The Undeniable

Bored Apes...non-custodial wallets...Discord...In the second part of our two-part series, Overabove CIO Deven Spear continues the conversation with Brian Ecclesine, CEO of Big Person. As the leader of a company that connects creators with the blockchain economy, Brian dives deep into his own experience with Web3...covering topics ranging from Gary Vaynerchuk's Vee Friends to how to invest in and collect NFTs, to the very nature of non-fungibility itself. 

In the first of a two-part series, Overabove CIO Deven Spear talks with Brian Ecclesine, CEO of Big Person, connecting creators with the blockchain economy.  With deep experience in finance and digital marketing, Brian's perspective clarifies a lot of the questions and unknowns around Web3, and how it will transform the marketing industry, the economy and the world. 

The summer tenure of Overabove's intern, Wes Jacey, is coming to a close, and as he prepares for his last year at UConn and heading toward the "real world," he talks with Deven about the metaverse: what it is, what it looks like, and how it will change the way we market to every generation – from college grads to the c-suite.

Rock on, world! It's the unofficial start to a long-awaited summer and we're kicking it off with Dale Hipsh, SVP of Hotels for Hard Rock International. As the economy opens up and “revenge spending” gives a huge boost to entertainment, travel and hospitality verticals, the storied Hard Rock brand plans to make some noise of its own -- with new properties and a new brand launch. Listen in!

Antica Terra winemaker Maggie Harrison believes that success is all in the details – and for making wine, that means a close eye on every grape in the blending process. A first-generation winemaker, Maggie's process at Antica Terra differs a bit from the way long-operating winemakers produce. With highly acclaimed vintages sold in 21 countries, Maggie's way is working. Today, she talks to us about how customer relationships built on trust, the power of “yes,” and pivoting with change all contribute to Antica Terra's culture of “making something beautiful” for members and Michelin-star sommeliers alike.

On today's episode we flip the script and put Deven in the guest's chair while fellow Overabove staffer Meghan Lubrano picks his brain about rising technologies and the evolution of the marketing industry. Bitcoin, blockchain, NFTs and all other manner of decentralized web technologies are making headlines, and promising to revolutionize the world. What does that mean for the marketing industry? And how is Overabove uniquely equipped to help our clients navigate bigger and ever-more-complex changes ahead? Join us for a glimpse into the future.

How can the beliefs and innovations of a progressive 19th-century New England educator equip today's students with problem solving and risk taking skills --- and maybe even set a bold new direction for all boarding schools? Join us for our first "foursome" as Deven Spear and Elizabeth Ormiston of Overabove talk to Peter Becker, Head of School and Patrick Dorton, Board Chair, for The Frederick Gunn School in Connecticut. A boarding school with a tradition of building student character and self-sufficiency since it was founded by Frederick Gunn more than 150 years ago, the school credits its non-conformist founder's approach with shaping and informing an innovative curriculum more relevant than ever to today's education challenges.

What place does placemaking have in fostering civic spirit and building a more just society? Heidi Majerik, Vice President & General Manager at Southern Land Company in Denver, CO, is passionate about figuring it out. Awarded the Outstanding Women in Business Award in 2014 by the Denver Business Journal, Heidi has a history of creating vibrant urban environments — she led the nation's largest urban infill project to transform Denver's former airport into a city neighborhood now known as Central Park. Today, she shares with us a fascinating perspective on how urban planning can make for healthier cities, how master-planned neighborhoods can create cohesion across socioeconomic groups, and real estate's role in creating a more equitable society.

Now that home is a first, second and third place, what does “home” actually mean? In today's episode Deven talks to Stephen Fuller, architect and owner of Stephen Fuller Designs, about trends in architecture and the evolution of home design —  from back before CAD drawings came to be, up to today, as technology creates new possibilities in architecture and construction. 

Headframe Spirits co-founders John and Courtney McKee discuss how a culture of care and service led to not only innovation and success in producing bespoke spirits, but to the creation of a business entity that lifts up the entire community — through the good times and the tough.

The real estate vertical is seeing increased consumer interest in properties that offer space, privacy, and agricultural capabilities. Today's guest, Jason Shearer, Senior Manager at Raydient Places + Properties, has devoted his career to forestry and to the management and sale of rural communities. He shares his perspective on the resurgence of  "homesteading," what living off-the-grid means today, and the new profile of the rural buyer. He even teaches us a new word or two (hint: Barndominium).

Why do we travel? Travel writer, former Head Writer and Strategist for Overabove, and an avid traveler herself, Jane Hudson, PhD argues that the experience of being an outsider is why travel is essential to the human experience — and predicts what will change as the industry reopens. She and Deven discuss technology's role in travel and what travel marketers can do to re-engage loyal customer relationships in the return to “normal.” And why sometimes being firmly rooted in the present is the best destination.

Timing is everything. Today, Deven and fellow entrepreneur and former business partner Michael Worthington, CEO of real estate marketing technology firm Brightdoor, take a look at how the past evolution of technology informs the future of business and innovation -- and why there may be no time like the present to launch a new tech product for real estate. 

How do a 3,800-lb bag of potatoes, 2 buckets of sap and an "intentional tech" approach build leaders for the next generation? A junior boarding school in the Adirondacks may have the answer. Join us for a conversation with Todd Ormiston, Executive Director of the North Country School, who discusses how a low-res, low-tech environment sets today's students up for sustainable, self-sufficient success tomorrow.

As the pandemic crisis tests our faith, values and ideas about “business as usual,” there is an enormous opportunity for companies and individuals to rally hope in others and to emerge as leaders. In this episode, Liz Christofferen, Founder and CEO of the Empower Consulting Group, talks about how leadership is the difference between expansion and contraction, the importance of collaboration in addition to competition, and her 4 key actions about how true leaders will inspire others to rebuild the new economy. 

 In Part 2 of our interview with Ray Owens, CEO of DXM, Ray talks to John and Deven about the implications of Data Management Platforms. The depth and scope of audience data now available — to marketers of all sizes, not just enterprise organizations — encompasses thousands of online and offline customer data variables. Using these variables to identify and predict audiences means marketers have a fighting chance to serve relevant communications to consumers. And it's an opportunity they should seize.

What is data-driven marketing, and how is it changing the way we identify, reach and engage audiences? The implications for marketing are enormous. Join us for Part 1 of our interview with Ray Owens, CEO of DXM, a marketing organization whose platform offers a suite of tools to enhance and optimize segmentation, market potential analysis, engagement, acquisition, retention, and ROI measurement. Ray has covered the consumer insights spectrum for practically every industry sector, particularly retail, healthcare, restaurant and hospitality, real estate, and financial services. Today, he shares those insights with us and tells us how marketers should be leveraging data to better target and cultivate audiences.

Join us for a conversation with Terry Weaver, the President and Founder of Marketing and Sales Institute, specializing in sales and marketing training for luxury real estate communities. As the author of “Secrets of Selling from Real Estate Masters,” Terry has learned from some of the most successful in the business and has decades of experience. In today's episode, Terry discusses his guiding sales philosophies and why they apply across all industries. He explains how the best salespeople don't “show and tell,” but “know and sell,” and why being a great sales leader is more like coaching a sport than performing in a job. 

Starting where every great hotel story does — at the front desk — Jessica Mousley takes us from her time as night shift manager at a Kimpton Hotel, to an IT role where she worked to cull useable data across departments and inform CRM for a better guest experience, and lands us where she is now: a leader for Sentierre, a hospitality brand that is redefining the industry. She shares her point of view on bringing a new property to life, how technology tools can convert hospitality properties into true “hosts,” and why she's excited about the rise of Machine Learning.

Today we welcome Jeff Yamaguchi, Vice President - Real Estate at The Robert Green Company. Jeff has decades of experience in luxury hospitality and real estate, spanning the globe. From Hawaii to Shanghai to Puerto Rico to Vegas, he's headed sales and marketing for brands like Four Seasons, Montage, Pendry and Ritz Carlton. On today's episode he shares his unique perspective on the convergence of hospitality and real estate, and discusses lifestyle factors that are driving purchase decisions for the new decade. And while he embraces technologies that allow buyers to experience an environment before they ever set foot on the property, he tells us why he still believes the power of the human connection — listening and building relationships — is the ultimate path to sales success.

How do you make a dream home a reality? In this episode, Deven talks to John Hillman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Crane Island in Amelia Island, FL, about selling what John calls “the joy of life.” As one of the developers for Southern Living's 2019 Idea House on Crane Island, John describes the team behind the vision, architecture and design of the Idea House. And he discusses how planning for a "dream home" is not just about buying land, but buying a solution, and how both technology and human relationships play a critical role in identifying what a dream house means to individual buyers. (For more information or a tour of the Idea House, check out the website here.)Click here to learn more about Overabove.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Undeniable! In marketing, everything has changed. Today, John Visgilio, Overabove Partner and Co-Founder, talks with Deven Spear, CIO, about how Overabove drives results for clients in this dynamic new landscape. Founded by John and his business partner, Ralph Guardiano, in 2002, Overabove was built for the way people consume information today: its non-traditional, solutions-oriented business model borrows from advertising, PR, direct marketing, experiential communications and insight-driven strategy. With the consumer as king, this service platform is increasingly in demand. Touching on a wide range of themes, John and Deven discuss the five-year outlook for technologies that will impact marketing; how Overabove's roots make it more relevant than ever as marketing lines blur, and the importance of embracing humanness in a technology-driven world.