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#thePOZcast is proudly brought to you by Fountain - the leading enterprise platform for workforce management. Our platform enables companies to support their frontline workers from job application to departure. Fountain elevates the hiring, management, and retention of frontline workers at scale.To learn more, please visit: https://www.fountain.com/?utm_source=shrm-2024&utm_medium=event&utm_campaign=shrm-2024-podcast-adam-posner.Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com SummaryIn this conversation, Randy Shacka shares his remarkable journey from a marketing intern to Two Men and a Truck president. He discusses the foundational values instilled by his parents, the importance of internships in shaping his career, and the challenges of building a brand from the ground up. Randy emphasizes the significance of leadership, resilience, and establishing a clear vision for the future, all while maintaining a people-first approach in business. In this conversation, Randy discusses his journey as a leader at Two Men and a Truck, sharing insights on navigating leadership challenges, enhancing customer experience, and the importance of hiring for cultural fit. He emphasizes the need for agility in meeting customer demands and the significance of data-driven decision-making in franchise management. Randy also reflects on the brand's expansion with Two Men and a Junk Truck, addressing the challenges and opportunities of growth. He concludes by sharing his personal definition of success, which revolves around paying it forward and helping others grow.Takeaways- Randy's journey from intern to president showcases the power of hard work and perseverance.- Values instilled by parents play a crucial role in shaping leadership styles.- Internships provide critical exposure to both what one enjoys and what one does not.- Building a brand requires grassroots efforts and a strong community presence.- Leadership involves understanding and addressing the needs of team members and franchisees.- Establishing a clear vision is essential for guiding a growing organization.- Navigating challenges requires resilience and a focus on core values.- The importance of listening and seeking to understand in leadership roles.- Creating a culture of care and compassion can drive organizational success.- Continuous improvement and innovation are key to staying relevant in business. - Listening to customers is crucial for success.- Agility in meeting customer needs is essential.- Hiring for cultural fit is more important than skills alone.- Interviewing should focus on values and team dynamics.- The hiring process must be intentional and communicative.- Data-driven decisions enhance operational efficiency.- Franchise consistency is vital for brand reputation.- Expanding the brand requires careful consideration and strategy.- Success is defined by the ability to help others grow. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Randy Shaka's Journey02:49 Foundations of Values and Work Ethic05:49 The Internship Experience and Career Beginnings09:02 Building a Brand from the Ground Up11:57 Leadership and Navigating Challenges15:06 Establishing a Vision for the Future24:02 Navigating Leadership Challenges26:02 Enhancing Customer Experience26:59 Hiring Philosophy and Culture Fit29:56 Interviewing for Values and Team Dynamics32:00 Innovations in Hiring Process33:49 Data-Driven Decision Making35:55 Franchise Consistency and Accountability39:02 Expanding the Brand: Two Men and a Junk Truck41:51 Leadership Concerns and Future Outlook43:55 Defining Personal Success
Andrew Schmidt, Regional President, West Markets at Amway joins Direct Approach to discuss what it means to lead with principle during seasons of change. From flexible income trends and incentive evolution to new segmentation strategies and reputation risks, Andrew offers a grounded perspective on what's fixed, what's flexible—and why clarity is the foundation of trust.
Agility can often get framed as driving massive transformation—but sometimes it's the milliseconds that matter. When every digital moment counts, small gains in speed and efficiency can have a disproportionately large impact on customer lifetime value and brand loyalty. If you could speed up every digital interaction your customers have with your brand by a full second, what would that be worth to your business?Today we're going to talk about how even seemingly minor improvements in speed and performance can have outsized impact on customer experience—and revenue. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Jaxon Repp, Field CTO at Harper. About Jaxon ReppJaxon Repp, Field CTO at Harper, has over 25 years of experience architecting, designing, and developing enterprise software. He is the founder of three technology startups and has consulted with multiple Fortune 500 companies on IoT and Digital Transformation initiatives. A partially-reformed developer, he understands what it's like to wrestle with technology instead of benefiting from it, and believes passionately that if the Jetsons never had an episode where a config file error brought down the food-o-matic, it surely should not be a problem now. RESOURCES Harper: https://www.harpersystems.dev/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150"Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
This week marks the final episode of Season 2 of Augmented Ops! Natan and Erik look back and share their biggest takeaways from conversations with CEOs, frontline engineers, and operations leaders. They unpack marketing hype vs. the current state of AI on the shop floor, the rise of citizen developers, and why “digital transformation” needs a serious rebrand. They also dive deep into the demise of traditional MES, explore the shift toward composable, platform-driven architectures, and offer predictions on how adaptability will define manufacturing success in the year of the “composable operations.” Augmented Ops is a podcast for industrial leaders, citizen developers, shop floor operators, and anyone else that cares about what the future of frontline operations will look like across industries. This show is presented by Tulip (https://tulip.co/), the Frontline Operations Platform. You can find more from us at Tulip.co/podcast (https://tulip.co/podcast) or by following the show on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/augmentedpod/).
Agility can often get framed as driving massive transformation—but sometimes it's the milliseconds that matter. When every digital moment counts, small gains in speed and efficiency can have a disproportionately large impact on customer lifetime value and brand loyalty. If you could speed up every digital interaction your customers have with your brand by a full second, what would that be worth to your business?Today we're going to talk about how even seemingly minor improvements in speed and performance can have outsized impact on customer experience—and revenue. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Jaxon Repp, Field CTO at Harper. About Jaxon ReppJaxon Repp, Field CTO at Harper, has over 25 years of experience architecting, designing, and developing enterprise software. He is the founder of three technology startups and has consulted with multiple Fortune 500 companies on IoT and Digital Transformation initiatives. A partially-reformed developer, he understands what it's like to wrestle with technology instead of benefiting from it, and believes passionately that if the Jetsons never had an episode where a config file error brought down the food-o-matic, it surely should not be a problem now. RESOURCES Harper: https://www.harpersystems.dev/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150"Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Phil Richardson and Danielle Papillon Richardson. Professor Philip Richardson and Danielle Papillon Richardson discussed their upcoming book "Funny, Not Funny: Humanity's Risk Register," which addresses 12 existential threats, eight of which are human-made. They explained their approach of using humour to make these serious issues more accessible and emphasized the importance of creating a dynamic risk register for humanity, similar to how project managers plan for risks. The book, which includes contributions from global experts, will be published in early fall and is available for pre-order on Amazon. They also highlighted the need for resilience and agility in addressing these challenges.
Is your CMS holding your creativity—and marketing growth—hostage? When speed and agility are everything, most marketing teams are still stuck in the slow lane—waiting on developers to publish updates, launch campaigns, or even fix a typo. Sound familiar? Today's guest says it's time for marketers to take the wheel. Mark Wheeler, Chief Marketing Officer at Storyblok is here to talk about redefining what a CMS should be—with a composable, API-first platform that puts control back in marketers' hands. With clients like Netflix and Adidas, Storyblok is helping to lead a movement away from bloated, outdated systems and toward a faster, smarter, more flexible way of working. About Mark WheelerAs CMO of Storyblok, Mark Wheeler leads the marketing strategy and execution to drive business growth and redefine the CMS category. Recognized as a Top 100 B2B global CMO, he's dedicated to building communities for marketers and developers. With a deep understanding of digital experiences, Mark ensures Storyblok delivers exceptional value. Previously, as CMO of LeanIX, he played a key role in doubling customers in two years and contributing to its successful acquisition by SAP. He has also held senior marketing roles at Nutanix, EMC, Sitecore, and Adobe. RESOURCES Storyblok: https://www.storyblok.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Online Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrand Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
In this Episode: Dr. Emi Barresi, Tom Bradshaw, Dr. Matt Lampe, Lee Crowson, LindaAnn Rogers, Dr. Heather Morton, Imani Nakyanza. I/O Career Accelerator Course: https://www.seboc.com/job Visit us https://www.seboc.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/sebocLI Join an open-mic event: https://www.seboc.com/events References: AQai - The Home of Adaptability Assessments & Coaching. (n.d.). Www.aqai.io. https://www.aqai.io/ Dørum, E. S., Kaufmann, T., Alnæs, D., Andreassen, O. A., Richard, G., Kolskår, K. K., Nordvik, J. E., & Westlye, L. T. (2017). Increased sensitivity to age-related differences in brain functional connectivity during continuous multiple object tracking compared to resting-state. NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.), 148, 364–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.01.048 Eilers, K., Peters, C., & Leimeister, J. M. (2022). Why the agile mindset matters. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 179, 121650-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121650 Good, D. (2014). Predicting real-time adaptive performance in a dynamic decision-making context. Journal of Management & Organization, 20(6), 715–732. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2014.54 Graicer, O., Dufort, P., & Jones, O. (2022). What Is Strategic Design? Cultivating Cognitive Agility for the Craft of Generalship. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 8(3), 336–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2022.10.002 Hofert, S. (2022). The Agile Mindset: Developing Employees, Shaping the Future of Work. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-34910-3 Kelly, K., & Hayes, G. E. (2012). Leading in turbulent times (1st ed.). Pearson Education Limited. Ross, J., Miller, L., & Deuster, P. (2018). Cognitive Agility as a Factor in Human Performance Optimization. Journal of Special Operations Medicine, 18(3), 86–91. https://doi.org/10.55460/QU7U-8ICE Ross, T. (2022). DECODING AQ: Adaptability Quotient - Your greatest superpower. A new operating system for change in an exponential world. (How to navigate change and uncertainty at work) . Ross Thornley. Vaillant, Y., & Lafuente, E. (2019). The increased international propensity of serial entrepreneurs demonstrating ambidextrous strategic agility: A precursor to international marketing agility. International Marketing Review, 36(2), 239–259. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-01-2018-0015
Is your CMS holding your creativity—and marketing growth—hostage? When speed and agility are everything, most marketing teams are still stuck in the slow lane—waiting on developers to publish updates, launch campaigns, or even fix a typo. Sound familiar? Today's guest says it's time for marketers to take the wheel. Mark Wheeler, Chief Marketing Officer at Storyblok is here to talk about redefining what a CMS should be—with a composable, API-first platform that puts control back in marketers' hands. With clients like Netflix and Adidas, Storyblok is helping to lead a movement away from bloated, outdated systems and toward a faster, smarter, more flexible way of working. About Mark WheelerAs CMO of Storyblok, Mark Wheeler leads the marketing strategy and execution to drive business growth and redefine the CMS category. Recognized as a Top 100 B2B global CMO, he's dedicated to building communities for marketers and developers. With a deep understanding of digital experiences, Mark ensures Storyblok delivers exceptional value. Previously, as CMO of LeanIX, he played a key role in doubling customers in two years and contributing to its successful acquisition by SAP. He has also held senior marketing roles at Nutanix, EMC, Sitecore, and Adobe. RESOURCES Storyblok: https://www.storyblok.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Online Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrand Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Mehmet Karamollaoglu is the Managing Director for Turkey & Eurasia at Mondelez International, overseeing 11 dynamic markets. After leaving Turkey to pursue a Master's degree in the U.S., Mehmet embarked on a global FMCG journey—leading commercial teams and business units across multiple geographies. What truly sets him apart, though, is his deep curiosity and drive to stay ahead—whether it's understanding the evolving consumer or driving digital transformation in the food industry. He joins the podcast to speak about: His career development across countries and functions The importance of having the right mentors Becoming interested in eCommerce and Digital as a GM The changing market and the rise of 3P marketplaces and TikTok shop How big brands can compete with emerging ones while being coherent with their ethos More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian
What if your most loyal customers are the ones you helped spend less?Agility in marketing isn't just about moving faster — it's about aligning brand intentions with customer outcomes in real-time, even when that means giving up short-term gains to earn long-term trust. Today we are here at PegaWorld 2025 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and we're going to talk about how Telenet is transforming customer loyalty in a saturated market — not with discounts or gimmicks, but with ethical, AI-driven decisions that prioritize long-term value. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Tine Van Calster, Product Owner Segment of One at Telenet. RESOURCES Telenet: https://www.telenet.be https://www.telenet.be The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Online Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Blending financial planning directly into existing business intelligence (BI) platforms like Microsoft Power BI and Qlik are on the rise. But have you questioned why, and what drives this shift? In this episode of the Don't Panic It's Just Data podcast, Kevin Petrie, BARC analyst, sits down to chat with Thomas Gorr, Director of Product Management for xP&A and BI at insightsoftware, and Henri Rufin, Head of Responsible Data & Analytics at Radiall.The speakers stress how the integration of financial planning in BI platforms is driven by the need to move beyond traditional Excel-based planning. This is because it often leads to data silos and errors. Their conversation spotlights how integrated BI and planning solutions improve collaboration across departments. Going deeper, BI can also provide a unified view of data and help organizations be more agile and proactive in volatile markets.Gorr and Rufin explain how separating your financial data makes less sense, and why traditional tools like Excel are no longer significant.Watch this podcast to discover how embedding planning capabilities within BI platforms, such as Qlik and Power BI, offer a seamless experience, greater flexibility, and real-time collaboration.Learn how organisations are adapting to volatile market conditions through agile planning, and gain a glimpse into the evolving landscape of financial planning. Tune in to gain expert insights and practical strategies for a more collaborative and data-driven future!TakeawaysThe integration of planning into BI platforms is essential for collaboration.Excel is prone to errors and creates silos in data management.Organizations need to adapt to dynamic market conditions for effective planning.Stakeholder engagement is crucial for successful financial planning.Advanced planning solutions offer flexibility and real-time collaboration.Data governance is necessary to support planning processes.The total cost of ownership is lower with integrated planning solutions.BI platforms provide a unified experience for users.Future planning will focus on platform integration and advanced analytics.Companies must evolve their planning capabilities to remain competitive.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Financial Data Management03:04 The Shift Towards Integrated Planning08:30 Collaboration in Dynamic Markets11:05 The Role of Stakeholders in Planning15:10 Moving Beyond Excel19:19 Total Cost of Ownership in Planning Solutions25:06 Future of Integrated Financial PlanningAbout insightsoftwareinsightsoftware is a global provider of comprehensive solutions for the Office of the CFO. They believe actionable business strategies begin and end with financial data that's accessible and easy to understand. They offer solutions across financial planning and analysis (FP&A), accounting, and operations. This transforms how teams operate, empowering leaders to make timely and informed decisions.
What if your most loyal customers are the ones you helped spend less?Agility in marketing isn't just about moving faster — it's about aligning brand intentions with customer outcomes in real-time, even when that means giving up short-term gains to earn long-term trust. Today we are here at PegaWorld 2025 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and we're going to talk about how Telenet is transforming customer loyalty in a saturated market — not with discounts or gimmicks, but with ethical, AI-driven decisions that prioritize long-term value. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Tine Van Calster, Product Owner Segment of One at Telenet. RESOURCES Telenet: https://www.telenet.be https://www.telenet.be The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Online Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Welcome to this episode, brought to you by Reka, a developer of industry-leading, multimodal, AI models that enable individuals and organizations to deploy generative AI applications. Agility requires an attention to process and a commitment to continuous improvement. It also requires a culture of agility. Today we're going to talk about talent in an AI environment, and the critical role that human teams play in an AI environment. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Eugenie Lamprecht, Chief of Staff at Reka. About Eugenie LamprechtEugenie is the Chief of Staff at Reka, where she oversees day-to-day operations across People, Finance, Legal, and other core functions, making sure the company stays on track and aligned. Eugenie works closely with the CEO to help execute the company's priorities and keep things moving behind the scenes. RESOURCES Reka 3: This episode is brought to you by Reka.ai Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Online Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrand Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Welcome to this episode, brought to you by Reka, a developer of industry-leading, multimodal, AI models that enable individuals and organizations to deploy generative AI applications. Agility requires an attention to process and a commitment to continuous improvement. It also requires a culture of agility. Today we're going to talk about talent in an AI environment, and the critical role that human teams play in an AI environment. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Eugenie Lamprecht, Chief of Staff at Reka. About Eugenie LamprechtEugenie is the Chief of Staff at Reka, where she oversees day-to-day operations across People, Finance, Legal, and other core functions, making sure the company stays on track and aligned. Eugenie works closely with the CEO to help execute the company's priorities and keep things moving behind the scenes. RESOURCES Reka 3: This episode is brought to you by Reka.ai Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Online Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrand Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Agility at enterprise scale means building systems that not only make millions of micro-decisions, but also keep humans at the center — creating experiences that are timely, relevant, and respectful of the customer.What if your data knew your customers better than your frontline employees — and used that insight to serve, not sell? Today we are here at PegaWorld 2025 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and we're going to talk about how National Australia Bank has built what they call a "Customer Brain" — a centralized, intelligent decisioning layer that unifies engagement across service, sales, and relationship-building at scale.To help me explore this, I'd like to welcome Christian Nelissen, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at NAB. RESOURCES National Australia Bank: https://www.nab.com/au https://www.nab.com/au The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
This episode explores:Maria Pia De Caro's approach to making her team “agility champions” that can rebuild and reimagine supply chain structures to support business goals. (1:32)Pernod Ricard's three pillars of supply chain productivity in today's evolving trade environment. (4:51)Balancing talent specialization and generalization across the supply chain. (11:14)Actionable advice for CSCOs navigating today's VUCA business environment. (16:38)Host Thomas O'Connor discusses Pernod Ricard's approach to supply chain productivity and agility with Maria Pia De Caro, the organization's EVP of integrated operations and sustainability and responsibility (S&R). They explore adjusting supply chain operations to deliver on business fundamentals like service, cost and cash, as well as how Pernod Ricard drives productivity in today's VUCA environment. They close the show with recommendations for CSCOs around boardroom communications that make the business stronger, more agile and faster in an environment where speed is crucial.Gartner clients interested in finding out more about this topic can access the following:Survive and Grow in This Volatile Tariff-Driven EconomyCSCOs Can Improve Their Influence With C-Suite StakeholdersAbout the Guest:Maria Pia De Caro is a seasoned leader in integrated operations and S&R, boasting over 25 years of global experience in supply chain and operations. Throughout her distinguished career, she has spearheaded multifaceted teams focused on engineering, manufacturing, M&A and supply chain innovation across renowned FMCG enterprises. Maria Pia's journey includes pivotal roles at Procter & Gamble, Mondelez, Unilever and Nomad Foods in diverse locations such as Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, China and the U.K., before bringing her expertise to Pernod Ricard Group in 2023.
Agility at enterprise scale means building systems that not only make millions of micro-decisions, but also keep humans at the center — creating experiences that are timely, relevant, and respectful of the customer.What if your data knew your customers better than your frontline employees — and used that insight to serve, not sell? Today we are here at PegaWorld 2025 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and we're going to talk about how National Australia Bank has built what they call a "Customer Brain" — a centralized, intelligent decisioning layer that unifies engagement across service, sales, and relationship-building at scale.To help me explore this, I'd like to welcome Christian Nelissen, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at NAB. RESOURCES National Australia Bank: https://www.nab.com/au https://www.nab.com/au The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
In this episode of The Sound of Automation podcast, Wipfli partner Mike Devereux and founder of Inside Beltway Omar Nashashibi join as we break down the complex world of tariffs and tax legislation. We start with a clear explanation of the three main types of tariffs and how they impact businesses beyond the headlines. As policies shift rapidly under the current administration, Omar shares a timely update on the latest developments and what they mean for business strategy. We also explore how companies can stay agile in the face of uncertainty and what to expect next on the tax front. For more information on Wipfli, please visit our website at:https://www.wipfli.com/manufacturing. You can also contact us here.For more information on Wipfli, please visit our website at:https://www.wipfli.com/manufacturing. You can also contact us here.
What if you could test drive your entire customer experience — before even writing a line of code? Agility isn't just about reacting fast — it's about thinking ahead, designing deliberately, and testing before committing. In an age where customer expectations shift by the minute, businesses can't afford to just “build and hope.” Today we are here at PegaWorld 2025 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and we're exploring how Generative AI-powered prototyping can help organizations visualize and refine the full customer journey before it's built — and why tools like Pega's Customer Engagement Blueprint are changing how brands think about strategy, customer-centricity, and innovation.To walk us through this, I'd like to welcome back to the show Tara DeZao, Sr. Product Marketing Director at Pega. About Tara De ZaoTara DeZao, Director of Product Marketing, AdTech and MarTech at Pega, is passionate about helping clients deliver better, more empathetic customer experiences backed by artificial intelligence. Over the last decade, she has cultivated a successful career in the marketing departments of both startups and Fortune 500 enterprise technology companies. She is a subject matter expert on all things marketing and has authored articles that have appeared in AdExchanger, VentureBeat, MarTech Series and more. Tara received her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. RESOURCES Pega: https://www.pega.com https://www.pega.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
What does China's unassailable lead in terms of naval power, the wording of recent US statutes and the adaptability of shipping, all have to do with how a chief financial officer eats their breakfast? It's all about how shipping perceives risk and uncertainty right now. Uncertainty has dominated the shipping industry in the past months. But this narrative that shipowners are paralysed by the geopolitical volatility is only part of the story. The global economy is at a crossroads. We are entering an era of superpower rivalry between the US and China that will fundamentally upend established trading assumptions and fragment shipping down geopolitical lines. Now, depending on who you are talking to, the response to that uncertainty results in either a barely concealed fist-bump of joy as they mentally run through the profitable opportunities ahead, or near term paralysis as they conclude that there is no value in strategic investment in the face of such unknowable odds. And that's because this isn't just the long -term disintegration of a rules-based order that we are talking about, although that is part of it. Near term that uncertainty is created by the fact that it is now security not economics that is driving the bus when it comes to US decision making, and that's confusing everyone. Agility is the new currency for shipping. We have to adapt to all these challenges – shipping's bullish elite told us. Volatility is the lifeblood of profitable shipping and certainty has never been a prerequisite for making decisions. So, why complain about exogenous shocks now? On stage, the message was defiant: shipowners paralysed by the geopolitical swings risk losing out. Off stage, their commitment to specific questions of progress and investment was generally more hesitant. But they still need to make decisions – and that's the focus of this week's podcast. Joining Richard this week on the podcast are: Øystein Tunsjø, Professor of International Relations, Head of Security in Asia Program, Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, Norwegian Defence University College Brian Maloney, Partner, Seward & Kissel Annicken Kildahl, CFO, Grieg Maritime Group Hing Chao, Executive Chairman, Wah Kwong Maritime Transport
What if you could test drive your entire customer experience — before even writing a line of code? Agility isn't just about reacting fast — it's about thinking ahead, designing deliberately, and testing before committing. In an age where customer expectations shift by the minute, businesses can't afford to just “build and hope.” Today we are here at PegaWorld 2025 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and we're exploring how Generative AI-powered prototyping can help organizations visualize and refine the full customer journey before it's built — and why tools like Pega's Customer Engagement Blueprint are changing how brands think about strategy, customer-centricity, and innovation.To walk us through this, I'd like to welcome back to the show Tara DeZao, Sr. Product Marketing Director at Pega. About Tara De ZaoTara DeZao, Director of Product Marketing, AdTech and MarTech at Pega, is passionate about helping clients deliver better, more empathetic customer experiences backed by artificial intelligence. Over the last decade, she has cultivated a successful career in the marketing departments of both startups and Fortune 500 enterprise technology companies. She is a subject matter expert on all things marketing and has authored articles that have appeared in AdExchanger, VentureBeat, MarTech Series and more. Tara received her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. RESOURCES Pega: https://www.pega.com https://www.pega.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Ernesto García, CEO, AurumCore, discusses fintech innovation, compliance versus agility, future-proof banking, and digital finance transformation.1. Greetings with Ernesto García (0:51)2. Challenges to Innovation in Financial Institutions (3:15)3. Future-Proof Architecture and Compliance-First Design in Fintech (05:20) 4. Implementing Core Banking Systems for New Versus Existing Institutions (8:34) 5. Balancing Compliance and Agility in Financial Institutions (13:28)6. Public Sector's Role and AurumCore's Vision as a Fintech Enabler (16:57)7. Rethinking Digital Transformation in Finance (19:45)
What if your agentic AI could innovate autonomously—and still follow your business rules? Agility in the age of AI doesn't just mean speed. It means predictability, accountability, and the ability to innovate autonomously without businesses losing control of what is important, and what their customers value. Today we are here at PegaWorld 2025 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and we're going to talk about how enterprises are starting to move beyond prompt-based, freewheeling AI models and toward something more mature, governed, and scalable: Predictable AI Agents. And we'll explore what that means for the future of autonomous enterprise decisioning and innovation. To help me dig into this topic, I'd like to welcome Peter van der Putten, Director AI Lab and Lead Scientist at Pega. About Peter van der PuttenPeter van der Putten is assistant professor of AI, Leiden University and Director AI Lab at Pegasystems. Through his expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning, Peter helps leading brands to become more ‘human' by transforming into customer centric organizations. In addition to his role at Pegasystems, Peter is an assistant professor and creative researcher at the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, The Netherlands. Peter is particularly interested in how intelligence can evolve through learning, in man or machines. Peter has a MSc in Cognitive Artificial Intelligence from Utrecht University and a PhD in data mining from Leiden University, and combines academic research with applying these technologies in business. He teaches New Media New Technology and supervises MSc thesis projects. RESOURCES Pega: https://www.pega.com https://www.pega.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Agility requires finding ways to stay one step ahead of the competition, as well as in anticipating customers' needs. So how does a brand maintain this speed and agility in the area of UX design, where it has often taken a considerable amount of time, effort, and testing to get to a better result? Today we're going to talk about using AI strategically in UX research, design, and testing. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Jason Bowman, Executive Director of User Experience at The Office of Experience. About Jason BowmanJason leads OX as the Executive Director of UX, bringing over 20+ years of meaningful UX and design experience to the firm, overseeing and managing Content Strategy, UX and Business Analyst teams. Jason has a true talent for guiding projects to successful launches as quickly and efficiently as possible. With strong collaboration skills and attention to detail, he is always looking for the right thing in order to create a better experience for users, clients, and teams. His expansive experience includes multinational, multilingual intranets, startups, marquee consumer brands, global agencies, mobile apps, and more. Notable client work includes Patagonia, Groupon, Samsung, Boston Consulting Group, Sitka Gear, Goop, American Medical Association, and more. RESOURCES The Office of Experience: https://www.officeofexperience.com https://www.officeofexperience.com This episode is brought to you by The Office of Experience, a design-driven, digital-first, vertically integrated and collaborative agency that believes in the power of ideas and the strength of people. Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Is your body becoming an obstacle to the active, adventurous life you still want to live?In this episode of Better Health Bookshelf, host Mike Capuzzi talks with Waldemar Franco, author of the book, Find Your Wild Flow, about a fitness program for men over 50 designed to restore strength, agility, and confidence. As men age, many feel their energy fading and their bodies becoming more fragile. Waldemar's Wild Flow Method challenges that decline with a mindset shift and a practical, sustainable approach to movement and functional strength training.In this episode, you'll discover:Why traditional men's workout routines fail men over 50 and what works insteadHow to replace rigid routines with energizing movement ritualsA realistic way to support healthy aging through men's fitness and mindsetListen now to learn how to make your body a vehicle, not a burden, for the adventures ahead.If you find this episode helpful, please consider subscribing and sharing it with friends and family.
Cross-border E-commerce and Supply Chain Realities with Jianggan LiIn a vibrant episode of the Asia Business Podcast, host Art Dicker engages in a compelling conversation with Jianggan Li, the founder and CEO of Momentum Works, a venture builder and insights research firm. As a thought leader and co-author of the book "Seeing the Unseen Behind Chinese Tech Giants Global Venturing," Jianggan shares his extensive knowledge and unique perspectives on the international business terrain, particularly focusing on Chinese companies' strategies for penetrating global markets.Introducing Jianggan LiConnect with JiangganJianggan Li is a seasoned entrepreneur with roots in China, now thriving in Singapore. With his extensive background in venture building and market insights, Jianggan commands a strong understanding of the dynamics that drive Chinese companies to venture beyond their borders. His journey from a young expatriate in Singapore to a prolific businessman offers invaluable insights into cross-cultural business strategies.Understanding the Unfolding Global Business DynamicsIn the episode, Jianggan explores the complexities of Chinese companies navigating international waters, emphasizing the need for adaptability and strategic maneuvering in response to ever-shifting market conditions. He highlights how companies like Temu and Shein are adeptly structuring their logistics to accommodate regulatory changes, pointing to the broader need for strategic foresight in business operations.The Resilience and Agility of Chinese CompaniesChinese companies are renowned for their agility and resilience in the face of changing demands and regulations. Jianggan discusses the strategic adjustments of brands amid evolving trade rules, illustrating how they maintain competitiveness by leveraging subsidies, loopholes, and local partnerships. The conversation underscores the necessity for businesses to anticipate market shifts and prepare for regulatory changes proactively.Localizing Brand Identity in International MarketsA key challenge for Chinese e-commerce giants like Shein is successfully localizing their brand identity to resonate with diverse global consumers. Jianggan shares insights into how these companies build their brand narratives to overcome political perceptions and establish consumer trust. By focusing on product quality, efficient logistics, and strategic marketing, Chinese companies can construct a robust brand presence internationally.Lessons from the Chinese Tech SectorArt and Jianggan delve into the dynamic nature of the Chinese tech sector, exploring the competitive challenges it presents and the lessons that can be extrapolated for global application. Jianggan's experiences shed light on the critical role of innovation, adaptability, and local integration in sustaining growth in competitive markets.Predicting the Future of Chinese Tech GiantsLooking ahead, Jianggan offers speculative insights into the future trajectory of current tech giants, contemplating their longevity and potential for sustained dominance. Despite the unpredictable nature of the tech industry, the conversation hints at the importance of maintaining agility and a forward-thinking approach to remain at the forefront of technological advancement.Final Reflections and Future EngagementJianggan Li's deep-seated expertise offers listeners strategic insights into navigating the complexities of international business and technology. For those intrigued by Jianggan's insights and keen to delve deeper, he is accessible via LinkedIn for further discussions and collaborations. Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:08 Jianggan Li's Background and Journey03:02 Challenges and Strategies in Chinese Tech Ventures04:08 Supply Chain Dynamics and Adaptations07:55 Localization and Brand Identity14:26 Future of Chinese Tech Companies27:42 Conclusion and Contact Information ProducerJacob ThomasFollow UsLinkedInApple Podcasts
In this episode of Disrupt Education, we continue our deep dive into the heart of educational transformation with Simon Holtzapfel and Jeff Burstein. Together, we explore how schools can break free from outdated systems and embrace agility, adaptability, and authentic learning. Simon shares insights from the LEAF Lab's work in Denmark and around the world, where education becomes a living, breathing ecosystem built on relationships, agency, and experience. Jeff unpacks how shifting the adult mindset is key to lasting change. From rethinking success to building reflective school cultures, this conversation is a masterclass in redesigning education for relevance and resilience. If you're ready to set fire to the old model and grow something new, this episode is for you.Learn more at www.L-EAFLab.orgCheck out www.disrupteducationpodcast.com for more!Connect with Alli and PeterPeter HostrawserLI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterhostrawser/IG: https://www.instagram.com/peterhostrawser/FB: https://www.facebook.com/disrupteducation1/X: x.com/PeterHostrawserWebsite: https://www.peterhostrawser.comAlli DahlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allidahl/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallidahl/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theallidahl
As retailers gear up for the critical back-to-school and holiday seasons, new tariffs on Chinese imports—some as high as 145%—are causing significant disruptions in global supply chains. In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, Parker Avery's CEO, Clay Parnell, is joined by the firm's Chief Consulting Officer, Amanda Astrologo, and industry thought leader Walt Holbrook to discuss the current chaos driven by tariffs and how retailers can respond effectively. While recent reports indicate a sharp decline in shipments from China and soaring freight costs, the true challenge runs deeper: retail organizations must move from reactive tactics to integrated, end-to-end strategic thinking. Key Takeaways 1. There's no single fix—retailers need a coordinated, cross-functional response Amanda emphasizes the importance of aligning demand forecasting, pricing, allocation, and inventory strategies. “It's not just about pulling inventory forward,” she notes. “Retailers need to be thinking holistically—how product flows, where it lands, and how pricing strategies evolve with consumer sentiment.” 2. Agility isn't just a buzzword—it's a necessity. Walt shares how flexible retailers are renegotiating with vendors and adapting plans in real-time. “We can't rely on playbooks anymore,” he warns. “This is mission impossible without strong leadership and fast decision-making.” 3. Foundational capabilities matter now more than ever. The trio discusses how inadequate tools and reliance on manual planning are slowing down responses. Amanda highlights a renewed focus on core capabilities like merchandise financial planning and data visibility. “You can't execute pricing strategies or pivot on inventory if your teams are stuck in Excel spreadsheets,” she says. 4. This isn't just another short-term disruption. Comparisons to COVID are valid, but this time, consumer demand hasn't evaporated. “People want to shop,” Amanda notes. “But they don't want to pay 145% more.” That distinction changes the game and requires nuanced planning, inventory, and pricing strategies to protect both margin and customer loyalty. 5. Culture and creativity are competitive advantages. Both guests emphasize the need for a cultural shift inside retail organizations. Store teams must be empowered, and merchants encouraged to explore new sourcing strategies, domestic partnerships, and flexible assortments. “This is also a moment of opportunity,” Walt reminds us. Final Thoughts This episode of Talk Retail to Me presents a candid, practical discussion on how retailers can move beyond reactive tactics and build long-term resilience. Whether it's scenario planning, realigning supply chain operations, or investing in foundational tools, the message is clear: speed, creativity, and flexibility are no longer optional—they're crucial for survival and future growth. Host and Guests Clay Parnell, CEO, The Parker Avery Group https://parkeravery.com/clay-parnell/ Amanda Astrologo, Chief Consulting Officer, The Parker Avery Group https://parkeravery.com/amanda-astrologo/ Walt Holbrook, YODA Retail Consulting https://www.linkedin.com/in/waltholbrook/ Related Content & Resources Video Replay on YouTube https://youtu.be/kalorQerjmk Blog Post | Supply Chain Resilience in the Face of Disruption https://parkeravery.com/supply-chain-resilience-in-the-face-of-disruption/ Blog Post | Rethinking Allocation and Replenishment to Drive Better Inventory Outcomes https://parkeravery.com/rethinking-allocation-and-replenishment-to-drive-better-inventory-outcomes/ Talk Retail to Me Podcast | Strategic Sourcing Considerations for a Disrupted Supply Chain https://parkeravery.com/strategic-sourcing-in-a-disrupted-supply-chain/ Parker Avery Retail Consulting Services https://parkeravery.com/retail-consulting/
In this special edition episode, Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis address the unprecedented challenges facing retailers with Steve's "10 Tantalizing Tips for Tumultuous Times." Steve rates current market turbulence at a 9 out of 10, comparing it to COVID-era disruption but noting the added complexity of legal uncertainties around tariff policies.The news segment covers significant retail developments, starting with ongoing tariff turmoil. A U.S. court ruled Trump's tariff policies illegal, creating additional uncertainty for retailers already struggling with implementation. Steve explains how this legal challenge, combined with the administration's failure to secure the promised "90 deals in 90 days," has intensified market turbulence.Earnings season revealed stark contrasts in retail performance. While Abercrombie & Fitch, Costco, and Dick's Sporting Goods posted strong results, Target's struggles were particularly alarming—down nearly 4% compared to Walmart's 4-5% growth, highlighting a major and continuing performance gap between direct competitors. Department stores including Macy's, Dillards, and Kohl's continued their downward trajectory, with most posting negative comps. The episode also covers Hudson's Bay Company's final closure in Canada, with Canadian Tire acquiring the historic brand's IP for $30 million.The second segment focuses on ten essential tactics for survival and growth. The first foundational tips emphasize radical commitment to reality and transparency, urging retailers to honestly assess their situation and act accordingly. Steve advocates for embracing uncertainty and building agility into operations, followed by maintaining innovation through continuous testing despite budget pressures.Customer-focused strategies include choosing your passionate core of fans (inspired by Seth Godin's work), being human-centered while digitally enabled, and prioritizing storytelling over purely functional benefits. Steve emphasizes that people buy a brand's story before they buy the product.Strategic excellence tips include "editing to amplify"—narrowing customer and offering focus to boost signal amid market noise—and conducting comprehensive friction audits of the customer journey. The hosts stress distinguishing between table stakes (necessary but non-differentiating capabilities) and true differentiators that create competitive advantage.The final tip, "cash is king," proves particularly relevant given tariff impacts on cash flow. Throughout the discussion, the hosts acknowledge that guidance must be tailored to individual circumstances—strategies for Walmart differ significantly from those needed by smaller specialty retailers. The episode serves as both a reality check and practical roadmap for retailers navigating what Steve describes as an era of unprecedented uncertainty, volatility, and competitive pressure where strong players are aggressively pursuing market share opportunities. Here is a 10% off code for the CommerceNext Growth Show exclusive to Remarkable Retail listeners: REMARKABLE. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.
The beauty industry is massive, fast-paced, and hard to predict. There are 20,000 brands worldwide, and microtrends can spread around the globe in hours. That's the challenge facing Kalindi Mehta, Global VP for Consumer Foresight Strategy and Predictive Analytics at the Estée Lauder Companies. In the latest episode, she lays out how AI is transforming her industry, and explains how the technology can help all companies be more agile, improve their decision making, and reimagine their workflows. WorkLab Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter Microsoft Podcasts – Stay connected, informed, and entertained with original podcasts from Microsoft
In this Founded & Funded episode, Madrona Managing Director Soma Somasegar sits down with Charles Lamanna, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, to unpack his journey from startup founder to corporate leader. They dive into what it takes to build a successful AI-transformed organization, how the nature of business applications is evolving, and why AI agents will fundamentally reshape teams, tools, and workflows. From "customer obsession" to "extreme ownership," Charles delivers insight after insight for startup founders and enterprise leaders navigating the age of AI. They dive into: Why business apps as we know them are dead How AI agents and open standards like MCP and A2A are reshaping software The shift toward generalist teams powered by AI What startups are doing today that enterprises will follow in 3–5 years How to focus deeply on a few high-impact AI projects instead of chasing 100 pilots Transcript: https://www.madrona.com/the-end-of-biz-apps-ai-agility-and-the-agent-native-enterprise-from-microsoft-cvp-charles-lamanna Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:20) Charles Lamanna's Entrepreneurial Journey (01:39) Customer Obsession and Ownership in Startups (03:54) The Future of Business Applications with AI (05:56) AI-Powered Business Agents (08:22) The Role of AI in Modern Business (11:11) Startups Are the Blueprint for the Future of Work (14:33) Industry-Wide AI Adoption (18:32) Driving AI Transformation in Enterprises (21:51) Maintaining Agility in Large Companies (25:03) Personal Impact of AI on Daily Life (27:55) Conclusion and Final Thoughts
If brand loyalty is so critical, why does it feel like most companies are treating it like an afterthought by propping it up with outdated programs and hoping customers won't notice? Agility requires a complete rethinking of how we approach customer loyalty — not as an afterthought at the end of the funnel, but as a core driver of long-term brand value and experience strategy. Today, we're going to talk about the evolution of customer loyalty and what brands need to do to keep up in a time when consumers have more choices, higher expectations, and less patience. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Raj De Datta, CEO and Co-Founder of Bloomreach. About Raj De DattaRaj De Datta is Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomreach, a leading software platform for digital commerce experiences that powers brands representing 25% of retail Ecommerce in the US and the UK. Raj is a multiple-time entrepreneur. Raj is also the bestselling author of “The Digital Seeker” – a playbook for digital teams to win big. Before launching Bloomreach, he was entrepreneur-in-residence at Mohr-Davidow Ventures, served as Cisco's director of product marketing, and was on the founding team of telecom company FirstMark Communications. Raj also worked in technology investment banking at Lazard Freres. Raj serves on the Council for Player Development for the US Tennis Association, the Board of RepresentUs, a bipartisan organization focused on democracy reform, and is a Founder Partner at seed-stage venture capital firm Founder Collective and an individual investor in over 20 start-ups. RESOURCES Bloomreach: https://www.bloomreach.com https://www.bloomreach.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Get the Bloomreach report: https://www.bloomreach.com/en/winning-playbook-for-loyaltyConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
This week we discuss how to orchestrate supply chains in volatile markets with SAP's Jeb Insley. He shares insights on navigating disruptions from pandemics to geopolitical risks, the rise of supply chain leadership, balancing cost and resilience, and the critical role of connected digital systems and AI-driven orchestration in enabling agile, end-to-end supply chain networks. Come join us as we discuss the future of Supply Chain!
In this episode of The Inquisitor Podcast, host Marcus Cauchi speaks with Michael Davis-Marks, a veteran of the Royal Navy who commanded a nuclear-powered submarine and now focuses on leadership development and advocating for the veteran community. They discuss decision-making under pressure, the unique transferable skills veterans bring to civilian life, and the critical differences between traditional and effective leadership models like servant leadership. The conversation highlights the importance of training, teamwork, delegation, building trust, and fostering a culture where people feel valued and empowered to do their best work. Michael Davis-Marks: Spent 36 years in the Royal Navy, primarily as a submariner, including commanding a nuclear-powered submarine. Served in the British Embassy during 9-11. Since leaving the Navy 13 years ago, he has focused on leadership development and culture. He is also the managing editor of TheVeteran.uk, a publication that gives voice to the veteran community. His mission is to amplify the lived experience of veterans, challenge outdated stereotypes, and advocate for what armed forces veterans can offer to organisations, employers, and society. Key Discussion Points: Veterans as a Valuable Asset: Veterans possess extraordinary transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork, discipline, and commitment, which can be enormously helpful to organisations and society as a whole. There are approximately 2.2 million veterans in the UK, about a million of whom are of working age, representing a significant pool of talent. Challenging Stereotypes: The common stereotype of military people as "Colonel Blimp" or a "shouty sergeant" is inaccurate for the vast majority of veterans. Veteran Mindset: Many veterans, including Michael, don't initially realise how much they have to offer civilian life due to a self-effacing mindset developed through military training that prioritises the team over the individual. Decision Making Under Stress: The military trains individuals to remain calm and think clearly in high-pressure situations. The ability to make good decisions under stress is crucial and can be developed through training and building resilience. Leadership Defined: Leadership is not about telling people what to do. It's about motivating and inspiring people, helping them become better versions of themselves. Servant Leadership: This model posits that the leader is there to serve the people subordinate to them, helping them realise their full potential. It's about looking after the people in your charge, not just being in charge. Delegation vs. Abdication: Leaders who spend their time "doing" are stealing learning opportunities and growth from their people. Empowering people to work things out for themselves, rather than always providing the answer, is crucial for development. Michael's rule was "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions". Allowing people to "have a go," even if they make mistakes in a safe environment, fosters learning. Creating Conditions for Trust: Trust begins with the leader's self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and empathy. It is developed by assigning low-risk tasks initially, being a mentor and coach, gently nudging rather than directing, and providing encouragement and positive feedback. Leadership is Trainable: While some may be "born leaders," leadership skills can be taught and developed through training and practical experience. Openness to feedback and the realisation that one is not perfect are key to improvement. The Staircase of Learning: This concept describes the progression from unconscious incompetence (not knowing what you don't know) through conscious incompetence and conscious competence to unconscious competence (second nature). Training and repetition are critical to moving through these stages and building resilience. Continuous Improvement: In the military, standard operating procedures were changed "all the time" because you can't stand still; "every day is a school day". Agility of thought is essential because plans often don't survive first contact. The Leader's Role: The leader's job is to create the conditions for their people to do their best work. Delegating tasks to competent people allows the leader to step back, maintain a strategic view, and avoid becoming a bottleneck or single point of failure. The Importance of People: People are the most important asset in any organisation, not just numbers on a spreadsheet. Treat them as people. A high staff retention rate is often a sign of a happy and well-led company. People frequently leave jobs because of their boss, particularly if the boss prevents them from doing their best work. Beating people does not improve morale. Advice for New Managers: "Get Off Your Arse" (GOYA) is crucial advice. New managers should spend their initial time listening, walking around, asking curious questions about what people do, what they like/dislike, and what can be improved. Taking notes shows you are listening and helps you remember. Getting out and talking to people makes them feel important and that they belong. This approach should be routine, not just for the first few days. Lesson for a Younger Self: Michael would tell his 23-year-old self that he knows much less than he thinks and is surrounded by people who can help. He would advise working on relationships with others to learn and grow together as a team, emphasising that people are the most important aspect in everything. Recommended Resources: "Turn the Ship Around" by David Marquette (Discusses an "I intend to" model of leadership empowering the team). "Always Start With Why" by Simon Sinek. "Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek (Highlights the principle of leaders serving those who rely on them). TheVeteran.uk: Publication giving voice to the veteran community. Connecting with Michael Davis-Marks on LinkedIn
The realities of evolving a startup. Ryan and Will discuss how the first idea is rarely the final solution, sharing insights on how to navigate the pivoting process. Using Uber and their own experiences at startups.com as examples, they explore the dangers of clinging to an initial plan and the importance of staying open to change. They also touch on overcoming ego, internalizing market feedback, and avoiding self-sabotage to ultimately achieve a more successful and fulfilling business.Resources:Startup Therapy Podcast https://www.startups.com/community/startup-therapyWebsitehttps://www.startups.com/beginLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/startups-co/Join our Network of Top Founders Wil Schroterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/wilschroter/Ryan Rutanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-rutan/What to listen for:00:51 The Myth of the Perfect Plan02:04 The Uber Example: Evolving Business Models03:55 The Importance of User Feedback04:48 Facing Investor Expectations07:44 Ego vs. Agility in Decision Making08:47 The Afford It Story: Lessons Learned13:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts13:53 The Original Plan and Its Challenges14:25 Admitting Mistakes and Moving Forward15:10 Evolving as a Founder15:58 The Birth of Startups.com17:26 Learning from Market Feedback20:45 Detaching Ego from the Product23:14 The Importance of Adaptation
Matt McInnes Watson, or better known as “The Plyo Guy,” is a plyometric and dynamic training specialist. Matt is the owner of Plus Plyos, a coaching business that provides plyometric programs and education. https://www.instagram.com/mcinneswatson/ https://www.instagram.com/PLUSPLYOS/ Check Out My Game Speed Course and Programs at www.multidirectionalpower.com
Welcome to a special edition of Truck Tech! Host Thomas Wasson dives deep into the cutting edge of commercial transportation at ACT Expo, talking with experts from Kenworth and Hexagon Agility about the future of zero-emission and alternative-fuel trucks. Highlights from the episode: Kenworth's major reveal: battery-electric T680 and vocational T880 platforms A deep dive into Hexagon Agility's powerful X15N natural gas engine and what fleets are saying Real-world fuel economy improvements (10%+!) and scalability insights The growing infrastructure and viability of CNG/RNG across North America Practical insights on electrification challenges like parasitic loads, charging speeds, and more Whether you're a fleet operator, engineer, or just a trucking tech enthusiast, this episode delivers everything you need to know about where the industry is headed. Learn more: hexagonagility.com Don't forget to subscribe for more ACT Expo coverage and weekly Truck Tech insights: freightwaves.com/truck-tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Renard Henry Join Thousands changing the Mid-Market to Fortune 5000 with a growth mindset. Listen & Subscribe Now… ON THIS EPISODE ➤ How IT managers differ from IT Leaders ➤ More ways to effectively communicate technical concepts to non-technical executives ➤ Real-world examples of successful vendor management and relationship building ➤ Ways to handle stress...
On this episode Pat sits down with legendary operator and former MELI CFO, and of late CEO of dLocal, Pedro Arnt, to dive into his learnings of 20+ years of company building.We discussWhy he is bullish on emerging market's potentialHis learnings around the early innings of MELI riding the wave of digitisation in commerce in the 2000s and why long term building beats short-term CAGR ambitionsThe parallels he sees across verticals around digitisation in emerging markets from commerce to payments and how slower consumer adoption calls for more discipline and consistency but allows you to grow at +30% CAGR for many yearsHis take on balancing startup agility and processes and org. complexity of a big corporationHis new chapter with dLocal and why going from emerging market to emerging market makes all the sense Want to stay up-to-date on latest episodes?Follow The Enthusiast wherever you are getting your podcasts and make sure to check out our newsletter on LinkedInhere to stay up to date on our latest episodes with founders and investors beyond the Valley.Follow Pat on LinkedIn here.
Why you should listenLearn how poor positioning and generic messaging quietly kill your deals before the first call.Erica shares what to do when word of mouth plateaus—and how to attract buyers who don't know you yet.Discover how to be “AI-findable” and get found in marketplace searches before your competitors.If your marketing sounds just like every other partner's, it's already costing you deals. In this episode, I'm joined by Erica Hakonson, CEO of Maven Collective Marketing, to show you how to fix that. Erica has helped hundreds of Microsoft partners elevate their positioning, build credibility, and generate leads that don't rely on referrals. We dig into the messaging traps most partners fall into, why AI is changing how you show up online, and how to stand out even in the most crowded categories. If you're serious about scaling in 2025, this is one of the most important marketing episodes you'll hear.About Erica HakonsonErica Hakonson is the award-winning CEO and Founder of Maven Collective Marketing, a premier B2B digital marketing agency recognized across North America for its excellence in driving strategic marketing success for Microsoft Partners. With nearly 20 years of experience, Erica has built a powerhouse agency that has earned over 200 awards, including Best Firm to Work With, B2B Agency of the Year and Top Digital Marketing Company.Erica is a results-driven marketing strategist known for transforming complex technology narratives into compelling marketing strategies that elevate brand authority and accelerate revenue growth. Since founding Maven Collective Marketing in 2012, she has led high-impact campaigns for global clients, helping them outperform in competitive B2B markets through data-driven performance, distinctive positioning, and strategic content marketing.A recognized thought leader, Erica is a sought-after speaker on marketing leadership, entrepreneurship, and women in business. She has been featured in The Globe & Mail and honored with titles such as Female Entrepreneur of the Year and SME National Business Awards Editor's Choice.Resources and LinksMavencollectivemarketing.comErica's LinkedIn profile2024 Microsoft Partner Benchmark ReportSubscribe to Maven Collective Marketing's LinkedIn Newsletter: Partner Marketing BytesMaven Collective Marketing's Youtube channel: Maven Collective MarketingErica on Bluesky: @ericahakonson.bsky.socialMaven Collective Marketing on Instagram: @mavencollectivemarketingPrevious episode: 609 - RevOps Reimagined: AI, Agility, and the End of Cold Outreach with Jacki LeahyCheck out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel:
BestPodcastintheMetaverse.com Canary Cry News Talk #841 - 05.14.2025 - Recorded Live to 1s and 0s TRUMP ALCHEMY | CERN Gold, Lion Leopard Prophecy, Doomsday Bunkers Deconstructing World Events from a Biblical Worldview Declaring Jesus as Lord amidst the Fifth Generation War! CageRattlerCoffee.com SD/TC email Ike for discount Join the Canary Cry Roundtable This Episode was Produced By: Executive Producers Sir LX Protocol V2 Baron of the Berrean Protocol*** Rebecca V*** Producers of TREASURE (CanaryCry.Support) Sir Morv Knight of the Burning Chariots, Sir Marty K Knight of the Wrong Timeline, Andy J, Cage Rattler Coffee, American Hobo, Ms TinfoilHat Man, Veronica D, Sir Scott Knight of Truth, Sir Casey the Shield Knight Producers of TIME Timestampers: Jade Bouncerson, Morgan E Clippy Team: Courtney S, JOLMS, Kristen Reminders: Clankoniphius Links: JAM SHOW NOTES/TIMESTAMPS HELLO WORLD EFNO GATES OF THE GODS/ALCHEMY 1:29 ALICE detects the conversion of lead into gold at the LHC (CERN) Wait... Did the Large Hadron Collider Just Do Alchemy? (Pop. Mechanics) Clip: Optimus dancing going viral. Agility improving (X) BEAST SYSTEM 13:25 → Apple to Support Brain-Implant Control of Its Devices (WSJ) EXECS 20:39 TRUMP/BEAST SYSTEM 33:15 Clip: Trump Royal Carpet, greeted by MBS (X) Clip: Arabian Horse Escort Limo (X) Clip: Trump sparks Conspiracy theories by not drinking the cofee Clip: …Trump drinks coffee…. (X) Clip: Mohammed and Trump Bromance Clip: Royal Family Gifts America Leopards- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute To Welcome Critically Endangered Arabian Leopards In a Major Conservation Cooperative Agreement With Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for AlUla (Smithsonian) Clip: Trump America is hot, but Saudi Arabia is hotter (X) Clip: Trump preaches peace in the ME (X) Saudi $600 billion investment into america → Trump signs agreements with Qatar on defense and Boeing purchases (Fox) → Clip: Trump deal allows UAE to buy Nvidia chips, Bloomberg reports PRODUCERS 1:19:48 BBB 1:44:36 US spent $21T to build underground 'doomsday' bunkers for elites (Econ Times) TRANSHUMANISM 1:53:21 Improving human beings to make them better: Why is transhumanism so harmful? (Conversation) BREAKING NEWS: RFK JR HECKLERS 1:53:33 PRODUCERS 1:56:47 TALENT/MEET UP TIME/END 2:01:29
In this deep-dive Omni Talk Spotlight, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga are joined by Rajat Nigam, Chief Product Officer at ClearDemand, to unpack the critical role of competitive intelligence in modern retail pricing. Formerly leading pricing innovation at Amazon, Rajat explains how engineering, data quality, and normalization are central to making pricing intelligence truly actionable — and profitable. From assortment gap analysis to real-time pricing enabled by electronic shelf labels, this episode explores the full retail stack of competitive data strategy. Key Moments: (1:00) Rajat's background and Amazon's secret pricing project (2:40) What makes “good” competitive intelligence (5:00) The three hardest problems in competitive data (7:30) Matching pack sizes and normalizing prices (10:00) Competitive data beyond pricing – assortment, promotions, planning (14:00) Where comp intel works best: grocery vs. luxury (17:00) Role of price elasticity in retail strategy (20:00) How to start: KVI items, category focus, and data gap analysis (23:30) Agility in pricing with ESLs and real-time data (25:00) Final thoughts and predictions for the future of pricing #RetailTech #CompetitiveIntelligence #PricingStrategy #RetailInnovation #ClearDemand #OmniTalk #GroceryTech #RetailData #amazon #PriceOptimization Music by hooksounds.com *Sponsored Content*
Why you should listenUnderstand why rigid RevOps systems are failing SaaS teams today—and what to build instead.Get actionable tips on using AI (like Clay and ChatGPT) to scale without losing your personal touch.Hear how Jacki uses LinkedIn like a "social butterfly" to create inbound interest through strategic commenting.Still clinging to outdated RevOps playbooks? You might be quietly killing your growth. In this episode of the Paul Higgins Podcast, I sit down with Jacki Leahy, the high-energy founder of Activate the Magic, to unpack why cold outbound is dead and how to build a future-proof revenue engine that actually works. Jacki shares her wild journey from kindergarten teacher to scaling a SaaS company from $350K to $9M ARR, and now helping early-stage SaaS founders create flexible, client-focused RevOps systems.Jacki doesn't pull punches. She breaks down how "best practices" are often security blankets, how to ditch broken systems in favor of experimentation, and how to use tools like LinkedIn, Clay, and AI agents to drive connection-first sales. If you want to future-proof your revenue and get bigger deals with less waste, this is your blueprint.About Jacki LeahyWith a unique journey from kindergarten teacher to BDR, Jacki found her true calling as an "Accidental Admin" at LinkSquares. As the 10th hire, she spearheaded the growth of the business development team, architecting the people, processes, and tech stack that catapulted ARR from $350K to $9M in 2 years.Since 2020, Jacki has been on the consulting side of startups as VP Operations at Eustace Consulting and Head of Revenue Operations at Winning by Design.She started ATM in August 2022, and lives in Boston MA with her mini dachshund Freddy.Resources and LinksActivatethemagic.comJacki's LinkedIn profilePrevious episode: 608 - Your Challenge Isn't Unique—But Your Response Is What Sets You ApartCheck out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringJoin our newsletterSuggested resources
In this practice, balance is more than just standing on one leg...it's moving well on two feet, hands + knees, tiptoe, and more. key practices include: sun salutations, lunges, bird dogs, and pigeon salutations. Got questions? Want to chat yoga? Email us! info@threedogyoga.com Want more? Join our live stream classes offered in real time over Zoom. Drop-in passes and memberships are available for every body. Please visit www.threedogyoga.com to learn more.
Hosted by Drew Beck, Head of Strategy, Growth and Innovation for Syneos Health Learning Solutions, this limited series dives into the breakthrough trends redefining health in 2025 and beyond. From bold moves in R&D and medical affairs to next-gen trial design, product launch strategies and the future of healthcare communications, each episode connects you with the minds driving real change. Big ideas. Real-world impact. In this episode, Drew dives into launch excellence in 2025 with Syneos Health experts Larry Dollar, VP of Medical Affairs, and Michael Sarshad, Managing Director, Consulting. Together, they unpack how strategic spending, agile planning and early investment in medical resources are driving launch success. They explore the rise of new medical affairs roles using the transformative impact of AI on clinical trials, and the evolving needs of field teams. The discussion also highlights how innovations like machine learning–driven physician segmentation are helping companies identify new clinical trial sites faster and more precisely. Whether you're with an emerging biotech or a large pharma company, you'll get key insights on collaboration, creativity and why the year leading up to launch is more critical than ever. The views expressed in this podcast belong solely to the speakers and do not represent those of their organization. If you want access to more future-focused, actionable insights to help biopharmaceutical companies better execute and succeed in a constantly evolving environment, visit the Syneos Health Insights Hub. The perspectives you'll find there are driven by dynamic research and crafted by subject matter experts focused on real answers to help guide decision-making and investment. You can find it all at insightshub.health. Like what you're hearing? Be sure to rate and review us! We want to hear from you! If there's a topic you'd like us to cover on a future episode, contact us at podcast@syneoshealth.com.
It's a tough time to lead one of the biggest companies in the world - one that depends on supply chains, physical infrastructure, and top tech talent to stay competitive. But Andy Jassy, who took over as CEO of Amazon from legendary founder Jeff Bezos in 2021, manages in a way that he says helps him stay focused on what is best for their products and ultimately their customers. He explains his decision to get workers back to the office five days a week, why he is building an organization less dependent on managers, and how their artificial intelligence strategy differs from the rest.
BONUS: Beyond Frameworks, A Provocative Guide to Real Agility With Erwin Verweij In this BONUS episode, we dive into the provocative world of Erwin Verweij's latest book: 'How the f*ck to be Agile?' Erwin shares his journey from frustration to clarity as he witnesses organizations adopting Agile frameworks without understanding their purpose. With candid stories from his coaching experiences, Erwin reveals what happens when teams wake up to real agility beyond dogmatic practices and how organizations can find their own path to meaningful change. The Wake-Up Call for Agile Adoption "What the f*ck dude! Do you even know what it means? Do you really know what it means?" Erwin's journey to writing this book began with growing frustration at how companies approach agility. He frequently encountered teams proudly declaring "We're Agile!" or "Our department is Agile" without understanding what that truly meant. This disconnect between label and understanding became the catalyst for his provocatively-titled wake-up call. Erwin describes his exasperation with organizations adopting frameworks halfheartedly, following mindsets that were completely off track, and ultimately "doing stuff without knowing what they're doing and why they're doing it." The F-word in his book title serves dual purposes - expressing his frustration while also functioning as a power word to wake people up from their complacency. Breaking Free from Framework Dogma "We're not gonna do Agile. Forget it. And we're not gonna do Scrum, even though you're doing Scrum. Let's look at what really works for you people." Rather than imposing rigid frameworks, Erwin advocates for teams to discover what actually works in their specific context. He shares a memorable story of tearing down Scrum posters that management had installed, shocking team members who couldn't believe he would challenge the prescribed approach. In another example, Erwin creatively used a manager's "quarantine" language by posting contamination warnings at a department's entrance with the message: "If you enter this room, you might get contaminated with a new way of working." These disruptive approaches are designed to shake people from blindly following orders and encourage them to think critically about their processes. Finding Your Own Path to Agility "Any coach who goes into a company with a strict plan and a set approach - don't hire them. They don't have a clue what to do." After the wake-up call, Erwin focuses on helping teams discover their own effective ways of working. He believes that the key is to observe what's already working well, emphasize those elements, and discard what doesn't serve the team. This approach stands in stark contrast to consultants who arrive with predetermined solutions regardless of context. Erwin emphasizes that real transformation happens when teams take ownership of their processes, adapt them to their unique needs, and make them their own. He cautions against hiring coaches who come with rigid, predetermined plans, as they often lack the flexibility to address a team's specific challenges. The Never-Ending Journey of Adaptation "We need to help teams to stay open for the change that is coming." Erwin stresses that agility is not a destination but a continuous journey of adaptation. The world never stops changing, so teams must remain flexible and open to evolving their approaches. He encourages a mindset of experimentation with phrases like "let's try" and "what could we try" to keep teams responsive to new challenges. According to Erwin, one of the most powerful ways to foster this adaptive culture is to model the behaviors you want to see in the teams you support. By demonstrating openness to change yourself, you help others embrace the continuous nature of improvement. Scaling Without Bureaucracy "Work with the system, learn what is needed, iterate." When discussing scaling Agile across an organization, Erwin questions why companies feel the need to scale in the first place. He uses cities as a metaphor for how complex systems can organize beyond small groups without excessive bureaucracy. In one organization where he currently coaches, teams have found a pragmatic approach by adopting elements from various frameworks that work for them. They use quarterly planning sessions from SAFe primarily as a networking opportunity that connects everybody and focuses their efforts, even though the planning itself might be "basically bullshit." This practical, results-oriented approach emphasizes what works rather than dogmatic adherence to frameworks. Software as a Creative Process "Software development is basically figuring out how stuff works. It's a creative process that mostly is being dealt with within the brain of people." Erwin views software development fundamentally as a creative process rather than a production line. He explains that it's not about "typing as fast as you can" but about thinking, problem-solving, and creating. This perspective helps explain why iterative approaches with small steps work better than trying to plan everything upfront. Erwin notes that when complex problems become routine, teams might not need the full framework structure, but they should retain the values that help them coordinate effectively. The essence of frameworks like Scrum, he suggests, is simply "start working, figure it out, and see what happens" - an approach that many organizations have become afraid to embrace. Awakening Organizational Intelligence "We raise children, which is basically programming another human being - it's really complex. And we just take it for granted. And then we go to work, and we don't know how to make decisions anymore." One of Erwin's most powerful insights is how organizational structures can suppress the natural intelligence and decision-making abilities that people demonstrate in their personal lives. He points out the irony that we navigate incredibly complex systems like raising children or driving in traffic, yet when we arrive at work, we suddenly act as if we can't make decisions without higher approval. This disconnect creates frustration and wastes human potential. Erwin challenges organizations to wake up to this contradiction and create environments where people can bring their full capabilities to work, rather than checking their intelligence at the door. In this section, we refer to Jurgen Appelo's Book Management 3.0. About Erwin Verweij Erwin is a seasoned Agile Coach, Certified Enterprise Coach, and author of Viking Law and How the f*ck to be Agile?. With 15+ years' experience driving meaningful change, he helps organizations embrace real agility through coaching, transformation, and workshops—cutting through complexity to spark courage, clarity, and action. You can link with Erwin Verweij on LinkedIn and connect with Erwin Verweij on Twitter.
In this episode, Catherine LoPresti, VP of Professional Revenue Cycle Operations at Hackensack Meridian Health, shares how her time at Walmart Connect reshaped her approach to healthcare operations, from leveraging real-time data to empowering physicians and driving patient-centered innovation.
What This Season of Change Makes Possible for You and Your Business The online marketing landscape is shifting—and if you've been feeling like your go-to strategies aren't working the same way they used to, you're not alone. But here's the truth: this evolution is your invitation to get smarter, more agile, and more profitable than ever before. In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Jenna Kutcher to unpack what's really happening in the world of digital marketing—from shrinking webinar show-up rates to why cold audiences are harder to convert (and what to do about it). We're getting honest about the changes we're seeing in our own launches and sharing the mindset and marketing pivots that are helping us stay ahead. If you've been wondering why your organic reach is dropping, if paid ads are even worth it, or whether evergreen funnels still convert, you'll find answers here, plus clear steps to refine your strategies without burning out. Whether you're adjusting to new buyer behavior, exploring alternative ad platforms like Pinterest, or figuring out how to build trust in the age of AI, this episode gives you the clarity you need to stay confident in your business. HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: 1️⃣ Marketing Isn't Broken—But It Is Different Email, webinars, and evergreen funnels still work…if you evolve with them. Buyer behavior has changed, and that shift calls for smarter strategies, better messaging, and more personalized touchpoints. 2️⃣ Your Audience Is Evolving—Are You? Cold audiences need clarity fast, and warm audiences need to feel reconnected. Revisit your avatars, refresh your messaging, and don't assume your audience is the same as last year. 3️⃣ It's Time to Lead with Agility, Not Just Automation Lower show-up rates and smaller cart close days aren't signs of failure—they're signals to show up earlier, sell with clarity, and build trust over time. Strategic pivots (like offering payment plans sooner or trying Pinterest ads) can turn dips into breakthroughs. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Join Jenna's free Pinterest masterclass, "Create Once, Traffic for Months: My 1-Hr Pinterest Strategy to 120X Your Content's Life" - you don't want to miss it! Click here for details. Try BombBomb for Personalized Video Outreach — bombbomb.com Check out payment plan options — afterpay.com and klarna.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram @amyporterfield SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more entrepreneurs who need these insights.