The Chris Voss Show

Driven to Build, Guided by Values: Leading for Long-Term Success in the For-Profit and Nonprofit Worlds by Peter Finn

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1953943659

Peter Finn was always a little different. As a high school senior, he became an ethical vegetarian, took up meditation, and immersed himself in Eastern religions; later, as a long-haired student at Brown University, he fell for a beautiful classmate named Sarah, and the two began dreaming of creating an organic, green-energy farm. Then, as a rising executive in his family’s public relations business, Peter began stirring up controversy by advocating an entrepreneurial leadership style and growth through acquisitions that would also require decentralized control. It became increasingly clear that, somehow, Peter Finn would end up forging a life path all his own.

In the end, Peter shattered expectations not once but twice. First, in 1998, having fallen in love with rural Hunter, New York, Peter and Sarah (now his wife) launched the Catskill Mountain Foundation with the dream of using arts programs—drama, music, dance, movies, and more—to spark economic and social revitalization throughout the region. They started on a shoestring, but over time, through improvisation and daring, sometimes “crazy” opportunism, they forged partnerships with talented people and groups to build one of the most vibrant artistic hubs in the Northeast.

Second, late in 2011, Peter took an even riskier plunge into the unknown. With a handful of like-minded colleagues, he negotiated a separation from the family company to launch a new PR agency built on values ranging from “Work hard and play nice” and “Create a best-place-to-work environment” to “Commit to diversity” and “Make a difference in the world.” Today, having won a host of industry awards and honors, FINN Partners has grown to embrace 35 offices with 1,300 employees around the world.

Driven to Build, Guided by Values tells the parallel stories of these two unique organizations, operating in very different spheres yet shaped by the same core beliefs. Leaders in every field will discover valuable lessons about how to build organizations for lasting success in the dramatic, colorful stories that fill the pages of Driven to Build.

About the author

Peter Finn is Co-Founder of the Catskill Mountain Foundation as well as the Founder and CEO of FINN Partners, a public relations and integrated marketing agency. Peter started his career in 1977 at Research & Forecasts, a research company owned by Ruder Finn, before moving into a senior financial management position at Ruder Finn in 1984. Peter was Co-CEO and a 25% owner of Ruder Finn before leaving the company to start FINN Partners. Peter splits his time between Hunter and New York City, though Hunter is his primary base. He has a BA from Brown University and a master degree in comparative literature from Columbia University.

A Fairly Tale: Consciousness by Bette S. Baysinger

https://www.amazon.ca/Fairly-Tale-Consciousness-Bette-Baysinger/dp/B0GFP7MTYJ

A Fairly Tale is meant to be a feasible continuing story told by Bette S. Baysinger in a fairy tale context using historical artifacts and evidence that helped shape her interpretation of how things may have happened before us. It is about Consciousness so to tell as complete a story as possible, it starts before there was anything other than Consciousness. There is no “what happened before that” since this starts there.

BS uses the model of Reality based on there being nonphysical Consciousness that we each derive our individual and consensus realities from. Tom Campbell wrote the book on that in his My Big TOE trilogy, his “Theory of Everything” that has been the unifying concept in more than just physics as a TOE needs to be. It takes us out of the limited materialistic world view into one that does include everything, while at the same time helping to make sense of it as a useful model.

Currently physics experiments provide evidence that it is very likely our reality is based on nonphysical information or data. A Fairly Tale is told by a somewhat educated person (A.S., B.S., M.S.) using that model in a fast, adventurous account of the evolution of everything that hopes to provide enough food for thought to last until the next book. In this book we go from before the organization of Consciousness to about twenty thousand years ago, give or take. It is not a love story, but it is a story about Love.

About the Author

Born in the United States, in MI, in the late 1950s, BS was the fifth of what would be six children, the first female, to a TV repair man and a housewife. She moved with the family of eight, little sister just months old, to California in the early 1960s; she is still in California to this day. Moving away from that family to Ridgecrest, CA, a small desert city, in the late 1970s, she eventually raised twins, a boy and girl, one having autism, singly, while earning an Associate of Science degree at her local college, followed by a B.S. degree and then an M.S. degree online. A big fan of Ancient Aliens with deep interest in the evidence they discover, as well as natural philosophy, which is all the sciences before they split with physics and neural psychology main foci, she has searched for a Theory of Everything (T.O.E.) that could help make sense of the experiences she has had in her life so far. Finding such a T.O.E. in 2003 in the model of reality in Tom Campbell’s trilogy My Big TOE, and with a foundation in science and education, that model is what the author bases her researched probable scenarios from, along with current scientific discoveries, which she enjoyed writing about in this, A Fairly Tale. She is a fan of those who can practice openminded skepticism where we can allow an idea into our mind to consider before judging it as useful or not in helping us to understand our experiences with life, bottom lines, and Consciousness.

Revolutionizing Health Benefits: Empowering Employee Choice with ICHRA

Sureco.com

About the Guest(s):

Federico Salvitti is the Chief Growth Officer at Sureco. With a background in venture capital and growth roles across sectors like insurance, banking, and payments, Federico has most recently led the US growth at mint.ai. He also teaches at NYU marketing and has worked with the UN Global Compact to drive companies towards achieving big goals. Federico is deeply passionate about transforming the insurance industry, particularly through innovative models like ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement).

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Chris Voss Show Podcast, host Chris Voss welcomes Federico Salvitti, the Chief Growth Officer of Sureco, to delve into innovative trends in the insurance sector. Federico discusses the transformational impact of Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) as a game-changer in the insurance landscape, putting the power of choice back into the hands of consumers. As Americans grapple with skyrocketing health insurance costs, the episode reveals how models like ICHRA can offer a more tailored and financially feasible solution for many.

Federico Salvitti provides unique insights into the mechanisms of ICHRA, explaining how this model allows employers to allocate a fixed fund to employees, enabling them to choose their own insurance plans. The dialogue touches upon how insurance customization can drastically reduce costs for both individuals and organizations, supported by real-life examples where significant savings were achieved. The conversation further explores the intricacies of integrating these models within companies, the role of brokers, and the regulatory framework supporting these innovations, such as the recent rebranding of ICHRA to “Choice.”

Key Takeaways:

ICHRA empowers employees with the freedom to choose their health insurance plans, potentially leading to lower costs and higher satisfaction.

Organizations can significantly reduce administrative burdens and insurance costs by adopting ICHRA, enabling more sustainable benefits strategies.

ICHRA has a legislative backing in the United States, illustrating a significant regulatory shift towards personal choice in health insurance.

Larger risk pools under ICHRA result in reduced risk and costs, diverging from traditional group insurance models.

Brokers play a crucial role in facilitating the transition to ICHRA, ensuring seamless integration and heavy customization for employee requirements.

Notable Quotes:

“We have an amazing young man we’re gonna be talking to today about his insights… and, uh, maybe how to save on costs and get better, more of what you need.”

“…people want choice. They’re very willing to do their own research, and that’s why it’s beautiful to use ChatGPT and Claude and all these beautiful things.”

“The moment you put power back into the hands of people… guess what? No one is holding you back anymore.”

“It’s simple economics, dynamics. And this is exactly what is happening.”

“If there is a way that you can save millions of dollars on your benefits… and you don’t call your broker or you don’t go on sureco.com, I don’t know what kind of conversation we should have.”

A Voter’s Handbook: Effective Solutions to America’s Problems by James P Gray

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637928610

Judgejimgray.com

Over the years, special interests and mismanagement have driven the federal and state governments completely off the track. Once prosperous and flourishing, many American states today are insolvent, dysfunctional, and ungovernable.

Now, based upon his experiences as a veteran trial court judge, his solid Libertarian principles and his observations on the election process based on his personal involvement, Judge James P. Gray (ret.) presents a number of effective solutions for some of America’s most pressing problems.

Judge Gray addresses bedrock principles that made America great in the first place and suggests particular changes in our nation’s governmental, tax and energy systems. He shows how we would be safer, healthier, better educated and more successful by implementing specific changes in our systems of Criminal Justice, Healthcare, Education and Immigration.

The suggestions made by Judge Gray are straightforward and workable. Democracy is a participatory exercise and the best way to turn government around is to heed Judge Gray’s Call to Action.

This provocative and perceptive book should be required reading for all of our public servants.-JIM DOTI, PRESIDENT, CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

An informed electorate is essential to preserving liberty. Jim Gray’s book stands out for its clear and insightful discussion of key issues confronting America.

-MANNY KLAUSNER CO-FOUNDING EDITOR, REASON MAGAZINE

We must get copies of this book in the hands of our candidates as quickly as possible.-KEVIN TAKENAGA, CHAIRMAN, LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA

James P. Gray is a retired trial court judge of the Orange County Superior Court, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, criminal defense attorney in the US. Navy JAG Corps, and Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. He has received a number of prestigious awards and honorary degrees. He presently works as a private mediator and arbitrator in Irvine, California.

About the author

Judge Jim Gray was a trial court judge in Orange County, California for 25 years, and was awarded the Orange County Bar Association’s highest lifetime achievement award. Judge Gray also started what was probably the first drug court in the country within six months of his appointment to the bench, this one addressing alcohol-related offenses. Prior to becoming a judge, Jim Gray was a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, a criminal defense attorney in the Navy JAG Corps, and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica, where he probably should be in the Guinness Book of Records for brushing his teeth in front of more elementary school classes than anyone else in history. Jim also founded Teen Court, which takes real juvenile delinquency cases to 14 different high schools in Orange County, thus helping not only the subjects and their parents focus upon responsible behavior, but similarly helping the high school jurors and members of the audience to do the same thing. “You show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future” is one of the lessons demonstrated by Judge Jim Gray. He also founded the “William P. Gray” Chapter of the American Inns of Court, which is a legal professional group that focuses upon ethics and camaraderie in the practice — which is what his father, Judge William P. Gray, stood for throughout his legal career. Judge Jim is happily married to his wife, Dr. Grace Walker Gray, DPT, DOT, and has four children, Ky (adopted from an orphanage in Vietnam in 1973), William and his wife Carla, Jennifer, and Morgan and his wife Nicole — and their two children/his grandchildren(!) Hudson and Elisabeth.

Nexus Companies and a Reimagined US Economy: Revitalizing the US Economy in 5D by Shaun Sterling

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1977289290

What if the next phase of economic growth is not driven by a single innovation, but by how everything connects?

This book introduces the concept of the Nexus company ecosystem, a new framework for understanding and shaping the future of business, labor, and economic policy. At its core is the idea that productivity, opportunity, and long-term growth depend not only on individual industries or technologies, but on how effectively they are coordinated.

Rather than focusing on economic decline or inequality alone, this work offers a constructive and forward-looking alternative. It outlines how businesses, governments, and workers can align through emerging models that integrate advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence with evolving workforce systems, education pathways, and infrastructure development. Nexus companies act as the central connectors in this system, linking talent, capital, and opportunity in ways that increase efficiency and unlock new forms of value creation.

The book also introduces innovative financial structures such as Special Infrastructure Investment Vehicles, designed to attract private capital into critical infrastructure while improving execution and long-term returns. These mechanisms, combined with policy frameworks and workforce development strategies, provide a practical roadmap for revitalizing economic growth.

Drawing on real-world experience across multiple industries, the author presents a systems-level perspective on how economic evolution can be guided rather than passively experienced. The result is a pragmatic yet hopeful vision of the future, one in which technological advancement enhances human potential instead of displacing it.

For business leaders, policymakers, economists, and anyone concerned about the direction of the modern economy, this book offers both insight and direction. It is a call to actively shape the next era of economic development, ensuring that growth is not only sustained but broadly shared.

About the author

Shaun has had a lifelong passion for economics and an eclectic knowledge base and focus on trends. Particularly what is next for business evolution and how to build a more robust economy for everyone. Hailing from Virginia’s Eastern Shore and spending quite a few formative years in the corridors around DC.