Russ and John present the show for the innovators who take the risk and most positively affect our lives. Includes: BusinessMakers Quote of the Week—clever observation from British publisher Ernest Benn; This Week in Business History includes bottom-of-the-barrel events starring Davy Crockett, Samuel Morse, Babe Ruth, Elvis, LBJ and IBM; Navigating Business Jargon—acronyms, technospeak and disclaimers; and Dumbest Moments in Business History—in order to promote optimism in the New Year and in the interest of Peace on Earth, we’re skipping “Dumbest Moments” this week.

The BusinessMakers revisit Episode 141 and Russ’ interview with Steve Wozniak. In the eighth grade, back when there were only mainframe computers, Wozniak built his own computer. A few years later, he and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer. From there, the rest is history. This man is a genius.

The BusinessMakers revisit several favorite interviews of 2008. Includes visionary Fred Smith, the founder, chairman & CEO of FedEx Corp.; the remarkable Lowry Mays, founder of Clear Channel Communications; and Farouk Shami, creator of the BioSilk and CHI brand products.

Katie Laird describes the cost-effective (i.e., FREE) benefits of Open Source Software.

Greg Price provides conventional wisdom for small companies weathering today’s economic downturn.