Archives: Podcasts

Summer is the perfect time for catching up on your reading. Today, Eric discusses seven books he read recently that have left a lasting impression on him. Stay tuned as he shares why these books stood out to him, what he learned from each one, and why he feels they are worth adding to your reading list. It's All About Relationships: Mastering the Art of Relational Leadership – Eddie Arriola Eric started reading this book because he knows Eddie Arriola and wanted to support him, but he found it truly fascinating. Drawing on Eddie's experience of starting a bank from scratch, building an amazing culture, and later selling the business, the book is filled with leadership lessons, anecdotes, and stories. Whether you’re in business or not, Eric highly recommends this book. How Big Things Get Done – Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner The stories in this book are so captivating that Eric read it like a novel. The book..

Today, Eric explores why some of the world's largest investment firms are investing billions of dollars in the meetings and events industry and explains what they are seeing that many small business owners may not yet recognize. Stay tuned to discover how to build a business that captures the value investors seek. Private Equity Private equity is not buying event companies because they love events. They are investing in predictable cash flow, valuable customer communities, scalable business models, recurring revenue, EBITDA, market leadership, customer data, pricing power, growth opportunities, and businesses that can run without the founder. Looking at your business through this lens helps you understand what truly creates long-term value. Face-to-Face Meetings As AI continues to grow, face-to-face meetings are becoming even more valuable. People still buy from people, and trust is built through human relationships...

Today, Eric explores one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding AI. Stay tuned as he explains why AI will not build your business, and why building a successful business remains entirely your responsibility as an entrepreneur or business owner. Your Vision AI can help you brainstorm, improve your wording, and challenge your thinking, but it cannot define your vision. Only you can decide what kind of company you want to build, what type of freedom you want, and where you want your business to go. Trust As information becomes cheaper, trust becomes more valuable than ever. AI can write proposals, research prospects, and prepare you for meetings, but it cannot build trust, read body language, handle objections, or make someone feel understood. Accountability AI cannot hold you accountable. It can tell you what to do, but it cannot make you do it. It cannot make sales calls, follow up, delegate more, or have..

We are excited to welcome entrepreneur Kimberly Hardcastle, another icon in our industry, as today’s guest. Kimberly is the Chief Strategist at Freeman and one of the industry's most respected leaders in event marketing and strategy.  Kimberly is a speaker, a writer for the PCMA Convention, and a leader recognized by IAEE with the Educator of the Year and Woman of Achievement awards. Stay tuned for Kimberly’s practical insights on leadership, personalization, trust, AI, and the direction the meetings and events industry is headed. Kimberly's Journey Kimberly originally studied Spanish with an emphasis in business, planning to facilitate international trade. After her husband’s military career took them to Maine and Scotland, she focused on marketing and eventually joined MDG, a marketing agency specializing in trade shows. When the founder began planning for retirement, Kimberly purchased the business, grew it..

We’re thrilled to welcome Mark Mallchok, the Principal and Chief Event Strategist at Brella Productions, as today’s guest. Mark has extensive experience within our industry. He joins us to share his entrepreneurial journey, explain how his company evolved over the years, and discuss why engagement, human connection, and clear event goals are becoming more important than ever. Stay tuned for more! Events and Storytelling Mark grew up surrounded by theater, production, photography, and technology. Both his parents worked as librarians while also supporting technical theater, audiovisual production, and school events, giving him hands-on experience from an early age. Whether he was holding cameras, shooting football games, working on the yearbook, or teaching photography, he discovered early that he wanted a career built around events and storytelling. Corporate Events  Although Mark originally planned to..

After years of wondering how to scale his business, Eric is launching Eric AI!  Eric is passionate about coaching and mentoring owners, solopreneurs, and professionals across the meetings and events industry. Eric AI is a business mentor platform built from Eric’s experience, methodology, and decision-making process, making his mentoring available 24/7 in 77 languages. Stay tuned as he shares how the platform was created, what sets it apart from other AI tools, and how it asks thoughtful questions, offers guidance, and helps business owners move forward. Eric AI Eric AI allows you to work with Eric 24/7, in 77 languages. Built from Eric’s personal knowledge, experience, methodology, and coaching style, it gives you access to his business mentoring whenever you need it. How Eric AI Was Created The platform was developed by uploading everything Eric has written, recorded, and taught throughout his career. It was..

We are delighted to welcome the incredible Dr. Magie Cook as today’s guest. Magie’s remarkable journey has taken her from growing up in an orphanage in the mountains of Mexico to building one of the fastest-growing fresh salsa companies in the United States. Join us as Magie shares how mindset, perseverance, and taking inspired action helped her overcome adversity, build a nationally distributed business, and create opportunities far beyond what once seemed possible. Magie’s Journey Magie Cook was born in Mexico and raised in an orphanage where her parents cared for dozens of children with very limited resources. From a young age, she decided she would not allow her circumstances to define her future. She used a cave she built in the mountains as a place to future cast the life she wanted. Later, she earned a basketball scholarship to study in the United States, overcame homelessness after college, and started her fresh..

We are delighted to welcome another icon in our industry as today’s guest. Bob Vaez, Founder and CEO of EventMobi, is a true entrepreneur, and his company is widely recognized throughout the events industry. Stay tuned as Bob shares his entrepreneurial journey and the lessons he learned building a business through multiple periods of disruption. He also offers practical advice for business owners looking to compete with larger organizations while creating meaningful experiences for customers and attendees. Bob's Entrepreneurial Journey After studying computer engineering, Bob spent nearly a decade in chip design, including a role at NVIDIA. Although he enjoyed the people and innovation, he wanted to build something of his own. A simple question—why conference information wasn't available on a mobile device—led him to create EventMobi. What began as a side project quickly evolved into an international business serving..

We are delighted to welcome Caleb Ralston as today’s guest. Caleb’s journey has been remarkable, and he is currently one of the most prominent voices in our industry in building brands and creating content people can actually apply. In 2025, he released a YouTube video that attracted more than 1.1 million views! Stay tuned as Caleb shares what he learned from working with people like Gary Vaynerchuk, Alex Hormozi, and Leila Hormozi, explains his approach to personal branding, and offers practical advice for creators, solopreneurs, and business owners looking to build trust through content. Caleb’s Journey Caleb’s interest in video started when he was a child, making videos with his sister using his mom’s camera. In high school, he volunteered on his church’s media team, where he met Sean Cannell, who introduced him to Gary Vaynerchuk’s work. After reading Gary’s book, Caleb decided to pursue video..

Today, we have the great pleasure of speaking with Cleo Battle, the President and CEO of Louisville Tourism and the new Chair of the International Board of MPI!  Cleo is an amazing person! He joins us today to share his inspiring journey and dive into what matters most for tourism and why every seat counts.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Cleo Battle! Cleo Battle Biography:  Cleo Battle, a hospitality industry veteran of nearly 35 years, currently serves as President & CEO of Louisville Tourism. Before coming to Louisville, he spent 12 years as Vice President of Sales & Services of the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau in Richmond, VA. He held the positions of Director of Sales and Sales Manager at the Richmond CVB.  Battle began his hospitality career in the hotel industry by working for Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn, and Sheraton Hotels. Battle..