Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
The Translation Company Talk Show is a B2B podcast show that covers issues and opportunities for the language translation industry. We touch on everything related to translation, and related services including interpreting, transcription and localization. Topics that are regularly covered include business and management of a translation company, sales and marketing, crisis management, staffing, technology and trends within the translation industry. This show is geared towards translation company owners and staff, but anyone with an interest in this industry may find the topics informative and useful. The Translation Company Talk Show is hosted by Sultan Ghaznawi and sponsored by YYZ Translations. Comments and feedback can be sent to podcast@yyztranslations.com or you can connect directly with Sultan Ghaznawi via LinkedIn to share your opinions.
Episodes
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
S02E03 - Evangelizing the Importance of Localization in the Enterprise
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
In this episode of the Translation Company Talk podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Aïssé Gryga, Product Content and Localization Manager at UKG. We cover the topic of evangelizing the importance of localization in the enterprise. Educating our business partners in the enterprise about localization has been an ongoing challenge for many localization managers and it continues to remain in one form or another.
Aïssé addresses issues such as lack of awareness about localization which has resulted in localization taking a back seat at the C level decision making processes. She also talks about how it seems to be a trend not just with localization but also affecting other knowledge based services such as content development. We also discuss how localization is misunderstood and often confused with translation which is a major part of localization.
I found this conversation particularly interesting and engaging because we talk about a real world issue and I believe that as an industry we can do better to raise awareness about what we do. I have often heard that our conferences and events are great venues to communicate, but we end up talking each other instead of the people that must know about what we and that must change. Do not miss this episode if you are a localization manager and you have run into problem of lack of awareness about your work.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk Podcast On Itunes, Apply Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favorite platform. Your comments and feedback are very important, please share them with us and don't forget to give us a 5 star rating on wherever you are listening to this podcast.
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
S02E02: Dynamics of German Translation Market
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
The German translation market is not just big, but it is also very unique and different from the North American translation markets. Christina Jagdman, CEO of wordinc, joins me on this episode of the Translation Company Talk, discusses how the translation business works in the German market. She discusses how she started in this industry as well as how things have changed in the past year or so.
She also talks about about the German localization market in general, state of innovation in this market, the sectors driving the German market, language combinations commonly involved in localization, work volumes, demand for translation vs the emerging field of transcreation, inter-dependencies and integration of German localization market with other markets in the DACH region, adoption of technology and investment in this area, fragmentation of the market, segmentation of the localization industry, M&A and investments from outside the industry, profit margins and what drives them, finding the right partner to expand into the German market, the impact of Brexit and the EU regulations affecting the translation and localization market.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Translation Company Talk podcast on Itunes, Apply Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite platform. Your comments and feedback are very important, please share them with us and don't forget to give us a 5 star rating wherever you are listening to this podcast.
Monday Feb 01, 2021
S02E01: Strategic Leadership in the Translation & Localization Industry
Monday Feb 01, 2021
Monday Feb 01, 2021
This is the first episode of the second season of the Translation Company Podcast. It is a special episode because Sultan Ghaznawi, the President of YYZ Translations, who hosts this podcast reverses roles with his past guests to talk about his involvement in the language industry, his views on technology and NLP in particular, as well as his vision for the future of this industry. He discusses how he found himself in the language industry, his motivations to support communities and associations, sales and business development as well as what end clients should know about the language company issues and opportunities.
Sultan also talks about the art of leadership, skill building, community development and the evolution of our industry through an entrepreneurial lens. He also discusses the role and importance of social media in building communities and maximizing their potential for sales. Sultan also provides his vision for the future of this industry as well as advice for colleagues who sell language services. He acknowledges Craig Buckstein, Jan Henrich, Lelani Craig, Anna Schlegel for their work, support, and contributions to the industry.
Special thanks to Carrie Fischer from Subway, Iti Sahai from Procor Technology and Javier Carvajal from Acclaro for hosting this episode and asking thought-provoking questions.
Don'T Forget To Subscribe To The Translation Company Talk Podcast On Itunes, Apply Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts Or Your Favorite Platform. Your Comments And Feedback Are Very Important, Please Share Them With Us And Don'T Forget To Give Us A 5 Star Rating On Wherever You Are Listening To This Podcast.
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
S01E28: Expanding Your Language Business During Pandemic
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, we discuss how you can have a growth mindset to expand your language business while the world is going through a pandemic. I have invited Jordan Evans, President and CEO of Language Network, to discuss his experience for growing his business in the past year while dealing with adversity on a personal and business level. Among other things we talk about Jordan's journey in this industry, his growth and expansion strategy, his use of technology, how the customer and consumer behavior dictates how language services are delivered and scaling up your services.
Jordan specifically talks about how he changed his mindset from a crisis mode in the middle of the pandemic to that of a growth and expansion, and how he developed a strategy to acquire another language provider. We discuss how this acquisition experience has shaped Jordan's opinion about expansion and growth and what it takes to successfully acquire another company. We also spend a few minutes to discuss technology, efficiency gains through process improvement, identifying and pivoting towards niches that are most relevant and Jordan's predictions for the coming year.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on iTunes, Apply Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favorite platform. Your comments and feedback are very important, please share them with us and don't forget to give us a 5 star rating on wherever you are listening to this podcast.
Saturday Jan 09, 2021
S01E27: Resilient Interpreting Companies and Innovation
Saturday Jan 09, 2021
Saturday Jan 09, 2021
Kevin McQuire is the president of Atlas Language Service. On this episde of the Translation Company Talk podcast, he explains how he found himself in this industry by accident and to this day he credits his mentor, Luis Echeverri for helping him navigate his way in the interpreting world. He has been leading his organization to provide interpreting services to 14 world leaders as well as the Pope.
COVID-19 has been devastating for almost all industries, but the onsite interpreting industry has suffered more than a lot others. Kevin talks about the challenges that his company has been enduring the past few months because the work dried out from the onsite events. He discusses how the largest revenue stream for his company changed overnight, and despite a diversified portfolio of services, the impact was significant. We talk about how Kevin lead a self-reinvention initiative by introducing Remote Simultaneous Interpreting as an alternative despite investing heavily in onsite interpreting equipment. Among other topics, Kevin discusses what the customers and interpreters are going through, what leading as an entrepreneur means during these tough times and how he manages stress.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on iTunes, Apply Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favorite platform. Your comments and feedback are very important, please share them with us and don't forget to give us a 5 star rating on wherever you are listening to this podcast.
Monday Jan 04, 2021
S01E26: Impact of Localization on Large Scale Philanthropic Missions
Monday Jan 04, 2021
Monday Jan 04, 2021
In this episode of Translation Company Talk podcast, I had a candid discussion with Patrick Nunes from Rotary International. Patrick is a seasoned industry veteran who is not only leading the localization efforts at Rotary but also a member of Board of Directors at the Globalization and Localization Association. He provides his deep insights about the industry and in particular how localization plays an important role in disseminating information across a global audience in the context of philanthropic and humanitarian efforts.
We discuss how Patrick got involved in the industry, his current role and how he lead a full transition of his current tea m from a translation and interpreting type environment to a robust and disciplined global communication unit that develop both centralized and decentralized local content. He also talks about the importance of strategic alignment between localization and overall corporate communications. Among other topics we discuss the design and model of a corporate localization team, partnership with LSCs, metrics and KPIs, using machine translation, the main challenges facing his team and many other important and valuable subjects.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on iTunes, Apply Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favorite platform. Your comments and feedback are very important, please share them with us and don't forget to give us a 5 star rating on wherever you are listening to this podcast.
Monday Dec 14, 2020
S01E25: The Nuts and Bolts of Corporate Globalization
Monday Dec 14, 2020
Monday Dec 14, 2020
In our latest episode of the Translation Company Talk, I had the pleasure of speaking with Anna N Schlegel, from NetApp. She is a veteran of this industry and a pioneer in so many areas. We discuss many topics that revolve around corporate globalization and define the key concepts related to strategy, building teams and establishing value through a consistent and well-formulated thought process.
Anna has published a book titled 'Truly Global: The Theory and Practice of Bringing Your Company to International Markets'. She has first hand experience in building globalization teams and explores why this area is not so well understood. We also take a deeper dive into the executive mindset and how that affects the corporate globalization efforts of large organizations that want to venture beyond their traditional markets.
Anna N Schlegel is Vice President of the Global Portfolio-to-Market Lifecycle organization at NetApp. In her role, she oversees a variety of teams, including: Enterprise Globalization, Information Engineering, and Product Portfolio Solutions. Anna has worked in the tech industry in the Silicon Valley for over 20 years, leading teams at Cisco, VMWare, Xerox, and Verisign. Anna serves as the Global Executive Sponsor of NetApp’s Women in Technology organization, where she focuses on developing female leaders in the tech industry. She is also the co-founder of Women in Localization, the leading professional organization for women in the Localization industry with over 5000 members worldwide.
Anna speaks 6 languages, is a native of Catalunya, and lives with her family in Santa Clara, California.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite platform. Give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to this show.
Wednesday Dec 09, 2020
S01E24: Selling Languages Services to Millennial Buyer
Wednesday Dec 09, 2020
Wednesday Dec 09, 2020
We are witnessing a generational shift in the localization and translation industry both on the supply side and on the client side. In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for selling language services to the millennial buyer. I invited Javier Carvajal from Acclaro to join me in this discussion and provide his take on how to successfully connect with buyers representing the millennial generation.
Javi, as he is known amongst his friends, talks about the importance of empathy, building communities, maintaining cordial relationships and the unique attributes of this type of language services buyer. If you are a marketer and you are actively using social media to reach out to potential buyers, you do not want to miss this episode as it includes very practical advice on how to make meaningful and useful connections.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk podcast on iTunes, Apply Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favorite platform. Your comments and feedback are very important, please share them with us and don't forget to give us a 5 star rating on wherever you are listening to this podcast.
Monday Dec 07, 2020
S01E23: What is Product Localization?
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Product localization is a relatively less understood and discussed subject within the larger localization and globalization picture. In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, Iti Sahai from Procore, takes a deep dive into what this concept is and how it affects the end user. Imagine the position of the steering wheel on a vehicle in North America versus in the UK, automotive manufacturers have to localize their products to meet the local traffic and regulatory requirements in order to sell their products there.
Among other things, Iti discusses what a product localization team looks like, the people working there and their experiences, as well as the role of vendors and suppliers within this group. We also discuss strategy, relationships, value creation and how to measure it among many other interesting topics.
Iti is a well rounded and very experienced localization manager who has seen everything from localizing for Bollywood, working on the vendor side to leading and managing a cutting-edge localization team at her current role.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
S01E22:The Language Company Merger Protocol
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
Paul Doherty is a seasoned entrepreneur and has spent most of his life in the localization and translation industry. In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, he talks about what makes successful mergers and the causes for failures. In particular he talks about the importance of setting expectations, not rushing into conclusions, having the right people and the role of leadership in successful mergers.
Paul has been involved in the mergers of MTL and Berlitz, which was later acquired by Bowne International and he was part of the merger team. When Bowne was acquired by Lionbridge, Paul was the managing director in Germany and then in the UK and he was involved in all the merger activities. He was also involved in SDL in this area. Recently he has been involved in the M&A space as a consultant.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Monday Nov 23, 2020
S01E21: Women Led Language Services Companies
Monday Nov 23, 2020
Monday Nov 23, 2020
The language translation and localization is a diverse industry and has evolved over the years. Molly Naughton, president of aia Translations speaks with me about what it means to be a woman leader in this industry. We discuss topics such as challenges and obstacles for women in this industry, mentorship opportunities, biases within and outside this industry and Molly's personal experiences in this industry.
Molly also talks about how our companies can define ways to be more inclusive and supportive of women, enabling and empowering them to take leadership roles. She also elaborates on how women-led organizations perform better. This conversation was particularly interesting as we talk in the depth on issues and concerns that women experience on a day to day basis and how to find ways to mitigate and prevent such problems.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
S01E20: The Small Language Service Company Perspective
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
In episode 20 of the Translation Company Talk, I got to speak with with Carmen Hiers from Transforma Translation Services. She talks about the issues and challenges as well as opportunities that small language companies in the United States encounter. This is a very interesting conversation as Carmen shares her story, how she started in this industry and how it has evolved over the years.
We discuss how small LSC executives face very unique challenges and problems and how Carmen has overcome some of these concerns overtime. She also talks about managing stress, improving her work and life balance as well as the role of peers in staying successful.
If you are an owner or manager at a small sized LSC, this episode is a must for you. Make sure to listen to the end as there are some great tips and suggestions that you can apply to your work and life right away.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
S01E19: The Nordic Perspective of Language Industry
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, I got to speak with Cecilia Enbäck from Translator Scandinavia AB. She started her career in the language industry by accident at a camp fire. This is a fascinating story. She talks about how the industry has evolved, how technology has guided their decisions and direction. She believe technology has helped their company deliver better quality to their clients.
Cecilia discusses the Nordic language industry and market in depth. She expresses her opinions as a language company entrepreneur, in particular the industry players, acquisition landscape, and how it has attracted a lot of investors in this industry within this highly competitive market. Given that the Nordics is a small but highly developed region, there is always need for translation and language. Sweden and the Nordic region as a whole has seen an influx of refugees and asylum seekers, which has driven the need for interpreting and document translation from foreign languages into local languages. We take a closer look at the makeup and structure of the government requirements and how that has affected language services in the context of immigration.
Among other subjects we talk about exports, M&A activities, emerging new sub-segments within the language industry, multimedia localization demand, work culture, lifestyle and cost of living impact on localization budget, evolution and growth within market, COVID and industry events in the Nordic region.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Sunday Nov 01, 2020
S01E18: Business Management for LSC Executives
Sunday Nov 01, 2020
Sunday Nov 01, 2020
Management is an art and a skill, and not many people in the language industry have received formal schooling in this area. While every human being has some management skills as they manage their life and work, managing a language company is somewhat complicated. Richard Brooks from K-International, talks about what management actually entails in this industry and what type of a mindset you need to successfully manage a dynamic team. Given the true international nature of our industry, managing a business touches on so many different things.
In particular we touch upon the core functions of a language business which includes production, resource management and business development as well as supporting auxiliary functions like administration, accounting, strategy building and so on. This episode is a masterclass in management for language company owners and executives.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Sunday Oct 25, 2020
S01E17: Business Development for Translation Companies
Sunday Oct 25, 2020
Sunday Oct 25, 2020
Business development in the translation industry is often a misunderstood and confusing topic. I had a chance to speak with Elizabeth Gomez on this topic. She talks about value proposition, creating a niche and ways to understand your customers' issues. We discuss how a knowledge-based industry like the language industry can strategize develop the business, who is involved in the definition of business development and what the role of a sales person is in this function.
Among other subjects we discuss the business development cycle in the language industry, developing a flow between marketing and sales, communicating value to clients, identifying your strengths to become a specialist and many other topics in the context of business development for translation companies.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Monday Oct 19, 2020
S01E16: Focus on Women in Localization
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Monday Oct 19, 2020
My guest this week is Carrie Fischer. She is the Manager of Globalization Services at Subway, where she manages all aspects of globalization and localization for the restaurant giant. Carrie provides a candid perspective on her early beginnings in the industry, her experience as the industry has evolved and her current role at Subway. Carrie is passionate about volunteer work and causes that are important. She has been one of the early supporters and members Women in Localization and she speaks in great depth about this movement and why we need it in our industry.
She also some advice for language services companies and how they must work with their clients on the buyer side. This is a very interesting episode and highly recommended for LSCs that work with clients directly as well as for people interested in learning more about Women in Localization.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Monday Oct 12, 2020
S01E15: Leading Multiple Organizations in the Language Industry
Monday Oct 12, 2020
Monday Oct 12, 2020
Leading and managing a language company is not easy. As a small business owner, the LSC leader wears multiple hats to get things done within the company. In this episode we are talking in general on the different aspects of managing more than one organization in the language space. Lelani Craig talks about the challenges that an entrepreneur in this industry faces and her ways to mitigate problems and stress.
Lelani has been in the language business for over 25 years and she is an accomplished conference interpreter as well as a certified court interpreter. She founded Commgap in 2000. It is a translation and interpretation company that delivers services in over 200 languages. She also founded and owns Global One Voice, LLC. which offers medical interpreter training, language assessment, language classes and compliance consulting.
She is also serving in the leadership council of several associations within the language industry. She often speaks in industry events and offers her experience and advice as a mentor.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Wednesday Oct 07, 2020
S01E14: Strategic Sales Advice for Language Companies
Wednesday Oct 07, 2020
Wednesday Oct 07, 2020
Sales and selling remains a very unique art in the language translation industry. In this episode of Translation Company Talk, I talk to Francesco Pagano, President of Interpreters and Translators Inc. He is a true veteran of the translation industry and grown up in the trenches, he learnt by doing from an early age. He calls the language industry oldest that mankind knows.
Francesco has learnt selling translation services in a hands on way. He talks about how to establish a sales team, building a process that is constantly changing and how to build it around your buyer. He is a big believer that if it is not fun you shouldn't do it, and he is applying that philosophy in developing his sales model. Getting to the right people, asking the right questions, identifying pain points, and keeping people motivated to do all these is what his philosophy is centered on. We also touch upon finding the right people to drive translation sales. Francesco believes there are lots of good sales people, but they need direction. He also talks about the case made for hiring sales people from outside the industry as there is a vacuum within the language industry. Predicting the behavior of sales people is also important, Francesco talks about a personality test that he applies for identifying the right sales people.
We also cover many other opportunities and challenges, including aligning sales and marketing, performing sales online, best ways to prospect, developing a niche and how to build on your current strengths and many other interesting topics. Francesco is a true master of selling in the language space and you do not want to miss this episode.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.
Monday Sep 21, 2020
S01E13: Language Service Company Evolution
Monday Sep 21, 2020
Monday Sep 21, 2020
Kocarek is an Essen, Germany, based translation and localization firm that has gone through several iterations of innovation and evolution. In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, we hear first hand experience from Werner Lierz, CEO and Kerstin Küpper, Head of Translation Management, as well as Alexandra Navruzova-Lang, Head of Project Management at Kocarek.
We discuss how Kocarek has started, what the evolution process has been like for them and what it means at ground level for the core business functions to innovate. This is indeed a very hot and timely topic and highly suggested for any business executive in the LSC space.
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
S01E12: The GALA Perspective with Allison Ferch
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
In this episode of the Translation Company Talk, I had a deep dive into issues surrounding the current challenges and our industry. Allison Ferch, the Executive Director of GALA, shares her insights and valuable information about our industry that they have obtained through industry research. She also covers GALA's 5 year roadmap and how they plan to respond to industry needs.
The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) is a not-for-profit trade association connecting and supporting professionals and organizations in the global language industry. GALA's mission is to help our members succeed and to drive our industry's development by building professional communities, sharing knowledge, and advancing best practices in the globalization sector.
GALA is also hosting their annual international conference titled GALA Connected 2020, a virtual event that runs from 22 to 25 September. Given that this is their first virtual event, attendance is expected to be very high and the content is very relevant to current trends and industry challenges. Allison discusses in detail what the conference aims to address and what attendees can expect to walk away with.
Guest Bio:
Over the past 10 years Allison has served GALA in several roles and provided leadership for many of the association's programs and activities. As Executive Director, she leads operations at GALA and is responsible for the growth of the association, its financial stability, and for the expansion and delivery of member value. Allison has an undergraduate degree in Biological Anthropology and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science. A lifelong athlete and a lifelong learner, she enjoys podcasts, reading, and all kinds of sports and athletic endeavors.
Don't forget to subscribe to the Translation Company Talk on your favorite podcast platform, and contribute to the improvement of this show by leaving your comments and feedback.