Business, Brains & the Bottom Line

Hosted by Paul Di Liegro

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Episodes

160

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Join Prescriptive’s own Paul Di Liegro, Senior Sales Executive, as he interviews lawyers, doctors, athletes, and interesting personalities from all walks of life. Paul’s curiosity leads to the uncovering of his guests’ most impactful life stories, and Paul illuminates the connection between life’s important lessons and being a better sales rep. Business, Brains & the Bottom Line is the leading podcast by and for Enterprise IT decision-makers. Read more at https://www.prescriptive.solutions/podcast

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60 recent

August 13, 2026Episode 534 min

Ep. 160: One Bad Review Can Cost You Thousands: The Truth About Amazon Reputation with Shane Barker

A single negative review can dramatically impact your sales, credibility, and customer trust, especially on Amazon. But what if some of those reviews should never have been there in the first place? In this episode of Business, Brains & The Bottom Line , Paul Di Liegro sits down with Shane Barker , founder of TraceFuse and one of the world’s leading digital marketing experts, to discuss the hidden world of online reviews and why reputation management has become mission-critical for every business selling online. After spending more than 20 years helping Fortune 500 companies grow their digital presence, Shane turned his attention to Amazon, where he discovered that abusive and policy-violating negative reviews were costing sellers millions in lost revenue. That discovery led him to create TraceFuse, the first Terms of Service-compliant system designed to remove illegitimate Amazon reviews without risking a seller’s account. Paul and Shane dive into the psychology behind customer reviews, the difference between legitimate criticism and abusive feedback, why many businesses unknowingly damage their own credibility, and what every business owner should understand before responding to a negative review. Whether you’re an Amazon seller, an e-commerce entrepreneur, or any business that depends on online reputation, this conversation offers practical strategies for protecting one of your most valuable business assets: trust. Topics discussed include: Why online reviews influence buying decisions more than ever The real cost of a single negative review Legitimate criticism vs. reviews that violate platform policies Common mistakes businesses make when responding to unhappy customers How reputation management impacts long-term revenue Why a white-hat approach is critical for Amazon sellers Building customer trust in an increasingly competitive marketplace The future of AI, e-commerce, and online reputation management If your business lives online, your reputation is your brand. This episode will change the way you think about customer reviews forever.

July 30, 2026Episode 15919 min

Ep. 159: Ready to Recover Series: Part 5: When everything goes wrong, the fundamentals still win

After exploring identity sprawl, cloud complexity, ransomware recovery, disaster recovery strategy, and cyber resilience, Paul sits down with Joe Ross, Joe Galvan, Terry Murray, John Parker, and Stephen Sepulveda, who returns for the conclusion of this special five-part series. Together, they revisit the foundational practices that consistently determine whether an organization recovers or becomes the next cautionary tale. From immutable backups and recovery testing to application ownership and modern cyber recovery platforms, the panel cuts through the noise to focus on what actually works under the highest pressure. The episode concludes with each guest sharing the single most important priority every IT leader should take back to their organization. Whether you’re a CIO, CISO, IT Director, Infrastructure Architect, or Disaster Recovery professional, this final conversation brings together the key lessons from the series into a single practical roadmap for building true cyber resilience. Topics Discussed Why backup testing is the only way to know you’ll recover The technologies that are changing modern cyber recovery Why application owners must be part of every recovery strategy Immutable backups and the role they play in ransomware defense Lessons learned from the experts across all five episodes The top priorities every IT leader should focus on to strengthen resilience Practical steps organizations can take today to prepare for tomorrow’s outage

July 23, 2026Episode 15823 min

Ep. 158: Ready to Recover Series: Part 4: What’s Your Disaster Recovery Plan for AI?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a critical part of business operations—but few organizations have asked the most important question: What happens when AI goes down? In Part 4 of the Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Series, Paul sits down with Joe Ross, Joe Galvan, Terry Murray, John Parker, and Stephen Sepulveda as the team explores why AI is creating an entirely new category of disaster recovery challenges. From cloud-based AI services and on-premises LLMs to identity dependencies and the security risks of vibe coding, today’s recovery plans weren’t designed for tomorrow’s AI-driven business. If AI is making decisions, powering workflows, and helping employees work faster, it also needs a recovery strategy. Part 4 of 5 in the Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Series. Topics Discussed: Why AI is becoming a mission-critical business service The new single points of failure AI introduces Vibe coding and emerging security risks Cloud AI vs. on-premises AI recovery Who owns AI when systems fail? Why AI belongs in every disaster recovery plan

July 16, 2026Episode 15721 min

Ep. 157: Ready to Recover Series: Part 3: Every Event Has a Curveball: Why Culture Wins During Cyber Recovery

You can buy the best security tools on the market, but when disaster strikes, your recovery depends on people, not technology. In Part 3 of this series, Paul sits down with Joe Ross, Joe Galvan, Terry Murray, John Parker, and Stephen Sepulveda. Joe Ross explains why tabletop exercises are essential, how to prepare business stakeholders before a crisis, and what really happens when 150 critical applications suddenly go offline. They also discuss the importance of having calm communicators, engaged application owners, and a culture that can adapt when every incident throws a new curveball. In this episode, we discuss: Why testing is the foundation of every successful recovery plan How tabletop exercises expose gaps before a real incident Preparing business stakeholders, not just IT, for cyber events What it takes to recover when 150 critical applications go down The importance of application owners during a recovery effort Why communication is just as critical as technical expertise Building a culture of cyber resilience instead of reactive recovery Lessons learned from real-world disaster recovery and ransomware events Why identity management continues to be one of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity

July 9, 2026Episode 15620 min

Ep. 156: Ready to Recover Series: Part 2: Why Identity Has Become IT’s Biggest Challenge

Managing modern IT infrastructure isn’t just about servers and networks anymore; it’s about identity. In Part 2 of this five-part series, Paul sits down with Joe Ross, Joe Galvan, Terry Murray, John Parker, and Stephen Sepulveda. Joe Ross takes listeners inside the complexity of supporting more than 400 business units across 180 domains, three cloud platforms, and five Microsoft tenants. As organizations embrace hybrid and multi-cloud environments, identity has become the new security perimeter, and one compromised account can have enterprise-wide consequences. Joe shares why identity management has become one of the toughest challenges facing IT leaders today, discusses lessons learned from high-profile outages like the CrowdStrike incident, and explains why resilience is about more than just recovering systems; it’s about maintaining trust, access, and business continuity. Whether you’re leading IT operations, cybersecurity, or digital transformation, this episode offers practical insights into navigating today’s increasingly complex technology landscape. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why identity is the foundation of modern cybersecurity The challenges of managing large-scale hybrid and multi-cloud environments Lessons learned from major industry outages and disruptions How complexity creates risk—and what IT leaders can do about it Strategies for building a more resilient enterprise

July 2, 2026Episode 15526 min

Ep. 155: Ready to Recover Series: Part 1: Disaster Recovery in the Age of Cyber Threats

Disaster recovery has undergone a complete transformation. What was once focused on tape backups, secondary data centers, and keeping systems online has become a race against sophisticated cyber threats where minutes matter and identity is the new security perimeter. In this episode of Business, Brains & The Bottom Line , Paul Di Liegro sits down with Joe Ross, Joe Galvan, Terry Murray, John Parker, and Stephen Sepulveda to explore how disaster recovery has evolved alongside today’s cybersecurity landscape. Together, they discuss the shift to hybrid and multi-cloud environments, the growing impact of ransomware, and why traditional recovery strategies are no longer enough. Whether you’re a CIO, IT leader, security professional, or business executive, this conversation provides valuable insight into building resilience in a world where cyberattacks are no longer a matter of if , but when . In this episode you’ll discover: How disaster recovery has evolved over the past two decades Why cybersecurity and disaster recovery are now inseparable The challenges of protecting today’s hybrid and multi-cloud environments Why identity has become the foundation of modern security Practical lessons for improving organizational resilience before disaster strikes

June 18, 2026Episode 15435 min

Ep. 154: Winning the Deals That Matter: The Psychology Behind Enterprise Sales Success with Carl Erickson

What separates top-performing enterprise sales organizations from everyone else? According to Carl Erickson, CEO of Beacon Worldwide Sales Consultants, it starts with understanding how buyers think. In this episode of Business, Brains & The Bottom Line , Carl shares the strategies, insights, and real world lessons that have helped Beacon Worldwide work with 60% of the world’s top 10 enterprise selling organizations and generate billions of dollars in client wins. We explore the critical moments in complex sales cycles where deals are won or lost, the psychology driving executive decision-making, and how sales teams can anticipate buyer concerns before they surface. Carl also discusses the evolving role of AI in enterprise sales, the importance of aligning teams around a common strategy, and why practical execution matters far more than theoretical sales methodologies. Whether you’re leading a sales organization, managing strategic accounts, or looking to improve your team’s ability to close high-value opportunities, this conversation delivers actionable insights from someone who has spent decades helping organizations win the deals that matter most. Topics discussed include: Why understanding buyer psychology is a competitive advantage The common mistakes sales teams make in complex enterprise deals How top-performing organizations approach strategic opportunities Using AI to enhance, not replace, effective selling Aligning sales teams around winning strategies and execution Lessons learned from working with global enterprise organizations Building customer conversations that move opportunities forward faster

June 4, 2026Episode 15333 min

Ep.153: Get Google Reviews or Get Left Behind: The Local Marketing Playbook That Works

How does a small six-person family business in Victoria, British Columbia earn more than 775 Google reviews and attract customers from across North America? In this episode, we sit down with John de Jong , founder of ** Alley Kat Signs and Marketing**, to discuss what it really takes to stand out in today’s digital-first marketplace. With more than 45 years of sales and marketing experience, John shares the lessons he’s learned from corporate leadership roles, award-winning marketing campaigns, and building a highly respected family business. Key Topics: Building a business with over 775 Google reviews Why online reputation is a competitive advantage Google Business Profile optimization strategies Getting found on Page 1 of Google Lessons from 45 years in sales and marketing Adapting and growing during the COVID era The power of customer trust and local visibility Mentoring entrepreneurs around the world A practical conversation on how small businesses can use digital tools to create outsized results.

May 21, 2026Episode 15233 min

Ep. 152: Beyond Tax Prep: Strategic Wealth Planning for High-Net-Worth Entrepreneurs, with Michael Uadiale

What separates basic tax filing from true financial strategy? In this episode, we sit down with Michael Uadiale, Managing Partner at Smeed CPA, to break down the world of proactive tax strategy, wealth preservation, and financial planning for high-net-worth entrepreneurs and real estate investors. Michael shares how his unique combination of CPA, CGMA, and FCA credentials helps business owners think beyond compliance and focus on long-term wealth optimization. We dive into advanced tax planning strategies, the realities of bonus depreciation and cost segregation, and why many successful entrepreneurs wait too long to move beyond a generalist CPA. The conversation also explores Real Estate Professional Status (REPS), common audit pitfalls investors overlook, and how Michael built TracNest to solve one of the biggest documentation challenges in the industry. Plus, we discuss the growing role of AI inside modern CPA firms and where human expertise still matters most. If you’re building wealth, scaling a business, or investing heavily in real estate, this episode offers valuable insights into protecting and maximizing what you’ve worked hard to create.

May 7, 2026Episode 15135 min

Ep. 151: Building Global Teams, Nearshoring Smart, and Leading with Purpose, With Brian Samson

What does it take to build three companies from zero to $4M ARR, and do it while living abroad and navigating global talent markets? In this episode, Brian Samson, Founder & Chairman of Plugg Technologies, shares his journey from startup builder to nearshoring expert, connecting U.S. companies with top talent across Latin America. Drawing from his time as an expat in Argentina, Brian offers a grounded, real world perspective on what it actually looks like to build and scale internationally. We dive into the mechanics of nearshoring, how it works, where founders go wrong, and how to think about labor arbitrage, compliance, currency volatility, and customs. Brian also breaks down the macro trends shaping Latin America today, from tariffs and visas to broader geopolitical shifts, and what they mean for entrepreneurs trying to stay competitive. Beyond business, this conversation takes a powerful turn into purpose. Brian shares his experience as a foster parent, offering a deeply personal look at leadership, responsibility, and impact beyond the boardroom. This is a candid, practical, and at times inspiring conversation for founders, operators, and leaders looking to scale smarter and lead better.