledge firms. We challenge people to break free of practice methods that marginalize their professions, undermine their purposes, and fail their clients.

Every two years, the Fellows of VeraSage gather to learn from one another. It is rare to find so much knowledge and wisdom in one place, at one time. You have the chance to sit in the same room and participate in two days of mind-blowing sessions. VeraSage Institute is the revolutionary think tank for professional knowledge firms. We challenge people to break free of practice methods that marginalize their professions, undermine their purposes, and fail their clients.

Every two years, the Fellows of VeraSage gather to learn from one another. It is rare to find so much knowledge and wisdom in one place, at one time. You have the chance to sit in the same room and participate in two days of mind-blowing sessions. VeraSage Institute is the revolutionary think tank for professional knowledge firms. We challenge people to break free of practice methods that marginalize their professions, undermine their purposes, and fail their clients.

Every two years, the Fellows of VeraSage gather to learn from one another. It is rare to find so much knowledge and wisdom in one place, at one time. You have the chance to sit in the same room and participate in two days of mind-blowing sessions. VeraSage Institute is the revolutionary think tank for professional knowledge firms. We challenge people to break free of practice methods that marginalize their professions, undermine their purposes, and fail their clients.

As you may know Ron Baker is a founder of the VeraSage Institute, a think tank for professional firms; and that Ed Kless is a senior fellow. The Institute holds a biennial conference during which the fellows and some friends are invited to gather share their knowledge in a symposium atmosphere. The next event takes place in Ed's hometown of Allen, TX. This episode is a live broadcast from the Symposium and will feature Guest conversations from other VeraSage Fellows. We hope you enjoy this peak ...

Ron and Ed have been fascinated with the US military use of the After-action Review as a knowledge management tool. Recently, Ed encountered Chris 'Elroy' Stricklin, a former member of the USAF's Thunderbirds, at a Sage Intacct Conference and thought it would be great to have him on the show to talk all things AAR.

The last Friday of every month Ed and Ron will do “Free-Rider Friday.” Most of our shows are “topic” driven, where we dive deep into one subject. Free-Rider Fridays are designed to be “event” driven, whatever issues are in the news that we (or you) find worthy of commentary. In economics, free riding means reaping the benefits from the actions of others and consequently refusing to bear the full costs of those actions. This means Ed and Ron will free ride off of the news, and each other, with no...

After the Civil War, corporations grew to unprecedented size. The public was suspicious of this concentration of economic power, and politicians responded in 1890 by passing the first antitrust law, the Sherman Antitrust Act. Over the years, antitrust policy has evolved through further legislative acts and amendments, regulatory guidelines and judicial interpretation, which have implications for pricing strategies. Join Ed and Ron as they discuss some of these laws, as well as the economics of p...

This episode is based on a session that Ed has delivered for the past three years. It is dedicated to the possibility that innovation goes beyond just technological developments. Technology is important, but it is only a small part of innovation. For innovation to be more fully complete we must look at other areas including the internal processes of the organization and most importantly the very language we use. Innovating like this is hard work and not for everyone because it requires deeper th...

Ethical problems arise in hourly billing due to the misalignment of interests created by the system. It’s hard to be a good citizen in a bad culture. Professionals who use hourly billing may not have malevolent motives when engaging in padding their hours. The problem is professionals pad their timesheets because sometimes they know that the value of the service they provide is worth more than the time spent. Join Ed and Ron as they discuss the ethical and professional issues of hourly billing v...

The last Friday of every month Ed and Ron will do “Free-Rider Friday.” Most of our shows are “topic” driven, where we dive deep into one subject. Free-Rider Fridays are designed to be “event” driven, whatever issues are in the news that we (or you) find worthy of commentary. In economics, free riding means reaping the benefits from the actions of others and consequently refusing to bear the full costs of those actions. This means Ed and Ron will free ride off of the news, and each other, with no...

Ron and Ed interview the dynamic Magatte Wade. Magatte is the founder and CEO of Tiossan, a high-end skin care products line based on indigenous Senegalese recipes and ingredients. Tiossan products are distributed via www.tiossan.com, as well as through selected boutiques and Nordstrom. Tiossan commits at least ten percent of profits to the creation of entrepreneurial schools in Senegal designed to develop the next generation of Senegalese genius. Previously, Magatte founded Adina World Beverage...

Join Ed and Ron for their insightful interview with Daniel Bennett, Senior Behavioural Strategist with Ogilvy Change in the UK. He works with Rory Sutherland, who we also interviewed on Episode #9. Daniel shares his insights and experience on how behavioral science and economics can be used in business, enhancing both customer loyalty and profitability. Don't miss this fascinating discussion.

This episode is dedicated to the possibility that the majority of leadership thinking is wrong as it is ultimate based on manipulation - trying to “get someone to do something.” Coming to terms with this idea is difficult and not for everyone because it requires us to examine some of our most deeply held beliefs and either dismiss them or at least think differently about them. If you are interested in hearing a conversation about healing leadership, you are invited to listen to this episode with...

Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993) was one of the greatest economic journalists of the 20th century. He is the author of “Economics in One Lesson,” among twenty other books; was a chief editorial writer for the New York Times; and wrote weekly for Newsweek. He was a founding board member of the Foundation for Economic Education, where he served in an editorial capacity at The Freeman. Join Ed and Ron as they discuss FEE’s free book, The Essential Henry Hazlit, the last of five books in this Memorable Men...

The last Friday of every month Ed and Ron will do “Free-Rider Friday.” Most of our shows are “topic” driven, where we dive deep into one subject. Free-Rider Fridays are designed to be “event” driven, whatever issues are in the news that we (or you) find worthy of commentary. In economics, free riding means reaping the benefits from the actions of others and consequently refusing to bear the full costs of those actions. This means Ed and Ron will free ride off of the news, and each other, with no...

The last Friday of every month Ed and Ron will do “Free-Rider Friday.” Most of our shows are “topic” driven, where we dive deep into one subject. Free-Rider Fridays are designed to be “event” driven, whatever issues are in the news that we (or you) find worthy of commentary. In economics, free riding means reaping the benefits from the actions of others and consequently refusing to bear the full costs of those actions. This means Ed and Ron will free ride off of the news, and each other, with no...

The AICPA and CPA.com have some interesting innovative initiatives in the offering. Join Ed and Ron as they discuss what's new at both of these organizations with Greg LaFollette of CPA.com, and Mark S. Burns of the AICPA.

Ron and Ed were at Sage Summit 2017 in Toronto and recorded an episode featuring a great panel discussion on the bookkeepers and accountants of the future. While the job description for accounting professionals has largely stayed the same, technologies and laws have come into play to change the way business is done. It is time that accountants alter the way they do business to keep up with the shifting tide. Join our discussion with Dianne Mueller, Rachel Fisch, and Tamar Satov. Tamar Satov is t...

People do not like to admit being sold, but they brag about what they buy. Forget selling; focus on what the customer buys. Join Ed and Ron for a discussion of human psychology as it relates to buying behavior. Topics to be explored: Relative, not absolute price matters; price psychology; Search, Experience, and Credence Goods, and understanding the importance of customer risk.

Leonard Edward Read (September 26, 1898 – May 14, 1983) was the founder of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), which was one of the first modern libertarian institutions of its kind in the United States. He wrote 29 books and numerous essays, including the well-known I, Pencil (1958). Read and Henry Hazlitt founded the Foundation for Economic Education in 1946. In 1950, Read joined the board of directors for the newly founded periodical The Freeman, a free market magazine that was a for...

Ron and Ed were at Sage Summit 2017 in Toronto and recorded an episode featuring a great panel discussion on the bookkeepers and accountants of the future. While the job description for accounting professionals has largely stayed the same, technologies and laws have come into play to change the way business is done. It is time that accountants alter the way they do business to keep up with the shifting tide. Join our discussion with Dianne Mueller, Rachel Fisch, and Tamar Satov.