Podcast: Craig Smith talks Alhambra Theatre revival, business acquisitions
Smith, who got his start selling beepers and troubleshooting failing franchises before he was old enough to drink, opens up about buying legacy businesses with little prior experience in their industries. From saving the Alhambra from closure in 2009 to transforming a 70-year-old food distribution company into a strategic asset, Smith reflects on lessons in leadership, reinvestment, and what it means to build a business with purpose.
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He discusses the challenges of competing with national brands, the emotional weight of running a theater that's created lifelong memories for generations of families, and his plans for the newly acquired Dick's Wings and the St. Augustine "Big Red Bus."
'My leadership style is simple,' Smith says. 'I think about every one of the 150 people who work with me when I make a decision.'
Sponsored by TECO Peoples Gas, the Florida Business Minds audio series features candid conversations with business leaders from the Orlando, South Florida, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville regions.
Find more Florida Business Minds podcasts here.
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CNET
9 hours ago
- CNET
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About these rates: Bankrate's tool features rates from partner lenders that you can use when comparing multiple mortgage rates. Current refinance rate trends Early-year projections for mortgage refinance rates were cautiously optimistic. Experts outlined a gradual improvement in housing affordability driven by easing inflation and a series of Federal Reserve rate cuts. However, after three interest rate reductions in 2024, the Fed has left borrowing rates unchanged this year to assess the economic fallout from President Trump's policies on trade, immigration and government spending. The central bank is expected to resume cutting rates as early as September, but this will not immediately result in lower mortgage rates. While the Fed's policy decisions guide borrowing costs across the economy, they don't have a 1:1 relationship with mortgage rates, which are set in the bond market. As of now, the Fed is expected to make two 0.25% rate reductions this year. 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Business Insider
a day ago
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Additionally, she heeded the administration's advice and submitted an application to switch to an income-based repayment plan earlier this year, but she said the application is still processing, keeping her in limbo. The Department of Education also posted a notice that loan forgiveness through IBR plans is paused to comply with a court order. Alannah said she plans to hold off on making any student-loan payments until she has certainty that the plan she is on will count toward debt relief. She said that if she paid off her loans aggressively, she would run through her savings — and be left with nothing for retirement. 'Everything right now is backlogged' The changes to SAVE come as the Department of Education itself is undergoing a major overhaul. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to begin dismantling the department, and the Supreme Court recently ruled that the agency can proceed with firing 1,400 workers, about half of its staff. 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