As we enjoy Thanksgiving weekend full of family, football, and food, two more “f’s” should be in the back of your mind once the meal has settled, the games are over, and the relatives have headed back home.

“Future” and “Finances”

Specifically, what are YOU doing to ensure that your financial future will be a smooth one once the retirement years arrive?  And what are you doing right now to ensure that your finances aren’t putting you in a bind this very instant?

On this edition of Your American Story Radio, Raja takes a look at the current state of the economy, both as it relates to the present and future financial health of the United States, relative to the global economy, as well as the current state of your portfolio, and what you need to do to get your money on track and to stay there.

It’s a weighty discussion, and to help carry the load, Raja calls on two of the foremost financial investment professionals in the region, Mike Kauffelt of Bill Few Associates and Rocky Bleier of Bleier Zagula Financial, who can break down the craziness of Wall Street, and put the discussion in proper perspective for what the headlines REALLY mean at the end of the day.    They’ll discuss some of the hottest investment trends for professional and personal portfolios alike, and what vehicles will have the staying power to help you for the long haul.

(……and, even though the topic will be finance, a certain four-time Super Bowl winning running back chimes in on one of his favorite memories while wearing the Black and Gold.)

“The Times They Are a Changin’”

When Bob Dylan wrote that lyric some 50 years ago, he meant it as a communal anthem to describe the sweeping transformation that was taking place in American society at the time. What he didn’t know back then was that it would be the perfect description of American media in 2013. No longer do consumers hungry for news need to wait for the 6 PM news or the morning paper. If you miss your favorite television or radio show, you’re not obligated to wait until the rerun is aired, not to mentioned the fact that you’re not even tethered to the information and entertainment options that the networks present to you anymore. Over the past 20 years, the internet as emerged as a significant game changer in the way media is produced and consumed all over the world.

So what is “traditional” media doing about it?

Raja talks with the heads of two local media providers who have faced a crossroads when it comes to adapting to the sea change in the media marketplace.

-”Print is Dead.”

With those three words (in context) leading the way, Alan Robertson, the Publisher of the Pittsburgh Business Times, last week ushered in a new era for the weekly business newspaper. Robertson is overseeing a complete overhaul of the publication, with the specific purpose of adapting to the way consumers receive their news. Having done extensive research on what the internet has meant to what had been a successful weekly print medium, Robertson is changing everything from the way that their online platform breaks business news in real time to the way their weekly print edition puts meat on the bone of the headlines in a way that benefits the end user. He talks with Raja about the PBT’s changes, what brought them about, and the impact he thinks the new format will have on the way that business news is presented in Pittsburgh.

-Print media isn’t the only media sector that is feeling a pinch from the internet these days. The radio and television industries are feeling it, too, as there are now more options than ever for consumers to get their visual and audio information and entertainment. The networks have gone above and beyond to ensure that favorite shows are not missed and that exclusive content is plentiful, but where does this strategy leave the local affiliates? Raja talks with Ray Carter, the Vice President and General Manager of WPXI TV, the NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, about what the station is doing to adapt to the numerous changes that the internet is bringing about to the way business is conducted.

Raja returns live to the Your American Story studio, and while he’ll spend some time discussing what he learned during his recent visit back home to India, the main focus of the show is what we’re learning, whether or not we’re truly being served by our educational system, and how effective our colleges and universities really are when it comes to preparing the American workforce for the future.  

-Raja looks at the educational opportunities that are out there for students who have graduated high school and want to continue their education, as he talks with Timothy Thyreen, the current Chancellor (and longtime President) of Waynesburg University in Pennsylvania.  Timothy discusses the ways that colleges like Waynesburg have adapted to changes in the educational marketplace, in order to provide the most “bang for the buck” for college students.  Plus, he discusses the measures that are in place to track the effectiveness of colleges when it comes to serving the needs of the student body.

-Plus, Raja explores alternatives to “traditional” collegiate education, as he talks with Dennis Wilke, President of Rosedale Technical Institute.  Dennis discusses the role that Rosedale, and other trade schools, play in bridging the gap between high-school education and “real world” job opportunities in many professional sectors not addressed by many four-year college and university programs.  

On this edition of Your American Story, Raja recaps the groundbreaking “Running With the Bulls” feature, as we revisit each of the six entrepreneur contestant pitches, as well as the criteria upon which each of our three venture capitalist judges will make their investment decisions.