Esther: Welcome to the BusinessMakers Overtime Show, heard here and online at thebusinessmakers.com. I'm Esther Steinfeld -

Katie: And I'm Katie Laird.

Esther: And here we are back again for -

Katie: Back again.

Esther: - the BusinessMakers Overtime Show. We're happy to be here.

Katie: We love it!

Esther: So this week we're gonna be talking to Billy Laden. He is the Founder and CEO of PDQ.net as well as Internet America. He's started some incredibly influential, very widely known companies and we're gonna have him on the show today.

Katie: That's wonderful.

Esther: Actually, we're not having him. Russ -

Katie: Russ is, exactly.

Esther: - from the BusinessMakers is having him, but we're going to feature him because it's just that interesting.

Katie: We get to listen in. Exactly, and then we're gonna continue with the theme of "Excellence" and we're actually gonna talk about, "How to Create a Culture of Excellence for Your Own Business" in our segment 3.

Esther: That's right. And you don't even have to be the CEO to implement some of these changes.

Katie: That's right. It can come from all places. (Laughter)

Esther: Mm-hmm.

Katie: But first off, let's start off with our Business Week in Review.

Esther: Okay.

Katie: We've got some great news stories that we wanna chit-chat about.

Esther: Very interesting stuff happening this week Katie.

Katie: Exactly. I like that.

Esther: Very interesting. What's going on with Google?

Katie: Alright, so Google - and this is actually kind of crazy, scary news in my little world. So three Google executives have actually been handed guilty verdicts by an Italian court over a case concerning a 2006 Google video clip that unfortunately was posted by some Google user - so not by these executives - but was kind of a mean-spirited video of you know, an autistic boy being teased which is terrible news, but here are these giant Google international employees that are actually potentially facing jail time for invasion of privacy.

Esther: And it's crazy because they actually did take down the video.

Katie: They did!

Esther: When asked to please remove the video, they did take it down, but apparently they didn't take it down fast enough.

Katie: And what the court is saying is that all of the videos that are posted to Google videos should be reviewed before they go online. But that is absolutely insane the amount of content that you know, the crowd, that the public is uploading to networks like this. I don't know that they could afford to pay enough employees to actually watch through every single second.

Esther: Oh, they would have to automate it somehow. I don't know how they would do such a thing.

Katie: I don't know!

Esther: But you know what else is kind of scary is that it comes right on the heels on Google being accused of antitrust, which is you know, something people kind of assume all along because Google is not this little happy brand just - what's their motto? Do no evil?

Katie: Do no evil, yeah.

Esther: Doing no evil and just going about their business, right. They were the biggest search engine in the world. Not just search engine, but they have many, many, many other features. Many other you know, monopolies on industries in the technology world, so -

Katie: Exactly, and now these international governments, they're looking -

Esther: Cracking down.

Katie: - they're eyeing Google as I mean a major player, not just against Microsoft, not just against you know, Apple or whatever. I mean it's for everybody.

Esther: Yep.

Katie: Man, they're going up. (Laughter)

Esther: That's right.

Katie: So it'll be very interesting to see when this case goes as far as looking at these third-party networks and the contents that are on there, you know. I mean what about Facebook? What about Nemo providers? What about other you know, video services, music services? I mean this could really change the way that we're able to post our content online, so -

Esther: I think it's - I honestly don't think that much is gonna come of it. I think they'll appeal and have the sentences revoked. I can't imagine these three gentlemen, being you know -

Katie: They're not gonna jail time.

Esther: - being made an example of -

Katie: Oh no. Yeah.

Esther: - is what's happening you know. They're making an example of them. They don't even work with this technology on a regular basis. I mean, right.

Katie: But what kind of technology will come out that maybe will be able to monitor content even better, you know.

Esther: Yeah.

Katie: So maybe it's just gonna push for even cooler change.

Esther: Well this just goes to show you that the World Wide Web is completely unregulated and -

Katie: It is!

Esther: - can't control what goes on there. And in the future, I mean you even seen we've been seeing in the last year the FTC coming down on a lot of bloggers and a lot of people you know, promoting products, did not disclosing that they were viewers of those products.

Katie: Right.

Esther: So, we'll see more stuff like that over the next few years as the Internet really establishes itself as a place to do business.

Katie: Yeah.

Esther: You know, we're not at the stage of new frontier anymore. We're past that. We're a Web 2.0 or Web 3.0. We're moving on. Everyone's on the Web anymore, it's not just some people, everyone is there now, so.

Katie: Exactly, growing pains.

Esther: We'll have to regulate it somehow.

Katie: (Laughter) Growing pains.

Esther: That's right, growing pains. So speaking of growing pains, the car industry.

Katie: Oh boy.

Esther: You know, some brands have crashed and burned in the last year and it's sad, but I'm not so sad about this next story. I'm actually - I'm okay with it.

Katie: (Laughter)

Esther: Apparently Hummer is shutting down. No more Hummers to run me off the road. Boo-hoo.

Katie: No, I am not sad about this at all. (Laughter)

Esther: So General Motors said that it was unable to complete a deal to sell the Hummer line to a Chinese industrial company who was thinking of buying it. I mean we heard this news several months ago that Hummer was shutting down production and they were trying to sell. I was skeptical about the deal actually happening and now my skepticism is confirmed.

Katie: That's right, you're crystal ball is totally right this time. (Laughter)

Esther: So, really funny story actually. I posted a story on Twitter about this happening several months ago when I first heard about it and it you know, a lot people responded to it and were like, "Oh my gosh, Hummer's shutting down."

Katie: That's a hot topic, yeah!

Esther: Yeah, it's pretty -

Katie: People are vocal.

Esther: - pretty interesting. It's a very polarizing brand. So a brand ambassador for Hummer actually contacted me on Twitter and said, "That's not what's happening. Hummer's not shutting down."

Katie: Ooooh gosh.

Esther: I said, "But this article that I just read on MSNBC says that it is."

Katie: (Laughter)

Esther: And she says, "Well, the story you know, of course we're moving forward, the sale is happening." I said, "Well you get back in touch with me when that sale happens."

Katie: Yeah seriously.

Esther: Please, because then I'm happy to recant.

Katie: Exactly.

Esther: I'm happy to post how wonderful it is that Hummer gets to continue production. Congratulations. Throw you a party.

Katie: (Laughter)

Esther: But I was still skeptical and I think I was right.

Katie: Yeah. So what happens now for all of those people that look to Hummers as like this amazing "status symbol" type places like -

Esther: I guess they can buy themselves an F350.

Katie: Or, is it gonna go in a completely different direction, and like now men will have like mid-life crisis' - and hey, women too, and like go and get tricked out Prius'? Like this could be amazing. Like - (Laughter)

Esther: I think that sort of already happens sometimes. Some people just need that big, giant car with the big wheels and big lift. I mean, we live in Texas.

Katie: Yes, we do!

Esther: But not everywhere, but we understand.

Katie: Oh yeah. No, no, we do, but I think the difference between Texans and their pickups is, pickups are actually fairly functional. (Laughter)

Esther: Yeah. Oh yeah.

Katie: And Hummers, they just -

Esther: They're for show.

Katie: Yeah, they're just a pain in the butt. (Laughter)

Esther: Yeah, we read this article in the LA Times and there's a very interesting quote that says, "The Hummer, with its outsized body and gas guzzling engine was a hedonistic symbol of bygone era.

Katie: Hmmm.

Esther: So interesting you know, we're kind of looking at Hummers, the past.

Katie: Exactly.

Esther: It's just not a relevant brand anymore.

Katie: Yeah, it's really not unless you're in the military. Sorry guys. (Laughter)

Esther: That's right. Back to being military only -

Katie: Exactly.

Esther: - where it should have stayed.

Katie: Exactly. (Laughter)

Esther: We don't need it on the streets, believe me.

Katie: So, another iconic symbol had an interesting announcement this week, and this is going in a completely direction -

Esther: Oh I love this.

Katie: Barbie! (Laughter) So for those that still are in the Barbie collecting phase and maybe you have kids, grandkids, neighborhood kids, who knows that are, keep an eye out, next time you're in Toys"R"Us, for the new career Barbie edition. This is Barbie's 126th career - 126!

Esther: She's had 126 careers?

Katie: Either she is really great at multitasking or she is a job-hopper. I don't know which.

Esther: It's really weird. I think it's because her computer is made of plastic and she doesn't actually have to do anything on it and she has all this time to - I mean all of her - c'mon, all of her technology is made up.

Katie: (Laughter) So, the computer comes in. Her latest career is Computer Engineer Barbie.

Esther: Amazing.

Katie: Yaaay!

Esther: I love that she's wearing glasses. She has to be wearing glasses -

Katie: Oh yeah.

Esther: In order to be a -

Katie: She's got the like -

Esther: - a computer engineer.

Katie: The tacky like, kind of sexy librarian look goin' on, you know.

Esther: Kind of weird looking shirt. Her shirt has a computer on it though.

Katie: Yeah it does. That's a little cheesy, it's too obvious.

Esther: What computer engineer is gonna wear a shirt with a computer on it?

Katie: (Laughter)

Esther: It has like a whole network on it.

Katie: It does. (Laughter)

Esther: It's really strange. (Laughter)

Katie: That means she like technology. (Laughter)

Esther: Yeah. (Laughter) Which she is holding a nice pink laptop.

Katie: Yes she is, she is, yeah.

Esther: Got a pink watch, pink glasses.

Katie: Exactly, exactly.

Esther: Mmmm.

Katie: A pink affair to be sure, so - and this is kind of cool because well - I don't know. It's relatively cool because we do talk a lot about how we wish that we would see women in you know, the sciences and the technology spaces, and I mean if this is what it takes for one little girl to be like, "I wanna laptop. I wanna be PHP Barbie when I grow up."

Esther: (Laughter) PHP Barbie.

Katie: You know like, "Why not," you know. Like -

Esther: Hey, I think it's actually really - that's actually a good point because you think about all the jobs that Barbie had when we were growing up. I mean I know I wanted to be Model Barbie and Dancer Barbie and Figure Skating Barbie.

Katie: Right!

Esther: Miss America Barbie.

Katie: Yes, exactly!

Esther: I wanted to be that. Maybe if I had had a PHP Barbie, Computer Engineer Barbie, I would have wanted to be a computer engineer.

Katie: Exactly

Esther: Maybe. You never know.

Katie: Not Dog Walker Barbie, Computer Barbie.

Esther: Yeah, Dog Walker, oh yeah. That was more like Dog Walker Skipper, Barbie's little sister.

Katie: Okay, you know what, yeah that's true. (Laughter)

Esther: Even Barbie was too advanced for dog walker, okay Katie.

Katie: (Laughter)

Esther: Anyway, so I guess that wraps up our Business Week in Review. Those are some pretty all over the board stories.

Katie: Rather varied, you know.

Esther: Varied, but interesting nonetheless.

Katie: Exactly, exactly.

Esther: So coming up we have Billy Laden in segment 2. Russ Capper's gonna be talking to him, so stay tuned for that.

Katie: And after that, we'll be talking about, "How to Develop a Culture of Excellence in your Business," so stick around, we have a great show in store for ya.

Esther: You've been listening to the BusinessMakers Overtime Show, heard here and online at thebusinessmakers.com. Stay tuned for segment 2.