Anti-polarizing strategies from a purple city, with OKC Mayor David Holt

When Nicholas Thompson took over as CEO of The Atlantic five years ago, the iconic magazine was in financial trouble. Now, its profitable and subscriber and revenue numbers are growing. Thompson joins host Jeff Berman to talk about the impressive turnaround, how media companies can weather AI disruption, and lessons from the world of long distance running. His new memoir is The Running Ground: A father, a son, and the simplest of sports: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/678434/the-running-ground-by-nicholas-thompson/ Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/newsletter/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What did the latest holiday shopping season reveal about consumer confidence as the year begins? Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach joins Rapid Response to unpack the signals he’s seeing across global spending — from shifting consumer sentiment to AI’s growing role in financial security. Miebach also explores how credit cards fit into a future shaped by crypto, digital wallets, and agent-driven commerce, and what it will take for businesses to stay competitive amid continued market disruption. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One year ago, as devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles, nonprofit Baby2Baby was on the ground helping. We're revisiting the conversation Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof had on stage with host Jeff Berman in 2025 about what it was like to use everything they’d learned scaling their nonprofit to help their hometown in a moment of crisis. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/newsletter/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Simple Mills started with its founder Katlin Smith tinkering with almond flour muffin recipes in her apartment kitchen. Over the next decade, she built a better-for-you food powerhouse. Smith talks with host Jeff Berman about scaling the brand, selling the company for nearly $800 million dollars, and staying laser-focused on making delicious snacks with clean, nutrient-dense ingredients. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/newsletter/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As we turn from reflection to what’s ahead for a new year, Rapid Response presents host Bob Safian’s predictions for the most pressing issues business leaders could face in 2026. Join Bob and producer Alex Morris for a surprisingly hopeful conversation about what’s next – from an AI reality check to energy prices, immigration, and even the World Cup. Safian walks us through what might happen, and why being “right” matters less than sparking debate, testing assumptions, and taking a clear-headed approach in the year ahead. Read all of Bob's predictions: https://www.fastcompany.com/91462356/8-bold-business-predictions-for-2026 Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.