Strategy doesn’t fail because it’s wrong on paper; it fails when culture and execution don’t carry it across the line. We sat down with board leader and former CFO Heidrun Wechter-Essig to map the triangle that actually delivers results—strategy for clarity, culture for belief, and execution for momentum—and to explore how that lens changes the way we approach transformation, AI, and M&A.

Heidrun shares hard-won lessons from 50+ deals, calling out hubris as the top red flag and highlighting the underrated signal few teams discuss: a refusal to choose. If leaders can’t say what won’t get done post-close, integration drifts and politics bloom. We talk through practical guardrails—clear decision rights, measurable milestones, and incentives tied to a crisp integration thesis—that keep value creation on track. The conversation also reframes “transformation” from a vague mandate to a capability you build: early wins, peer-to-peer storytelling, and transparency that outlasts the flavor-of-the-month cycle.

On AI, we cut through buzzwords and get specific. Boards need literacy in machine learning and large language models, the ability to ask for explainability, and a scorecard for bias and model risk. Strategic edge comes from targeted use cases that improve decisions, speed innovation, and sharpen focus—not generic tools your competitors can copy. We explore smart versus dumb governance: focus on the few risks that matter with strong controls, give freedom within a framework elsewhere, and replace the illusion of control with clear containment principles for volatile markets.

Finally, we rethink power at the top. Real power is influence—the quiet force that aligns stakeholders and enables excellence—balanced with moments of visible clarity when uncertainty spikes. Heidrun’s stories show how leaders manage contradictions like stability versus reinvention and control versus entrepreneurial freedom, and how legacy is measured in people who can now run the triangle without you. If you’re building a board, leading a deal, or trying to make AI useful rather than noisy, this is your playbook for practical, people-centered change.

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Check out “Protection for the Inventive Mind” – available now on Amazon in print and Kindle formats.

Zodiac Season, Litigation Rising – Intangiblia™

Can you copyright a horoscope, enhance a century-old tarot deck and claim protection, or assign your stage name and lose it in court? We open the year by charting the legal sky where creativity, belief, and branding intersect—and sometimes collide. From a syndicated astrologer’s claim that near-identical forecasts kept running without a license, to a software company’s short-lived effort to assert control over historical time zone data, we unpack the crucial line between ideas and expression, facts and creativity, public domain and protectable derivative work.We also step into the studio with the icons. The Walter Mercado saga reveals how a personal brand can be transformed into a trademark owned by someone else, with lasting consequences for the artist behind it. Along the way, we explore what separates simple restoration from original creativity in tarot publishing, why databases of raw facts remain free for all, and how small wording choices in daily horoscopes can carry real legal weight. The thread tying it all together: the cosmos is shared; the way we package it is not.Expect practical takeaways for creators, publishers, and entrepreneurs: register original writing, document design decisions, start from public-domain sources rather than competitors’ upgrades, and read every clause before assigning names, logos, or likenesses. If you’re building an astrology app, launching a zodiac product line, or reviving classic esoteric art, this deep dive will help you navigate trademarks, copyrights, and contracts without dimming your creative light.Enjoy the episode? Follow the show, share it with a friend who loves law or the stars, and leave a quick review to help others find us. What boundary do you think should exist between shared culture and private ownership? Tell us—your take might shape a future episode.Send us a textCheck out "Protection for the Inventive Mind" – available now on Amazon in print and Kindle formats. The views and opinions expressed (by the host and guest(s)) in this podcast are strictly their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the entities with which they may be affiliated. This podcast should in no way be construed as promoting or criticizing any particular government policy, institutional position, private interest or commercial entity. Any content provided is for informational and educational purposes only.

1. Zodiac Season, Litigation Rising 32:08
2. From Spark to Impact, the Conscious Path of an Idea 31:16
3. Mireille Gomes – Can Algorithms Heal? Reimagining Health Equity with AI and Data Justice 35:34
4. Jean Marc Seigneur – In Trust We Build: Designing the Future of Digital Reputation 01:07:27
5. Vlada Mentink – Lean, Smart, and Automated: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Working with AI 52:40

The views and opinions expressed (by the host and guest(s)) in this podcast are strictly their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the entities with which they may be affiliated. This podcast should in no way be construed as promoting or criticizing any particular government policy, institutional position, private interest or commercial entity. Any content provided is for informational and educational purposes only.