Market Insight #003 What Is Your Line of Credit Really Financing?
A line of credit can be an excellent tool for financing the normal working-capital cycle—but it can also mask deeper cash-flow problems. Robert Livingston explains the difference between borrowing that supports productive business activity and borrowing that compensates for operating problems.
Market Insight #002 Input Costs Are Rising Again. Is Your Pricing Keeping Up?
Rising input costs don't automatically mean you should raise prices—but they do mean you should understand whether your pricing is protecting margins and cash flow. Robert Livingston explains why owners need to look beyond percentage price increases and focus on the underlying economics of each s...
Market Insight #001 Orders Are Growing. But Can You Afford the Growth?
Stronger orders and growing backlogs can create exciting opportunities—but they can also consume significant cash before customers pay. Robert Livingston explains why owners should look beyond future revenue and understand the inventory, working capital, and financing required to support growth.
From DEI to DIY: Dr. Robert Livingston on the PRESS Model and Allyship as Action
What occurs when a social scientist who follows data-based research realizes that evidence cannot persuade everyone? This episode of The Academic Boardroom features an interview with Dr. Robert Livingston, a lecturer at Harvard University and author of The Conversation and Play the Game, Change t...
Market Insight #006 — Why Yesterday's Gross Margin Is No Longer Enough
A profitable customer order can become far less attractive when costs increase between quotation and fulfillment. Robert Livingston explains why owners should review current costs, outstanding quotations, and backlog exposure rather than relying solely on historical gross margins.
The question: ...
Market Insight #005 — The Hidden Cash Cost of Replacing Inventory
Inventory turnover may improve while the cash required to replenish inventory continues rising. Robert Livingston explains how higher replacement costs can increase working-capital needs even when a business carries the same physical quantity of products.
The question: What would it cost to repl...
Market Insight #004 — Your Sales Increased. Did Your Volume?
Higher revenue doesn't necessarily mean customers are buying more products. Robert Livingston explains why business owners need to distinguish sales volume from pricing and product mix before making inventory, production, and growth decisions.
The question: Are your sales growing—or are you simp...
The $15 Million Bet That Doubled the Country
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1803, Thomas Jefferson sent Robert Livingston and James Monroe to France hoping to secure New Orleans. Instead, Napoleon offered them something far bigger: the entire Louisiana Territory. For $15 million, the United States acquired roughly 800,000 squar...
Meriel Schindler - THE LOST CAFE SCHINDLER
Meriel and I discuss The Lost Cafe Schindler, trying to better understand her father by delving into his past, researching her family's history, the current Cafe Schindler and its place in history, and much more.
Meriel's recommended reads are:
Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald
The Conversation by Robe...
