The Crisis Of Financial Noise—And How To Stop It
October 9, 2025
With the Fire smartphone, however, Amazon may finally have bit off more than it could chew. Rumored for a couple of years, the phone running on Google’s Android operating system made its debut last summer at $199. But it flopped in the marketplace and soon was available for just $1 with a two-year AT&T contract. Amazon took a $170-million third-quarter charge on inventory commitments, largely due to dismal sales of Fire.
Critics such as Wired.com said that the phone was “overpriced for what it offered” and “failed to deliver” what customers want: quality apps on quality hardware.
“Amazon is going [in] too many different directions,” Kevin Paul Scott, co-founder of ADDO Worldwide and author of the book, 8 Essential Exchanges, told CEO Briefing. “It is coming across as a master of none rather than the master of all” and could cause Amazon big problems in the future.
So far, Bezos has managed to advance and hold together one of the world’s great new companies even as he has spread Amazon into more and more businesses. It’ll be interesting to see if the Fire smartphone proves to be anomalous to that record of success—or the first sign that the CEO needs to rein in his goals.
0
1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.