Business

Thought leaders are the go-to people in their respective industries. Their opinions are trusted and valued.

The biweekly podcast is one of our favorite projects here at The Arkansas 100. From business leaders and lawyers to doctors and musicians, we have had the pleasure of interviewing some of the most successful and interesting people in the state of Arkansas. Here are some of our top episodes from the past two years:

Earlier this week, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced firearms manufacturer CZ-USA would move its headquarters and open a production facility in Little Rock, creating 565 new jobs.

Travel seekers in Northwest Arkansas will soon have a new location to add to their list. After a recent agreement, American Airlines is set to offer direct flights to Philadelphia from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, in Highfill, beginning Sept. 4.

You need to be doing digital marketing to support your business, and there is more to it than posting on Facebook. When hiring a professional, ask these questions to ensure you are getting someone who knows what they’re doing:

What does it take to lead a high-performing team? It’s one of the biggest challenges leaders face, according to Elise Mitchell, a three-time CEO, leadership strategist and executive coach. “You’re just one person,” said Mitchell. “As a leader you must be able to get things done with and through others that you can’t accomplish alone.”

Strategic thinking is often easier said than done. With so much to do in the present, it can be hard to find time to think about what might be on the horizon. Try these practices to improve your strategic thinking:

Harry Hamlin’s journey brought him from the Air Force to night classes at the William H. Bowen School of Law and the attorney general’s office before ultimately leading him to Mitchell Williams, where he’s spent over 20 years as a business attorney.

Nearly two weeks after the dismissal of Mike Anderson, the University of Arkansas found its new men’s basketball coach. After reported interest in Houston’s Kelvin Sampson and Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall, Arkansas announced the hiring of Nevada’s Eric Musselman on April 7.

Stuck with a tough decision? No obvious answer? A choice between two rights, as opposed to right and wrong? Here is a completely unfair question to help you get to the heart of your answer.

Brands know that video is an important part of a successful marketing campaign. In 2020, 80 percent of all digital traffic will be video. This isn’t surprising given the dynamic nature of videos as a storytelling and educational tool.

Almost everyone likes a person with a good sense of humor. Studies even show humorous people are more successful and are more likely to be in positions of influence.

When done effectively, thought leadership can transform your brand. It doesn’t happen overnight, but here are three things to guide you as you work toward becoming a thought leader in your industry:

For many people, Dale Carnegie Training is a program they don’t know too much about, other than the fact that it has seemingly been around forever.

After not speaking to each other for more than two years, the Beatles agreed to go to the roof of the building they were meeting in and play a set to “get it over with.” That rooftop concert was their last, but by the end of it they were re-engaged. They were reminded of what they could accomplish together.

Have you heard about mastermind groups? They’re peer-to-peer mentoring get-togethers for people who want more out of life and business. I was in one last year that helped me take the leap from being a singularly employed radio personality to my current job situation, where I am a self-employed hype girl/writer/TV pitchwoman.

It’s already easy to shop for items discovered on Instagram. But recently, Instagram announced a feature it is testing that allows customers to pay for and manage orders directly within the social platform.

My two sisters and I are all McDonald’s owner-operators, and as a business owner, I think it is important to recognize that there’s no substitute for hard work and goal-setting.

If you think that going green at work is difficult, think again.

People come and go in every industry, and our agency is no stranger to change. However, the risk of employee turnover will never change what we look for in a potential team member.

Startup Grind is a monthly fireside chat presented by the Conductor, in partnership with Google for Entrepreneurs, each month in Conway. The Conductor is a public-private partnership driving innovation that serves entrepreneurs and small businesses with one-on-one consulting, networking opportunities and exposure to angel investors.

Downtown Little Rock has an exciting 2019 ahead. We at Downtown Little Rock Partnership are ready to contribute to that excitement with a great slate of events that ensures every resident, worker and visitor has something unique to do throughout the whole year. Here is a rundown of just a few things we have planned:

As the former Chairman and CEO of Acxiom Corporation and current Chairman and CEO of First Orion, Charles D. Morgan shares a lifetime of knowledge in his latest book, “Now What? The Biography of a (Finally) Successful Startup.”

Whether it’s a company presentation or a Sunday prayer, speaking to a crowd can be terrifying. Here are four helpful tools:

After suffering from hearing loss, Gregory Scott became anxious when meeting with clients in public places throughout New York City. Not knowing if he could hear clients at bars or restaurants worried him.

As the owner of a women-led public relations and content marketing firm, this is one of my favorite issues of The Arkansas 100. It’s March, and we are celebrating Women’s History Month. In this special issue, we reflect on women from across the state who are leading the charge in communities, businesses, nonprofits and sports.

For many people, saving for the future is a challenging and sometimes impossible task. For Sarah Catherine Gutierrez, it is a passion. After witnessing the lives that were affected by the financial crisis of 2008, she founded Aptus Financial, with the goal of providing transparent, objective and non-conflicting advice.

Small business drives the Arkansas economy, and the purpose of the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise division is to help start and grow small businesses owned by minorities and women. Division experts act as facilitators for professional services and as counsel for new and existing companies.

As nonprofit and association executives become more intentional about recruiting board members and volunteers from underrepresented groups, the tendency arises to “count bodies” as evidence of an organization’s commitment to diversity.

Thought leadership today speaks to how the realm of public relations and marketing is responding to changing consumer trends; however, it is not a new concept. Fundamentally, thought leadership is about being customer-centric and addressing market and industry challenges.