The Business How™ Blog shares actionable guidance for leaders looking to improve business operations, elevate leadership skills, and create strong, engaged teams. Here you’ll find tools, tips, and real-world strategies to build a thriving workplace culture.
Curious about the mission behind this blog? Learn more about The Weiwood Group and why we’re committed to helping leaders fix friction and help their people thrive.
Looking for something specific? Explore insights aligned to our three Business How™ Momentum pillars:
- Flow Momentum™ – Improve business operations, systems, and strategy execution.
- Engagement Momentum™ – Strengthen customer experience, communication, and service delivery
- Thrive Momentum™ – Elevate leadership, team wellness, and workplace culture
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Recent Topics
Top 7 Employee Wellness Trends for New Jersey Small Businesses in 2026
by Marina Plantz
How professional, clinical, legal, and service-based small businesses in New Jersey can use modern wellness strategies to attract, retain, and support their workforce in the years ahead.
As workplace expectations evolve, small businesses in New Jersey—especially in healthcare, legal, clinical, and professional services—are confronting rising turnover, burnout, and shifts in hybrid work. Today’s employees value well-being as a core component of employment, not an optional perk. Research across organizational psychology and occupational health consistently shows that effective wellness strategies support retention, productivity, and organizational resilience.
The Business How™ Blog
Work feeling harder than it should? The Business How™ Blog serves up friendly, practical tips to smooth the bumps, lift your leaders, and help your team thrive again.
The Optimism Gap: Why Generations View Progress Differently—and How Leaders Can Unite Them
By JD Woods
Today’s workplace brings together professionals shaped by very different timelines—some formed in an era of rising optimism, others in one defined by volatility and uncertainty. This article explores the “generational optimism gap” and how it influences trust, communication, and leadership. Discover practical ways executives can bridge perspectives and align teams across ages with empathy, clarity, and evidence-based leadership.
The Empathy Feedback Loop: How Our Creations Appear to Be Rewiring Our Compassion
By JD Woods | The Weiwood Group Blog – Flow Momentum™ Series
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein warned us about creation without compassion. Two centuries later, we’re building machines meant to listen, comfort, and care — and discovering that the real risk isn’t what they’ll feel, but what we might forget to. In this essay, JD Woods asks how eldercare robots and “artificial empathy” are changing the nature of care, and shares practical ways to design — and live — with empathy intact.
Sales Ops 2.0: The Modern Revenue Engine Doesn’t Need More Horsepower — It Needs Less Drag
by JD Woods
The future of Sales Ops isn’t faster — it’s simpler.
JD Woods explores why the next generation of RevOps leaders must have the courage to consolidate, train trust over tools, and build cultures where transparency replaces control.
The Cost of Friction: How Bad Customer Experiences Undermine Business Success
Customer Experience (CX) is often framed as a value-add, a way to differentiate in a crowded market. But it goes much deeper than that, and the reality is starker: poor customer experiences are value-destroying forces.
Agentic Data Management: When Your Data Starts Taking Care of Itself
By JD Woods
When your data breaks, who fixes it? Increasingly, the answer is the data itself.
Agentic Data Management (ADM) combines observability, governance, and artificial intelligence to create “self-healing” data systems that detect, diagnose, and often correct issues before they impact the business. The result: cleaner dashboards, fewer fire drills, and teams that can focus on insight instead of triage.
What Starbucks Tells Us About Gen Z, Coffee, and the Future of Experience
Starbucks is shifting to meet Gen Z’s demand for speed, customization, and digital convenience. Here’s what the changes reveal about the future of customer experience—and what leaders across industries can learn from it.
vServe eBusiness Supply Chain Podcast w/JD Woods
JD Woods joins vServe’s Supply Chain Podcast to discuss how organizations can align strategy with execution, drive meaningful operational change, and use technology to deliver measurable results.
Why Non-Profits Should Deliver Customer Experiences as Extraordinary as Any Business
by Peter Lauria
Most people think “Customer Experience” is just for businesses. However, non-profits need it just as much, maybe even more. Because they’re not only asking for support, they’re asking for people’s time, trust, and belief. When the experience is extraordinary, engagement follows.
Great Customer Experience = Respect
Delivering an extraordinary customer experience shows respect for the customer.
Real Talk, Real Trust
By JD Woods
Trust is not a soft skill. It’s a business outcome that directly influences engagement, retention, and productivity—and the difference shows up in the numbers.
The Quiet Killers in Your Business: Why It Pays to Revisit Your Processes Before They Break You
By JD Woods
If you’re a business owner or department lead, you’ve likely invested in good systems, good people, and good intentions. But here’s the reality: even solid processes decay if you don’t revisit them. What worked three years ago—when your team was smaller, your market was simpler, and your tools were newer—might now be the invisible weight slowing you down.
The ROI You’re Already Paying For (But Not Getting): Why It’s Time to Reopen the Book on Your CRM and ERP
Bu John David “JD” Woods
If your CRM or ERP feels more like a burden than a boost, you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck. A smart reassessment could unlock the productivity, insight, and ROI you expected in the first place.
The Role of Empathy in Customer Experience
Tech and efficiency matter, but empathy is the true differentiator in customer experience. Here’s how empathy builds loyalty, trust, and unforgettable interactions.
The Real Healthcare Crisis?? A Lack of Human Connection.
Healthcare is one of the most emotional human experiences—yet too often feels cold and transactional. Here’s why emotional connection is the key to better patient trust, loyalty, and outcomes.
The Personalization Payoff: How AI Drives Repeat Business
by Pete Lauria
There was a time, not long ago, when Personalization was a hot buzzword. It’s still important, but it’s not just a buzzword anymore. Now, it’s a business advantage. Pete Lauria of The Weiwood Group explores why customers don’t want more choices, they want better ones.
How to Set Boundaries at Work Without Burning Bridges
By Marina Plantz
Saying “no” at work doesn’t have to mean starting a fire. In this emotionally intelligent guide, The Weiwood Group shares how to set boundaries that protect your energy, preserve your relationships, and elevate your leadership. Learn the CARE framework and how to use it in real-world scenarios—from scope creep to after-hours texts.
From Assistive to Autonomous: The Evolution of AI in Procurement
By JD Woods
Most companies using AI in procurement are playing it safe—sticking with assistive tools that still rely on human decision-makers. But the real transformation begins when AI is allowed to act, not just advise. In this post, JD Woods of The Weiwood Group explores the current landscape of AI in procurement, the rise of semi-autonomous systems, and why fully autonomous purchasing agents are not only feasible—they’re inevitable.
The Emotional Science Behind Customer Loyalty and Brand Advocacy
By Peter Lauria
Think about Apple, Nike, Starbucks, or Disney. People don’t just buy from them; they tell the world about them. They wear the logos. They buy branded products. They recommend them to friends. They defend them in debates.
Why?
CARE Framework Form Download
(by Marina Plantz)
Download the CARE Framework Form Here
The CARE Framework is a trauma-informed communication tool designed for high-empathy professionals. It’s simple, effective, and built to support sustainable practice without blame or shutdown
Why CARE Is the New Essential Skill
(By Marina Plantz)
If you work in a community-facing profession—healthcare, education, public service—you’ve likely been praised for “keeping it all together.” But behind the calm exterior, many helping professionals are quietly carrying cumulative burnout.
In this post, Marina shares the CARE Framework—a trauma-informed tool that helps professionals regulate, communicate, and set boundaries without guilt or shutdown.
Explore real-world examples, download our CARE worksheet, and learn how to build connection without emotional collapse.
From Motivation to Mastery: Why Bonuses Aren’t Enough Anymore
(by JD Woods)
Still using bonuses to drive performance? That worked in the factory. It won’t work in the field. Or the office. Or the startup. Or the lab. Today’s economy runs on creativity, and creativity doesn’t thrive under pressure. It thrives under conditions that support autonomy, mastery, and purpose. If you’re managing with old-school incentives but expecting modern results, it’s time to evolve.
CX Is Not a Department — It’s a Culture
(by Peter Lauria)
Customer experience (CX) isn’t just a department; it’s a culture that impacts every part of your business. Every team, from sales to support, shapes how customers feel about your brand. A CX strategy limited to one team can create disconnects that clients notice. Companies with cross-functional CX strategies grow revenue three times faster. Is CX part of your culture, or merely a checklist? Great CX is now an essential requirement in today’s competitive market.
The Podcast
Prefer learning through conversation? Tune into the …and Here’s How™ Podcast, where we share real stories and practical strategies to help leaders get unstuck, find momentum, and make work feel a little lighter.
What We're About
As you explore articles throughout the Business How™ Blog, you’ll find practical ideas you can apply right away to strengthen your business operations and leadership approach. From improving team communication to aligning processes with strategic goals, each post is designed to help you create a workplace where people and performance can thrive together.
In addition, you’ll gain simple tools that make it easier to reduce friction, empower managers, and support healthy team dynamics. Whether you’re leading a small business, managing a growing team, or guiding change across a larger organization, these insights will help you move from intention to execution with clarity and confidence. Ultimately, our goal is to make leadership feel more human and business operations more efficient, so your people can do their best work and enjoy doing it. Keep exploring to find the guidance that fits your team’s needs today.
