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Home>Jaime Raul Zepeda

Jaime Raul Zepeda

Recent Articles from Jaime Raul Zepeda

The People Paradox: Why ‘Soft’ Skills Deliver the Hardest Numbers
Opinion February 1, 2026

Millennials burn out while holding it all together

The other day I was sitting in back-to-back meetings when two notifications hit at once. My son’s school called — he’d fallen and needed to be picked up from school immediately. At the same time, an email from my mom popped up asking for help with her prescriptions. Work was on fire. And I was […]

The People Paradox: Why ‘Soft’ Skills Deliver the Hardest Numbers
Opinion November 30, 2025

The December question every leader should anticipate

As the year winds down, our calendars fill with two things: out-of-office replies and existential dread. December has a funny way of putting a mirror in front of us. In the quiet between deadlines and family gatherings, a perennial set of questions shows up: What am I doing with my life? Do I still want […]

Beyond burnout: the case for workplaces where people thrive
Opinion November 2, 2025

Beyond burnout: the case for workplaces where people thrive

In my last column, I wrote about the lesson of 996 culture, an overwork philosophy that destroys value. Now, the next question is obvious: What actually creates it? The answer isn’t complicated, but it does require courage. Sustainable business success comes from workplaces where people feel valued, fulfilled and empowered. When employees feel their contributions […]

Don’t import 996: Why America should reject overwork culture
Opinion September 29, 2025

Don’t import 996: Why America should reject overwork culture

China’s 996 model — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week — was sold as a path to speed, discipline, and dominance. In reality, it became a case study in how overwork corrodes the very foundation of business success. People can push themselves for a while, but there’s a ceiling. Past a certain […]

The People Paradox: Why ‘Soft’ Skills Deliver the Hardest Numbers
Opinion September 1, 2025

The People Paradox: Why ‘Soft’ Skills Deliver the Hardest Numbers

Honestly, this job would be a breeze if it weren’t for the people part.” A regional sales director said that after recounting missed targets, two resignations and a turf war between product and marketing. The room laughed — tired laughter, the kind that comes when you recognize a hard truth. Plans obey Gantt charts; people […]

The People Paradox: Why ‘Soft’ Skills Deliver the Hardest Numbers
Opinion July 29, 2025

The Manager Multiplier: How Engagement Turns Into Margin

You don’t need a billion-dollar strategy to boost your bottom line. You need a manager who gets it. Here’s the math: move a team from meh to energized, and you’ll see profits rise 23%, sales climb 18%, quality jump 14%. No new software. No flashy rebrand. Just people doing their best work. Yet most executives […]

Default Alt Text
Opinion June 1, 2025

Bad managers drive away talent

When you manage people, you don’t just oversee productivity — you hold careers, livelihoods and psychological well-being in your hands. The data doesn’t lie, and neither do the millions who’ve weighed in on what constitutes leadership worth following. Fact: 69% of U.S. workers would rather clean toilets at a bus station than report to a […]

Elon Musk’s memo exposes a trust crisis in leadership
Opinion April 30, 2025

Elon Musk’s memo exposes a trust crisis in leadership

Musk’s memo sparked debate, but the real issue isn’t accountability — it’s a lack of trust, clarity, and communication in modern workplace culture.

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Top Stories

MacArthur Center mall was built in 1999. The city announced it will be demolished this year to make way for a redevelopment. Photo courtesy Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau Offices

Norfolk’s MacArthur Center to be demolished this year

The city of Norfolk announced Friday that it will close and demolish the MacArthur Center mall as pa[...]

Boar’s Head reopens Jarratt plant tied to deadly listeria outbreak

Boar’s Head reopens Jarratt plant tied to deadly listeria outbreak

Boar’s Head Provisions reopened its Jarratt meat plant Monday, roughly a year and a half after clo[...]

Gov. Abigail Spanberger speaks during the InternshipsVA event Feb. 4, 2026, at the Omni Hotel Richmond. Photo courtesy Virginia Economic Development Partnership

State commits $14.5M yearly for new paid internship program

Virginia political, higher education and economic development leaders announced InternshipsVA, a new[...]

An aerial view of the Botetourt Center at Greenfield. Photo courtesy Botetourt County

Google could spend $3B building Botetourt data centers

State documents reveal Google’s plan for a data center campus in Botetourt County that could cost [...]

Leadership: The Virginia Power 50 List

Henrico-based Arko launches IPO of petroleum subsidiary, seeks up to $910M

Henrico County-based Fortune 500 company Arko is seeking a valuation of as much as $910 million in i[...]

Photo by AdobeStock

Amazon to close five Virginia stores, cut nearly 700 jobs

Amazon plans to close five Amazon Fresh stores in Northern Virginia, laying off about 700 workers be[...]

People

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday elected Jennifer Siciliano to chair its board of directors this year.

Virginia Chamber elects UVA Health exec as board chair

5/2/2026

Kenneth Alexander. Photo courtesy Virginia Community College System

Norfolk mayor named Richard Bland College’s interim president

30/1/2026

Tina Leone. Photo courtesy River District Association

Danville’s River District Association has new leader

28/1/2026

Regions

Norfolk casino General Manager Ron Bailey leads a tour of the Interim Gaming Hall, which opened in November 2025. Photo by Kristen Zeis

Will new casino be a jackpot for Norfolk?

Norfolk’s $750M casino project is on track for 2027, but rising competition and lower tax projecti[...]

Clarke County Industrial Development Authority Chair William Waite, Clarke County Director of Economic Development & Tourism Michelle Ridings and Clarke County Board of Supervisors Chair David Weiss stand at the site of a proposed business park. Photo by Norm Shafer

Clarke to repurpose ex-prison site into business park

Clarke County’s long-planned second business park has taken a significant step toward becoming[...]

InternshipsVA could help the region retain talent, says EO’s Travis Staton. Photo by Earl Neikirk

EO to lead internship development program

A new statewide initiative is connecting Southwest Virginia businesses with emerging talent at the r[...]

Vinton Town Manager Pete Peters at Extended Stay America Premier Suites site Photo by Natalee Waters

Roanoke Valley confronts hotel room shortage

As a trio of hotels shuttered in the city over the past several years, the number of rooms available[...]


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