Podcasts about b2b2c

In this episode of Exceptional Startups, Brandon Rodman (founder of Weave and now Previ) breaks down how he's quietly building a Costco for the modern workforce — one that's already grown from 300K to 1.5M users in 3 months, all without charging employers a dime.He shares hard-earned lessons from going 0 to IPO with Weave, why he got rejected by 150 investors, and how he's self-funded Previ with a bigger vision in mind — this time, he's not giving up control.It's honest, tactical, and full of gold for anyone scaling something real.Chapters: 0:00 Intro 2:42 Insane Growth and Brandon's B2B2C tactics5:20 Launch of “The Drop”13:00 Clear, consistent user retention & growth beats fast acquisition 15:00 Betting on Yourself 21:51 How to Build A Winning Culture24:01 “If you only give 80%, you get 80%. That last 10–20% is where everything happens.”Check out Previ: https://previ.com/landingCheck out PELION: https://pelionvp.com/Like, Share, and Subscribe!

​In this episode of Business Ninjas, Andrew chats with Ralph Cummins, President & Managing Director at EMM Group, about how understanding a client's unique needs is paramount to crafting powerful solutions. From business to marketing strategy, value proposition development, to training, EMM Group is armed with decades of experience and expertise–with Ralph referring to their consultancy as "strategic problem solvers."Serving Fortune 500 and 100 companies to startups, they provide deep insights to kickstart even more growth for their clients. With decades of experience, EMM Group creates what they call Strategic Marketing Frameworks for their clients, helping them define best practices and determine the type of content needed to connect with their audience.​An acronym for Enterprise Marketing Management, EMM Group is a team of experts focused on helping global companies grow by harnessing the power of marketing. Their services include custom marketing frameworks, value proposition development, sales and marketing playbooks, marketing training, and market and data analysis. By placing their small focus groups within client organizations, EMM Group ensures a deep understanding of internal challenges, enabling the development of tailored strategies that drive sustained, profitable growth. Discover more about EMM Group's innovative approaches and connect with them through their website: https://www.emmgroup.net/, their LinkedIn company page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emm-group/, and Ralph Cummins' professional profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphscummins/.-----Do you want to be interviewed for your business?  Schedule time with us, and we'll create a podcast like this for your business:  https://www.WriteForMe.io/-----https://www.facebook.com/writeforme.iohttps://www.instagram.com/writeforme.io/https://twitter.com/writeformeiohttps://www.linkedin.com/company/writeforme/https://www.pinterest.com/andysteuer/Want to be interviewed on our Business Ninjas podcast? Schedule time with us now, and we'll make it happen right away! Check out WriteForMe, more than just a Content Agency! See the Faces Behind The Voices on our YouTube Channel!

Are you a startup founder considering a partnership with a big player in your industry? Before you sign that deal, you might want to think twice. In this eye-opening episode we dive deep into the dangers of partnering with or selling to incumbents when you're trying to disrupt an industry.Chris and Yaniv explore the concept of "killing your customers" not literally, of course, but in the sense of disrupting the very companies you might be tempted to partner with. They break down the "funnel of doom" that many startups fall into when pursuing B2B2C partnerships, and explain why going direct to end users is often the better strategy for truly innovative products.In this episode, you will:Discover the 10 steps of the "funnel of doom" for B2B2C partnershipsLearn why incumbents often struggle to understand and implement disruptive innovationsUnderstand the importance of owning your user relationships and dataExplore real-world case studies of successful direct-to-consumer disruptorsDebate the limitations of white-label and B2B business modelsGain insights on how to avoid common startup pitfalls when choosing a go-to-market strategyRecognize the value of iterating quickly and maintaining control over your productLinks mentioned in the EP:https://www.tsp.show/edu-b2c-vs-b2b2c-driving-direct-disruption-w-matt-holme/ B2B vs B2C comparison Table:https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ICK-KmnPJgzfQC1wkxz6Tf-l69pUptmk1QyKH9QB9M/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.1izb56alryedThe PactHonour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Secure your official TSP merchandise at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.tsp.show/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.Key linksThe Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.vanta.com/tsp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Startup Podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tsp.show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://chrissaad.com/advisory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Chris on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CreditsEditor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Justin McArthur⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/Intro Voice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeremiah Owyang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Leave feedback!Today I am speaking with Holger Arians, the Chairman and CEO at Banxa. Holger leads Banxa, a global crypto payment infrastructure provider that enables users to convert their fiat currency to crypto through integrated solutions with major platforms like Binance, OKX, and MetaMask, handling all regulatory compliance and KYC requirements for partners reaching over a billion people worldwide.Growing up in Germany, Holger developed his business acumen early by working in his father's car dealership during school holidays. After studying business in the Netherlands, he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by launching juice bars in Germany before moving to Australia, where he discovered Bitcoin in 2013 when his business partner received mining machines from China. This serendipitous introduction to crypto led to founding Banxa in 2014.In our conversation, Holger shares insights about Banxa's evolution from a B2C crypto retailer to a B2B2C infrastructure provider, the transformative potential of stablecoins for global remittances, and the challenges of navigating banking relationships as a crypto company. He also discusses their "embedded crypto" vision, which mirrors what Stripe did for payments, and his excitement about applying blockchain technology to real-world financial use cases. Show Notes and TranscriptsThe GRTiQ Podcast takes listeners inside web3 and The Graph (GRT) by interviewing members of the ecosystem.  Please help support this project and build the community by subscribing and leaving a review.Twitter: GRT_iQwww.GRTiQ.com

This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to outcomesrocket.com The key to improving the patient financial experience lies in personalized, transparent, and empathetic billing practices, moving beyond traditional, impersonal revenue cycle management.  In this episode, Dugan Winkie, Head of Commercial Strategy for Cedar, discusses how his company is revolutionizing the patient financial experience. His company uses a B2B2C model, partnering with providers to interact directly with patients on all billing matters, offering solutions ranging from simple bill payments to complex affordability options. Dugan emphasizes how they differentiate themselves by creating a personalized experience that guides patients through the complexities of healthcare finance. He also explains that Cedar prioritizes data integration to accurately answer complex billing questions and offer a truly integrated patient experience.  Tune in and learn about the future of patient financial engagement and how to create a transparent, personalized, and empathetic experience with the patient billing process! Resources:  Connect and follow Dugan Winkie on LinkedIn. Learn more about Cedar on their LinkedIn and website. Read Cedar's annual report here. Fast Track Your Business Growth: Outcomes Rocket is a full service marketing agency focused on helping healthcare organizations like yours maximize your impact and accelerate growth. Learn more at outcomesrocket.com

Neil Chandler, Chief Executive Officer, Aion BankItaly's Unicredit finalised the takeover of Aion Bank and sister company, tech provider, Vodeno in early March 2025. The deal was first announced in July 2024. Ahead of the confirmation of the Unicredit deal, Aion Bank CEO Neil Chandler spoke with Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence, discussing the evolution of Banking-as-a-Service and the difference between fully regulated BaaS platforms and BNPL services.

Continuo a parlare di attenzione dopo la newsletter della settimana scorsa sul Fantasanremo. L'attenzione chi non ce l'ha se la compra o, come TIM, prova a crearsela da solo, in modo da ottenere vari obiettivi. Quali? Non l'ho mai capito: provo a decodificarli in questa puntata.Grazie a Hoepli – editore specializzato in tecnologia e marketing – per il supporto particolare a questa edizione. C'entra Seth Godin, e ho detto tutto.Sei tra le circa 25.000 persone iscritte tra qui, LinkedIn, Telegram e WhatsApp: grazie, spero che le 3,8 ore per scriverla ti siano state utili. A proposito, che ne dici di presentare il tuo brand nella newsletter come ha fatto oggi Hoepli? Dai un'occhiata per sponsorizzare nel 2025. Il quiz della settimana[in collaborazione con Hoepli]Il vangelo secondo Seth80. MARKETING STRATEGICOIl marketing è l'arte di costruire un prodotto o un servizio che racconti una storia. Una storia vera, che è familiare e cambia le persone che la vivono. Il primo compito del marketer è trovare un problema e risolverlo, aiutando un cliente ad arrivare dove sta andando.E il secondo, […] è fornire a quella persona una storia da raccontare agli altri. Coinvolgere la rete della comunità. Aiutare quella persona a migliorare il proprio status e la propria affiliazione perché si sta impegnando con gli altri utilizzando la storia che voi l'avete aiutata a creare.Se vediamo il mondo come una rete e il nostro lavoro come un aiuto alle persone che ne fanno parte per connettersi e crescere, la strategia diventa molto più chiara.Seth Godin, Questa è strategia – HoepliDi Seth Godin si può avere qualunque opinione. Sono tutte accettabili per qualche verso. Puoi criticare l'applicabilità di certe ispirazioni, la base statistica per le sue affermazioni, il fatto che ci lascia sempre un po' appesi nelle sue meditazioni che sembrano un corano più che una bibbia. Ma questo è anche il suo bello. Di quei guru che si fermano un attimo prima di quella linea rossa che non saprei definire, che divide chi ne sa e chi non ne sa.I suoi libri sono breviari, da aprire a caso, leggere e pensare per un minuto. Poi ributtarsi in quel report PPT da presentare entro lunedì. Secondo me, preso così, questo è un libro interessante. Del libro ne parlo con Giuseppe Stigliano in un free webinar il 4 marzo alle 16:00. Ci si registra qui. Se intanto vi volete portare avanti e volete leggere il libro, il link è nel bottone. Il mistero di TIM PartyPer un po' si è parlato molto di super-app. Ricordate come Musk cominciò a teorizzare di trasformare Twitter in X, proprio come simbolo di app per qualsiasi cosa? Il suo piano era abbastanza delirante, e non andò da nessuna parte. Non convinse nessuno, e da lì in poi anzi capitò proprio il contrario. Anche Musk avrebbe poi avuto ben altre idee per la testa, e chissà, se gli fosse riuscita quella la storia avrebbe preso una strada diversa.Il destino di diventare una super-app potrebbe riuscire in Occidente solo a WhatsApp, per la sua pervasività e diffusione. Ma non accadrà, un po' perché Meta ha altri piani, un po' perché i messaggini sono argomenti critici per il GDPR e meglio non destar i garanti che dormono.Ci sono però altri brand, direi tre, che hanno velleità imperiali, almeno in Italia. Io sono in pratica cliente di tutti e tre. Due di questi partono dalla mobilità, il terzo, ed è il mio preferito, lo ammetto, è nelle telecomunicazioni. Mi tengo Telepass ed Enilive (di recente rinominata) per un'altra occasione.Tim Party (d'ora in poi TP) è qualcosa di intrigante, almeno per me, perché sono anni che cerco di darle un senso, trovandolo a volte, ma più spesso rimanendo sul grande dubbio: lo fanno perché devono farlo, cioè perché magari un megadirettore è innamorato della sua idea o perché è una tradizione che non si riesce più a estirpare? Lo fanno perché c'è qualche Ritorno sull'Investimento che mi sfugge?Se non riesco ad attivare il mio sesto senso “follow the money”, io impazzisco. Dove the money, e questo è il trucco, significa non solo soldi in senso stretto, ma anche vantaggi in termini di fama, notorietà, rassicurazione, egocentrismo, scambio in natura, obiettivi personali nascosti o qualsiasi altra causa junghiana delle singole persone che sono coinvolte in un'attività. E naturalmente dati (anche se il loro valore è molto sopravvalutato). Anche dopo aver scorso la lista TP rimane un mistero.Per chi non la conosce ecco la teoria:Il programma fedeltà TP, attivo dal 2018, rappresenta un pilastro strategico nella politica di customer retention di Telecom Italia, con un'architettura digitale che combina gamification, personalizzazione e dinamiche di fidelizzazione multilivello. L'analisi rivela un ecosistema progettato per incrementare l'engagement attraverso un mix di utility dirette (bonus dati/minuti) e vantaggi indiretti (sconti su terze parti), sostenuto da un modello a cluster che premia l'anzianità di servizio e la multicanalità dei contratti.Dunque è un programma fedeltà. L'impatto sulla conservazione dei clienti esistenti, di fronte a un tale dispiegamento di forze, è secondo me discutibile. Ogni tanto mi regalano qualche mega di traffico, senza sapere che mi hanno già regalato quelli INFINITI, e altra chincaglieria da anni zero (gli SMS) – normalmente oggi tutti i piani hanno più traffico di quanto potresti usarne.E quando si tratta di cambiare operatore, oramai si fa sul prezzo e/o sull'assistenza che (non) hai ricevuto. Nessun programma fedeltà funziona con le commodity, ma sono disposto a essere smentito.In TP ci sono le promozioni su cose che di solito non desideri comprare, o comunque non in quel momento – è la maledizione del co-marketing. Però in effetti a qualche brand manager di gioielli o TV LCD potrebbe fare piacere comparire di fronte al pubblico di TP, chissà, o raggranellare due vendite extra in chiusura di trimestre. TP potrebbe vendere visibilità, anche se probabilmente se fosse solo per questo il bilancio tra costo di acquisizione attenzione e vendita di attenzione (ne ho parlato la settimana scorsa per il FantaSanremo) sarebbe in rosso. Potrebbe ricavare qualcosa anche dall'affiliazione verso i partner (es: Whirlpool o Svinando) ma il risultato è tutto da vedere. “Le partnership B2B2C abilitano la revenue sharing su acquisti scontati”. Si parla di un 5-7% per ogni lavatrice venduta.Un altro motivo potrebbe essere il dato personale: TIM traccia già senza TP l'uso che facciamo del telefono (a livello di consumo banda, chiamate ed SMS) e quindi ci può offrire un servizio più adatto ai nostri bisogni e alla sua convenienza. Per esempio, sapeva probabilmente che io avrei abboccato subito al supplemento 5G, se in offerta. E infatti così è andata. Ma per fare questo upsell basta un buon sistema di marketing automation, cioè una mail, non serve farmi ritornare in TP per poi mostrarmi l'offerta, è inefficiente. E invece quali dati nuovi (e con quale utilità) TIM ricavi dalla mia navigazione in TP mi sfugge.Quindi rimane la parte di giochi a premi, che è la più assurda (per i miei gusti personali, e quindi interessante). Il termine tecnico è “meccaniche gamificate con premi a estrazione istantanea”.Gli obiettivi, se fosse una slide:* Daily Active Users boost tramite eventi domenicali* Habit formation mediante reward calendar* Virality attraverso social sharing dei premiIn pratica, devi risolvere giochini che anche un gatto colpendo lo schermo a caso potrebbe farcela. In un minuto devi trovare una parola nascosta, un frutto fuori posto, risolvere un mini-puzzle, di solito in sessanta secondi, quando ne bastano mediamente quindici (e io non sono nemmeno un granché in queste cose). Li chiamano Skill-based mechanics e mini-game interattivi.Ogni domenica vado su TP, e siccome ho vari contratti e vari anni di anzianità, rimango per dieci minuti a tentare per quelle cinque o sei volte, senza farmi vedere da nessuno che mi vergogno. Il loro problema è che la facilità nel risolverli è direttamente proporzionale all'impossibilità di vincerne i premi. Non ho mai – dico mai – vinto nulla.Del resto, so benissimo che il montepremi è UNO smartphone Huawei e vincere è impossibile. Ma oggi se c'è una cosa che ci caratterizza tutti è la visione distorta della probabilità di vincere qualcosa (anche lo scroll social è una lotteria, in effetti) contrapposta alla quantità e al valore della nostra attenzione.Basta questa mia relazione clandestina settimanale con TIM per giustificare tutto questo zibaldone? Only TIM knows. Di certo, quando ci penso razionalmente, mi pare di essere abbastanza scemo. Chissà quanti sono come me ogni settimana.C'è poi l'obiettivo di upsell, certo: per un operatore è oggi fondamentale la fidelizzazione multicanale – cellulare e fibra di casa assieme, perché poi diventa un labirinto inestricabile andarsene. Un manager del CRM scriverebbe per giustificare che “La struttura a cluster crea escalation paths che premiano la tenure con benefit incrementali, incentivano la convergenza fisso-mobile, mitigano il churn tramite lock-in emozionale”. Ma, di nuovo, non basta una buona marketing automation?TP potrebbe costare (una stima) circa due milioni all'anno, forse più. Una nocciolina per TIM, in effetti. I premi sono pagati al 50% dai partner: un concorso TP è anche (soprattutto?) pubblicità.Poi c'è dentro l'eterna mania delle telco di fare cross-selling di altri servizi (TIMVision, TIMFinance). Mi riservo il diritto di non dire nulla su questo.“TP incarna un modello di digital loyalty 3.0 dove la gamification si fonde con precision marketing, creando un circolo virtuoso tra engagement e profitability. L'architettura a cluster moltiplica gli incentivi alla convergenza fisso-mobile, elemento cruciale nella strategia quad-play di TIM. I dati suggeriscono un impatto misurabile sulla riduzione del churn (-18% vs non iscritti) e sull'incremento ARPU (+€2.1/mese).”Tradotto: abbiamo messo su un sistemone complesso che cerca di tamponare il fatto che ogni compagnia fa le stesse cose con gli stessi costi con la stessa qualità percepita. Si dice che chi è iscritto al sistemone se ne va di meno, ma non sappiamo se è una causa o un effetto. Guadagnamo dal sistemone circa due euro in più a utente iscritto.Io però mi chiedo ancora: TP, perché esisti, in realtà? Dimmelo una buona volta.Il marketing insegnato dai negoziantiI tempi sono bui, e la frutta ha i suoi guerrieri (di .)ilmarketinginsegnatodainegozianti.info è un progetto gonzo-collettivo a cui puoi contribuire senza pietà. No screenshot o inoltri dai social, solo foto vostre. Segnalazioni * La scorsa settimana ho parlato del FantaSanremo come paradigma della fabbrica dell'attenzione in vendita. * È uscito un mio pezzo per Link, che mi è costato non poco sudore neurale, in cui parlo di prezzi dinamici dei voli e di quelli dei concerti degli Oasis, della rivoluzione francese, di economia comportamentale, di Annie Ernaux e del suo libro Guarda le luci, amore mio, del primo grande magazzino con i prezzi fissi, di equità, di Douglas Coupland, di capitalismo, di dati, dell'algoritmo e della personalizzazione.* È uscito il mio op-ed (ho scoperto questo termine e ora lo uso ovunque) per Tendenze: parlo della fine dell'età dell'oro (per l'ecommerce).That's all folks!Se ti è piaciuta, inoltrala o stampala sulla stampante condivisa dell'ufficio, qualcuno la raccoglierà. Ah, se stai pensando di supportare questa newsletter, clicca qui. Grazie ancora a Hoepli. Se stai pensando a uno speech nella tua azienda o al tuo evento, rispondi alla mail.Ci leggiamo venerdì prossimo, gluca Grazie a Daniela Bollini per la paziente correzione e a Cristina Portolano per i separatori.Quiz: c) più di un miliardo (fonte). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lettera.minimarketing.it

Ned had a chance to run Robinhood Asia but he turned it down. Instead, he launched a competitive product. He decided to go B2B and sell to banks and other financial institutions. He locked down a $400K revenue sale before writing a line of code. It seemed easy at first. Overtime, he grew to $3.5M in revenue, billions in assets under management and hundreds of thousands of users. He raised $20M in venture capital. But then the problems started. Enterprises that paid for large contracts didn't push the product—many had no marketing budgets. In some cases, they shelved the product altogether. The one-time revenue never turned into ARR. Running out of money, he was forced to raise a small bridge and lay off more than half his staff.He came close—but ultimately, he just wasn't able to recover. He sold off the company for parts and went through a wind down. This is his story—and the lessons he learned.Why you should listen: Why the difference between success and failure can be minimal.How to balance custom contracts with building scalable product. Why enterprises might not push the product they've paid $100K+ for.How to build a strong company culture.Why layoffs are the hardest thing a founder will go through.When things go south, "the days are long, but the months are short".Keywordsstartup, FinTech, B2B2C, customization, revenue models, marketing, client engagement, leadership, company culture, lessons learned, B2B sales, startup challenges, emotional toll, liquidation, lessons learnedSend me a message to let me know what you think!

Send us a textIn today's episode of Navigating the Customer Experience with Eitan Koter. Eitan Koter, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Vimmi, has a rich background in the tech sector, particularly in video commerce, digital marketing, and social commerce. With over two decades of experience, including managing a public company and leading startups, Koter has established himself as a thought leader in the industry. His company, Vimmi, is a video commerce SaaS platform that has been operational for 11 years, focusing on immersive shopping experiences through video.Eitan's JourneyKoter's career began in the tech sector, specifically in video compression technology. His extensive experience spans various sectors like eCommerce and media. He emphasizes the evolution of video marketing and commerce, noting the significant shift towards immersive experiences that enhance online shopping. Vimmi's unique approach integrates video and augmented reality to create interactive purchasing experiences, moving beyond traditional static product pages.About VimmiVimmi initially catered to large content providers and enterprises looking to launch video services similar to Netflix. The company serves a B2B2C model, where they provide solutions for enterprises that ultimately serve consumers. Koter highlights the growing trend of live shopping, inspired by practices in China, where brands engage audiences through live streams that incorporate direct purchasing options. This interactive format fosters emotional connections with consumers and enhances brand loyalty.Recommended Skills and Tools for Video CommerceKoter advises newcomers to focus on short-form videos (around 30 seconds), starting with a compelling hook rather than a sales pitch. He suggests creating content that addresses customer pain points and building personal connections through storytelling. The structure of these videos should include:Hook: Capture attention with a question or intriguing statement.Connection: Share personal stories or experiences related to the topic.Showcase: Provide visual evidence of success or transformation.Insight: End with a powerful takeaway for viewers.Koter emphasizes authenticity and consistency in content creation, recommending that brands post regularly to build community engagement.Importance of Social CommerceKoter asserts that social commerce is crucial for future brand success. It enables brands to connect directly with consumers through engaging content across multiple platforms. The integration of shoppable videos allows for seamless transactions during live events or short-form content, enhancing the shopping experience.ConclusionEitan Koter's insights into video commerce highlight its transformative potential in eCommerce. By leveraging immersive experiences and social engagement, brands can foster deeper connections with their audiences while driving sales. His expertise serves as a guide for businesses seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of digital marketing and commerce effectively.

In this weeks' Scale Your Sales Podcast episode, my guest is Brandi Starr.   Brandi Starr is a marketing powerhouse with over 20 years of experience shaking up B2B and B2B2C companies. As COO at Tegrita, a consultancy that unlocks the power of email, she's all about transforming processes, enhancing go-to-market strategies, and ensuring smooth customer experiences. Named one of the Top 50 Women in MarTech, Brandi blends strategic vision with operational savvy. She's also the coauthor of "CMO to CRO" and the host of the Revenue Rehab podcast, known for turning ideas into action and inspiring others in the marketing world.   In today's episode of Scale Your Sales podcast, Brandi Starr has transformed B2B and B2B2C organizations through her expertise in optimizing email strategies within the sales funnel. A leading voice in Martech, she explores the role of technology in sales and marketing, the importance of team alignment, and the untapped potential of mid-funnel insights. Brandi shares actionable strategies for revenue growth and high-performing sales teams, offering a forward-looking perspective on customer excellence and sustainable success. Welcome to Scale Your Sales Podcast, Brandi Starr.     Timestamps: 00:00 Maximizing Middle Funnel Opportunities 03:39 Modern Phone Intrusiveness 06:49 Integrated Marketing Insights 10:33 Mastering Middle Funnel Strategy 14:14 Data & Tech: Insightful Integration 16:28 CMO: Future Revenue Leader 20:25 Reassess Tech Use, Don't Replace 24:11 Misaligned Strategy Limits Business Success 28:43 Hiring for Talent, Not Experience 32:21 Role-Specific Assessment Benefits 33:30 Unlocking Success Through Predictive Tools 36:44 Authenticity Drives Success     https://a.co/d/6jKShUC https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandistarr/ https://www.instagram.com/revenuerehab/     Janice B Gordon is the award-winning Customer Growth Expert and Scale Your Sales Framework founder. She is by LinkedIn Sales 15 Innovating Sales Influencers to Follow 2021, the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Customer Experience Nov 2020 and 150 Women B2B Thought Leaders You Should Follow in 2021. Janice helps companies worldwide to reimagine revenue growth thought customer experience and sales.   Book Janice to speak virtually at your next event: https://janicebgordon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaniceBGordon Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast More on the blog: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/blog Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScaleYourSales   And more! Visit our podcast website https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast/ to watch or listen.

Last week I had a chance to chat to Siddhi Mittal, a co-founder at yhangry (YC W22). Here is what we discussed: - Transitioning from a high six-figure trading job to entrepreneurship - A non-traditional YC process - Transitioning from an ops-led to a product-led organization - Startup stagnation as a near-death experience - Why generic advice never works - Running fundraising as a discovery process - Why the B2B2C angle is important for raising funds as a marketplace business - How AI changes marketplace businesses - The power of visualization for founders Siddhi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhimittal23/

Nel panorama assicurativo italiano, la trasformazione digitale si sta configurando non come una rivoluzione radicale, ma come un acceleratore di efficienza e penetrazione di mercato. Gerardo Di Francesco, vicepresidente dell’Italian Insuretech Association, ai microfoni di #RadioNext evidenzia come la tecnologia non debba essere interpretata come un sostituto degli intermediari tradizionali - broker e agenti - ma come uno strumento per potenziarne il ruolo. La sfida, in un settore storicamente legato a processi manuali e alla gestione di eccezioni, risiede nel bilanciare innovazione e complessità normativa.Uno dei temi centrali riguarda l’evoluzione delle polizze parametriche, basate su parametri oggettivi come eventi meteorologici, che richiedono un allineamento tra framework normativo e capacità tecniche per garantire equità nel risarcimento. Sebbene queste soluzioni promettano maggiore rapidità, il legame tra parametri e danno effettivo rimane un nodo critico, soprattutto in contesti geograficamente eterogenei come l’Italia.Sul fronte operativo, l’adozione di tecnologie come la Robotic Process Automation (RPA) e i Large Language Model (LLM) potrebbe rappresentare un salto quantico. Questi strumenti, capaci di interpretare documenti e automatizzare processi non lineari, offrono opportunità per snellire fasi come la liquidazione dei sinistri, tradizionalmente vincolate a valutazioni umane. Tuttavia, la resistenza al cambiamento deriva dalla natura stessa del settore, strutturato su eccezioni e casi particolari.Dal punto di vista del mercato, non emergono attori in grado di scalzare gli incumbent, ma piuttosto partnership tra player consolidati e startup. L’obiettivo è ampliare l’offerta attraverso servizi B2B2C, sfruttando la tecnologia per raggiungere un pubblico più ampio in un Paese ancora sottoassicurato. La concentrazione del mercato e l’ingresso di operatori esteri suggeriscono dinamiche competitive in evoluzione, dove l’eccellenza operativa e l’integrazione tecnologica diventeranno fattori chiave per differenziarsi.I prossimi mesi vedranno un focus su ricerche congiunte con università e società di consulenza per misurare l’impatto della trasformazione digitale lungo l’intera value chain, dalla sottoscrizione alla gestione dei sinistri, confermando una tendenza verso un’innovazione sistemica e collaborativa.

This episode of the Uncharted podcast features Phil Carr, a tech entrepreneur discussing his journey from founding and exiting My PT Hub (a successful B2B2C fitness platform) to his current venture, Upzelo. Phil shares insights about his recent pivot from a SaaS retention product to an e-commerce loyalty platform, discussing the challenges of second-time entrepreneurship, knowing when to pivot, and his perspective on AI's impact on technology. The conversation covers valuable lessons about self-awareness in entrepreneurship, raising capital, and adapting to changing market conditions.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we dive into two distinct yet promising sectors: medical diagnostics and sleep technology. Michael Cormack from Corwin Medical elaborates on the company's efforts to tackle peripheral artery disease (PAD) through innovative diagnostic systems that leverage multi-element ultrasound arrays and AI-based algorithms. He elaborates on the severe impact of PAD, its high mortality rate, and the cumbersome nature of current diagnostic tools like the Doppler Pencil Probe. Michael outlines their unique Ultrasense system, which promises faster, more accurate diagnostics, detailing a robust business model and strong leadership geared towards high-margin revenue and strategic industry partnerships with entities like Medtronic and Philips. He highlights the company's commercialization timeline and financial trajectory towards profitability by 2026, supported by a strong patent portfolio and seed funding efforts. The compelling patient stories and strong market need underscore the critical importance of their work in early PAD detection and intervention.  Following this, we turn our focus to SleepScore Labs with Colin Lawlor, who shares his journey from ResMed to founding an organization dedicated to leveraging AI and data for improving consumer sleep. Recognizing sleep's critical role in overall health, Colin outlines how SleepScore Labs utilizes proprietary sleep data and intervention studies to provide companies with actionable insights and personalized coaching solutions. The importance of sleep for mitigating chronic diseases and optimizing wellness drives their market opportunity, particularly through B2B2C models with partners like Mattress Firm and Terabody. By highlighting their success in Germany, where their platform is reimbursed by insurance without a doctor's prescription, Colin emphasizes the robust, scalable business model ready to capitalize on the growing demand for sleep solutions.  The episode closes with both Cormack and Lawlor discussing their exit strategies and potential for partnerships with industry giants, illustrating the potential for innovation in medical diagnostics and sleep technology. The detailed exploration into these fields gives investors and entrepreneurs critical insights into the paths to market success and the transformative potential of these cutting-edge technologies. Team and Funding 30:14 Q&A and Conclusion

Episode 241: When is mastering the basics a differentiator? In an industry where complexity is the norm, Prudential Group Insurance has made a counterintuitive strategic choice. While many companies chase innovation through digital transformation and enhanced features, Prudential has discovered that operational excellence—the "absence of noise"—can be a more powerful differentiator. Abhii Parakh and Mike Estep reveal why group insurance demands a fundamentally different approach to customer experience than high-touch industries like hospitality or travel. For Prudential, success depends not on bells and whistles, but on excelling at the foundational elements: reliable execution, friction-free processes, and consistent delivery. "The absence of noise is a tremendous win," Mike emphasizes. "That's not the long-term goal for us. But if you don't get those things right, you won't get the chance to get to the nirvana state where you are separating yourself from the competition because of the experiences you created.” Learn how Prudential delivers seamless experiences across its ecosystem of brokers, employers, and employees by prioritizing simplicity and operational excellence. Discover why, in complex B2B2C environments, flawless execution of core processes can be a more powerful differentiator than feature innovation. Guests: Abhii Parakh, Head of Customer Experience, Prudential Financial, and Mike Estep, President, Group Insurance, Prudential Financial Host: Rob Markey, Partner, Bain & Company Give Us Feedback: We'd love to hear from you. Help us enhance your podcast experience by providing feedback here in our listener survey: https://bit.ly/CCPodcastFeedback Want to get in touch? Send a note to host Rob Markey: https://www.robmarkey.com/contact-rob Time-stamped List of Topics Covered: [00:01:16] Overview of group insurance products [00:03:21] The broker, employer, and employee experience [00:06:46] Employees' challenges with insurance products [00:10:21] Eliminating friction to enable differentiation [00:19:02] Customer experience as a growth driver [00:35:48] Overcoming challenges in survey feedback Time-stamped Notable Quotes: [00:05:24] “Modern life is exhausting. The last thing you want to deal with is friction with your group insurance carrier—about reports, getting your commission check, or that we're screwing up the bill and you're getting heat from that client. It doesn't need to be rocket science. There's beauty in simplicity and intuitive experiences that are void of friction.” [00:08:31] “The absence of noise is a tremendous win. That's not the long-term goal for us. But if you don't get those things right, you won't get the chance to get to the nirvana state where you are separating yourself from the competition because of the experiences you created.” [14:01] “Feedback—while painful to hear—is something you can use as a tool to help get other people in the organization to respond and make improvements that will help you, personally, be successful because they're resolving problems of your customers.”

What are the key challenges and opportunities in the evolving B2B2C and C2B marketing models, and how is AI impacting modern strategies?In this insightful interview, marketing expert Suzanne Darmory shares her 25+ years of global experience in marketing and dives into the evolving landscape of modern business strategies. Discover how B2B2C (business-to-business-to-consumer) and C2B (consumer-to-business) models are transforming traditional marketing approaches and creating new opportunities and challenges for businesses.As the CMO of Refundo, Suzanne explores how companies can reach consumers indirectly through business partnerships and why consumer feedback is becoming a key driver of business strategy. She also offers a deep dive into the role of AI in marketing, why human connections still matter, and the importance of continuous learning through conferences and mentorship.With a mix of humor and professional insights, Suzanne provides a fresh perspective on how to navigate the future of marketing. Whether you're a marketer, entrepreneur, or simply curious about the industry, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways!

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Brandi Starr is a powerhouse in marketing and operations, driving transformation across B2B and B2B2C companies.   As the Chief Operating Officer of Tegrita, a leading marketing strategy and technology consultancy.   Brandi has helped guide sustainable growth for Tegrita and its Fortune 500 clients in industries such as technology, manufacturing, financial services, and sports & entertainment.   With a strong focus on digital transformation and enhancing customer experience, Brandi has doubled Tegrita's workforce and significantly increased its revenue streams.   She is known for her ability to modernize processes, eliminate customer friction, and harness technology to optimize marketing strategies.   Her efforts have led to expanded channel marketing capabilities and innovative team structures, propelling some of the world's most prominent companies forward.   Tune in to learn how Brandi's approach to operational excellence and strategic innovation is reshaping industries.   Learn More Here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/revenuerehab/ ........ Want to be a guest on WITneSSes? Send Elisha Arowojobe a message on #PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/elishaarowojobe   Elevate your business with Anastasia's expert consulting. Use code Elisha3 for an exclusive offer and transform your business today! https://resurrectionmentor.wixsite.com/so/42PDEPEB8?languageTag=en  

With Musk's bio now updated to read, “The people voted for major government reform,” it's clear he's not just dabbling in policy. In this episode, the Morins and Lessins break down what it means for democracy when a “super VC” like Musk mingles tech interests with government influence. Also on the docket: - will Bitcoin surge to $100K? - monetization for LLMs, and - the new wave of Silicon Valley internships in government We're also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspod Connect with us here: 1) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit 2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin 3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin 4) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin Mark Zuckerberg & T-Pain's New Song 'Get Low': https://open.spotify.com/track/3Wn1ZONJX2yfbzWo2aPuQN?si=5368065e3e994f54 00:00 Trailer 01:10 Introduction and Brit's New Look 03:17 IV Drip, Lingo, suPAR 08:49 PSA: Cookies and Feedbacks 10:09 Another big week in AI 12:30 Department of Government Efficiency 21:53 The cryptos and the VCs 29:39 AI in B2B2C and Verticalized Markets 37:50 AI Investment Strategies and Market Trends 52:32 Pop Culture Corner: Zuck and T-Pain 01:00:15 Outro

In this episode, CJ interviews Adam Berg, CFO of Zero Hash, about the evolution of financial services infrastructure and the role of crypto in accelerating this change. With Zero Hash's clients including the likes of Stripe, Interactive Brokers, Franklin Templeton, Shift4, and BlackRock, Adam discusses the importance of blockchain, not just as an asset class but as a fundamental technology that enhances value transfer and settlement processes. He highlights the differences in business models within the fintech ecosystem and the critical need for balance sheet evaluation and liquidity management. Adam talks about the complexities of a B2B2C business model, the challenges and strategies of managing macroeconomic conditions as a CFO, and the importance of a resilient tech stack. He shares insights on the build versus partner framework and explains why he believes that margin compression and price optimization can actually hurt end users in the long run. You'll also hear advice for anyone pursuing a career in finance as Adam reflects on pivotal career decisions.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:Mercury is the fintech ambitious companies use for banking and all their financial workflows. With a powerful bank account at the center of their operations, companies can make better financial decisions and ensure that every dollar spent aligns with company priorities. That's why over 100K startups choose Mercury to confidently run all their financial operations with the precision, control, and focus they need to operate at their best. Learn more at mercury.com.Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 40,000 companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅, head to NetSuite https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning. Operators Guild is where the best CEOs, CFOs, VPs of finance, and BizOps leaders in the business connect, network, and grow together. Built by operators for operators, this members-only community is home to more than 1000 of the most elite high-growth operators in the world. Experience connection and knowledge share with professionals who understand you like no one else does. Learn more and apply at operators-guild.com. Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages.

Many businesses overlook the crucial middle phase of the sales funnel, fixating instead on attracting new leads or closing sales. But, neglecting the middle can lead to missed opportunities and wasted efforts. By focusing on the middle of the funnel (MoFu), you can refine leads and ensure smoother transitions to the final purchase decision, ultimately boosting your conversion rates.  On this episode I explore the significance of the middle of the sales funnel and how businesses can effectively engage with prospects during this critical phase. The middle of the funnel acts as a bridge between initial engagement and the final sale, nurturing leads to ensure they are ready to convert. By maintaining continuity and delivering relevant communications at every stage of the buyer's journey, businesses can significantly enhance their chances of successful conversions. Joining me in this exploration is Brandi Starr, a marketing powerhouse with over 20 years of experience shaking up B2B and B2B2C companies. As COO at Tegrita, a consultancy that unlocks the power of email, she's all about transforming processes, enhancing go-to-market strategies, and ensuring smooth customer experiences. Named one of the Top 50 Women in MarTech, Brandi blends strategic vision with operational savvy. She's also the co-author of "CMO to CRO" and the host of the Revenue Rehab podcast, known for turning ideas into action and inspiring others in the marketing world. Links Mentioned: revenuerehab.live tegrita.com

In this episode, we welcome Karlo König, Head of Marketing at Kompare, Croatia's largest price comparison website for insurance and telecommunication services.  Karlo shares insights into how Kompare simplifies the process of choosing and buying insurance and telecom services, saving consumers both time and money. He discusses the importance of website optimization in their B2B2C model, emphasizing the role of A/B testing and user behavior analysis. Karlo also offers valuable advice on staying updated with industry trends and highlights the significance of continuous learning and innovation in marketing.  This episode is packed with practical tips for marketers looking to enhance their digital strategies and improve customer acquisition.  

Welcome to Boostly Podcast Episode 746. stayfi.com/boostly Discount code: BOOSTLY  https://www.hostfully.com/boostly/ In this episode of the Boostly podcast, Liam welcomes Mariah Rockman, co-founder of the Smiling House Group, to discuss the new Villa Tracker platform. Mariah explains how Villa Tracker creates a unique B2B2C bridge for vacation rental professionals and travel professionals, offering a closed platform to facilitate bookings and enhance trust in the hospitality industry. The podcast covers Mariah's professional journey, the needs of travel professionals, and the exciting features of Villa Tracker that cater to luxury and design-oriented properties. Mariah also shares her insights for hosts on staying connected, leveraging multiple booking channels, and embracing unique services to grow their businesses. https://smilinghouse.ch/ https://www.villatracker.com @smilinghouseluxury @Villatracker https://Boostly.co.uk https://Boostly.co.uk/5steps https://instagram.com/boostlyuk https://Boostly.co.uk/podcast

This week, Cardinal CEO, Alex Membrillo, and Nancy Ryerson, Director of Content Marketing at Lantern, dive into the art of patient acquisition, exploring B2B and B2B2C marketing strategies tailored for healthcare marketers. Hear valuable insights into how content marketing, podcasts, and social media can boost brand awareness and drive client acquisition. From leveraging video testimonials to running virtual summits, this episode is packed with actionable tips to elevate your marketing efforts and stay ahead of industry trends. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Nancy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/  The Power of Patient Podcasts in Modern Hospital Marketing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/podcast/power-of-patient-podcasts-modern-hospital-marketing-bonnie-ward/  How to Engage Patients with a Full-Funnel Facebook Ads Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-facebook-ads-strategy/  B2B2C Strategies in Healthcare: Winning Employer Clients -  https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/podcast/b2b2c-strategies-in-healthcare-winning-employer-clients-lindsey-kratzer/ 

In this latest episode of the FocusCore podcast, host David Sweet is joined by Timothy Connor from Synnovate, a company that helps companies launch and succeed in the Japan market through four key practice areas. If you are a business leader in the Japanese market this conversation will provide some invaluable insights. In the episode Timothy explains the concept of strategic leadership and outlines the five leadership archetypes that are required at the different stages of an organization's growth. In this episode you will hear:How Timothy pivoted from designing apparel to marketingTimothy's approach to identifying essential customer experience touch pointsWhat a social listening exercise is and how it can help your companyWhy last impressions can be more important than first impressionsAbout strategic leadership and the five leadership archetypesThe different skill sets required for each of the leadership archetypesAbout Timothy:Timothy Connor is a bilingual and bicultural longtime resident of Tokyo Japan. He has 25 years of experience in consumer related businesses, both B2B2C and B2C. During this time, he has developed a deep understanding of the Japanese market, its consumers, and the unique aspects of doing business in Japan, where trust relationships are essential.As CEO of Synnovate, he develops road maps to growth, leads the implementation, and works synergistically with the local master distributor or franchisor to achieve growth. He uses his bilingual and bicultural expertise to liaise and create a trust relationship with the distributors and partners to then innovate in products, sales and marketing channels, and activation promotional activities. As a non-Japanese, he can often see opportunities that the Japanese partners cannot and has more flexibility than a Japanese partner to do things outside the box. Marketing to Japanese consumers requires a highly developed customer experience and attention to the finest details of quality, an aspect sometimes overlooked by foreign brands.Previously Managing Director in charge of corporate development and the marketing service business group of an American owned firm. His role was to find new business opportunities, devise the market strategy for sales and distribution partners, develop the organization, and subsequently run the new business.These experiences motivated him to develop the concept of strategic leadership and the five “types” of leadership that can become necessary in the growth journey of any business.Connect with Timothy:Website: https://www.synnovate.jp/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyconnor/Connect with David Sweet:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasiaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/ Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/ “Doin' the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To

In Ep. 142 of Earned, Conor Begley sits down with Chris Chesebro— Chief Digital Officer at Wella Company, an innovative global leader in the beauty industry with a portfolio of winning professional and retail hair, nails, and beauty tech brands. To start, we delve into the seismic shifts occurring in the beauty industry through digital innovation. Chris shares how his team harmonizes digital marketing strategies with MarTech and AdTech solutions to build beloved consumer brands while catering to diverse, country-specific needs. We hear how transitioning from a B2B to a B2B2C model and implementing innovative strategies on platforms like Amazon and Ulta have driven significant growth for Wella. Chris also emphasizes the importance of upskilling staff in digital tools like Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics. Switching gears, we dive into the vital role of social media in cultivating relationships within the professional hairdressing and nail art industry, and hear how Wella leverages affiliate partnerships and celebrates individual excellence. To close the show, Chris opens up about challenges and triumphs of navigating corporate spin-outs and digital transformations, before leaving us with his passions for cooking and wine. Tune in to learn: 1. How transitioning from a B2B to a B2B2C model and implementing innovative strategies on platforms like Amazon and Ulta have driven significant growth for Wella 2. Why Wella prioritizes building strong relationships with hair and nail professionals through affiliate partnerships 3. How Wella's corporate spin-out from COTY led to innovative brand building and future-focused growth.   Resources: MMA Global - https://www.mmaglobal.com/   Connect with the Guest: Chris's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrischesebro/?originalSubdomain=fr   Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ: Conor's LinkedIn - @conormbegley CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq   Follow us on social: CreatorIQ YouTube - @TribeDynamics CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ  

We're excited to welcome Roy Lugasi, co-founder and co-CEO of Stork, to the Retail Corner Podcast. In this episode, he'll share his expertise on the unique challenges and opportunities facing luxury brands in the digital era, from preserving exclusivity to enhancing the online customer experience. Join us as Roy offers valuable insights into the strategies driving the future of luxury retail. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in luxury and e-commerce. About our Guest, Roy Lugasi: Roy Lugasi is the co-founder & co-CEO of Stork, the AI-powered digital warehouse for luxury retail. Stork is the only B2B2C solution offering suppliers and sellers of luxury goods greater visibility, access, and control throughout the global supply chain by leveraging AI and real-time insights to future-proof luxury wholesale. As a visionary entrepreneur, Roy has a passion for developing transformative technologies that disrupt the status quo. Roy previously co-founded Weepo, another successful technology startup, with Tamilla Nagim and Shmulik Chicvashvili. That same leadership team went on to build Stork in 2020 to address the blind spots between suppliers and sellers of luxury goods all over the world. Roy lives in New York City with his wife and children. Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-lugasi-a995b065/ Website: https://www.stork.inc/ About Retail Corner Podcast: Host: Cole Koumalats Producer: Sachin Kumar Bhate Podcast Sponsor: Proxima360 Listen to other podcasts at: https://proxima360.com/retail-corner.podcast or https://retailcorner.live Subscribe our Podcast: Apple iTunes: https://apple.co/3eoeUdT Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3dvjpDJ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/3DFHXHw Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3tkbhk1 Interested in being on our podcast? Submit request at: retailcorner@proxima360.com

We're excited to announce the launch of Villa Tracker OTA, a pioneering platform connecting the vacation rental industry with traditional travel agencies.Our good friend Moriya Rockman, founder of Smiling House and Villa Tracker, joins us to discuss the platform's vision, its impact on the industry, and its partnership with Guesty.Moriaya shares her journey, the challenges faced in creating an OTA, and the potential for new bookings, sustainability, and innovation within the short-term rental sector. The episode highlights the collaborative spirit of the industry, the importance of trust and high standards, and the exciting future of integrated travel planning.Episode Highlights:Villa Tracker Overview: Villa Tracker is a new OTA that connects the vacation rental industry with traditional travel agencies, bridging a gap that has existed since the inception of platforms like Airbnb.History and Need: The vacation rental industry has traditionally excluded third-party professionals like travel agents. Villa Tracker seeks to integrate these professionals into the booking process, offering a B2B2C model.Target Audience Expansion: Villa Tracker aims to serve not just high-budget clients but also travelers who are looking for unique accommodations, including city apartments and luxury villas, with the help of their trusted travel agents.COVID-19 as a Catalyst: The demand for private accommodations during COVID-19 highlighted the need for vacation rentals in the travel industry, inspiring the creation of Villa Tracker.Challenges and Vision: Creating Villa Tracker required overcoming significant technical and trust-building difficulties, but the platform is poised to open new opportunities for property managers and travel agents alike.Partnership with Guesty: Villa Tracker's partnership with Guesty, a leading PMS, was critical in meeting high industry standards and launching the platform.Moriya's Journey: Moriya shares her story from managing a small property in Switzerland to creating a groundbreaking platform, emphasizing the importance of innovation and collaboration in the industry.Industry Collaboration: The podcast highlights the collaborative nature of the vacation rental industry, where professionals push each other to innovate and grow, benefiting the industry as a whole.

Today on the number one podcast for CFOs, CJ talks to Nicolette Turner, CFO of Headspace. Nicolette shares her unconventional journey into her role and how she first came to work for the company during the pandemic while she was seven months pregnant with her first child. She explains why CFOs should use their company's products and why and how they should talk directly to customers. Nicolette then sheds light on Headspace's fascinating and complex business model that includes facets of a B2B, B2C, and B2B2C company. She discusses the challenges of forecasting the business, calculating customer acquisition costs and lifetime value, and monetization within this complex framework, as well as the unique working capital and cashflow challenges they face. She also shares hiring wisdom, including when to promote internally versus hiring externally, what she looks for in a resume, and how building a diverse team unlocks value, while also sharing tools for tough conversations with employees.If you're looking for an ERP head to NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist.—SPONSORS:Leapfin is accounting automation software that automatically prepares and posts reliable journal entries. High-growth businesses like Reddit, Canva, and Seat Geek choose Leapfin to eliminate manual tasks, accelerate month-end close, and enable accounting leaders to provide faster insights to help their companies grow. To automatically standardize your revenue data with measurable business impact, check out leapfin.com today. Planful is a financial performance management platform designed to streamline financial tasks for businesses. It helps with budgeting, closing the books, and financial reporting, all on a cloud-based platform. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these processes, Planful allows businesses to make better financial decisions. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Mercury is the fintech ambitious companies use for banking and all their financial workflows. With a powerful bank account at the center of their operations, companies can make better financial decisions and ensure that every dollar spent aligns with company priorities. That's why over 100K startups choose Mercury to confidently run all their financial operations with the precision, control, and focus they need to operate at their best. Learn more at mercury.com.Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than 37,000 thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/metrics and get a customized KPI checklist. Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages.

In this episode of the IoT For All Podcast, Ewam de Freitas, Chief Product Officer at Veea, joins Ryan Chacon to discuss the role of IoT and edge computing in precision farming. The conversation also covers providing connectivity in underserved and remote communities, edge computing use cases, the role of IoT in edge computing, energy optimization, the challenges of edge computing, and securing edge devices. Ewam de Freitas is Chief Product Officer at Veea. Previously, Ewam led the product team for Liberty Latin America with responsibilities across 20 consumer markets delivering mobile, cloud, high-speed connectivity, and entertainment products. Ewam held product and technology leadership roles at Level 3, Charter, and Comcast. He has multiple patents in network-based security methods to strengthen streaming and digital consumer services. Ewam received a B.S. in Biology from James Madison University and completed executive education programs at Daniels College of Business and Ross School of Business. Veea makes edge computing simpler. By integrating connectivity, processing technologies, and containerized secure applications within an easily deployed solution, the Veea Edge Platform provides a quick and easy way to tap into the power and benefits of edge computing, where and when needed. Veea unifies edge computing solutions to hyper-connect underserved populations, smart spaces, retail, and private edge-to-cloud for B2B and B2B2C use cases. Veea's virtualized software environments distribute control, decisions, and resources across every type of network. Veea works with enterprise customers, government agencies, channel partners, and system integrators. Headquartered in New York City, Veea employees worldwide are committed to connecting everything from smart farms to smart cities with more resourceful approaches for a more sustainable world. Discover more about edge computing and IoT at https://www.iotforall.com More about Veea: https://www.veea.com Connect with Ewam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewamd/ Our sponsor: https://business.teliacompany.com/internet-of-things/iot-connectivity (00:00) Sponsor (00:20) Intro (00:30) Ewam de Freitas and Veea (01:13) Bridging IoT and edge computing (02:32) Biggest industries for edge computing (05:18) Precision farming and challenges (06:18) Real-world edge computing solution (07:43) Connectivity use cases in underserved areas (09:24) IoT adoption process for rural communities (11:12) Security considerations in IoT deployments (12:45) Optimizing connectivity for different areas (15:25) New and current focus areas (16:16) Learn more and follow up Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2NlcEwm​ Join Our Newsletter: https://www.iotforall.com/iot-newsletter Follow Us on Social: https://linktr.ee/iot4all Check out the IoT For All Media Network: https://www.iotforall.com/podcast-overview

In this episode of Banking Transformed we have Jeff Horowitz, EVP of Transcard, who discusses the importance of modernizing payment solutions for small businesses. Jeff delves into the common challenges small businesses encounter with payment processing, such as high fees, security concerns, and integration issues and how financial institutions now have digital solutions they can offer through third-party providers. Jeff also shares his vision for the future of global digital payments, highlighting trends like digital wallets, biometric authentication, cross-border payments, AI, and IoT. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Microsoft: Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. More at Microsoft.com/financialservices This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by Transcard Transcard makes frictionless payments a reality with comprehensive global payment solutions designed for banks, fintechs, and businesses of any size and in any industry. Transcard delivers solutions for business-to-business (B2B) payments, consumer-to-business (C2B) payments, business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) payments, and account-to-account (A2A) automation. Our solutions combine unmatched multi-rail capabilities, embedded workflows, best-in-class integration, effortless reconciliation, and bank-grade security. These are some of the reasons that 550 businesses and more than 200 banks trust Transcard with their payments. Learn more at www.transcard.com/

On this episode, Benjamin Baer, the Vice President of Product Marketing at FICO, takes us through FICO's journey from disparate technologies to developing a robust AI decision-making platform. He explains how FICO adapts its product strategy to address the rapidly changing tech industry, the intricacies of predictive and prescriptive analytics, and the future of hyper-personalization in customer experiences.Key Takeaways:The evolution of FICO's technology, the integration of predictive analytics, business rules engines, and optimization technologies to create a seamless solution for businesses.How prescriptive analytics helps businesses make informed decisions based on data, predicting outcomes, and optimizing responses.FICO's role as a B2B2C company, helping clients improve their customer experience using advanced analytics.The importance of building authentic, non-transactional relationships with customers to enhance loyalty and long-term engagement.Understanding the current challenges and opportunities in integrating generative AI into customer-facing solutions while ensuring regulatory compliance.Real-world applications of in-stream analytics for real-time customer engagement in various industries.The vision of a fly-by-wire enterprise, where business operations are optimized and automated through advanced analytics and decisioning technologies.The significance of integrating AI as a feature within broader business solutions, rather than as standalone products.–How can you bring all your disconnected, enterprise data into Salesforce to deliver a 360-degree view of your customer? The answer is Data Cloud. With more than 200 implementations completed globally, the leading Salesforce experts from Professional Services can help you realize value quickly with Data Cloud. To learn more, visit salesforce.com/products/data to learn more. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Karla Hernández es CEO y founder de Recupera, plataforma que busca convertirse en tu asesor digital de impuestos, ayudando a los empleados a obtener su devolución de impuestos, brindándoles una planeación financiera a partir de su perfil tributario.Estudió Contaduría Pública en el Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Posteriormente, realizó un diplomado en Contabilidad Internacional por parte del Centro de Estudios Fiscales y diversos cursos en materia fiscal.Inició su carrera como contador corporativo, ocupando posiciones en empresas como Ferromex, American Tower, Scotiabank y ZKW, pero de pronto el emprendimiento llamó a su puerta y ha iniciado tres diferentes empresas, en el año 2010 con una revista digital de arte, en 2016 con una plataforma de reserva de bicicletas y la que hoy abordaremos, Recupera.Recupera es un modelo de negocios B2C que se encuentra en etapa de tracción. En diciembre 2022, durante su etapa de idea, fue acelerado por Socialab México y el Instituto Mexiquense del Emprendedor, en el primer trimestre de 2023 con la mentoría de Emprelatam se construyó el primer MVP, mismo que ya está en el mercado.Puntos Principales de la Entrevista:* Trayectoria de Karla Hernández: Karla narra su fascinante recorrido profesional, desde sus estudios en contaduría pública en el Instituto Politécnico Nacional hasta la fundación de su empresa Recupera. Con una sólida experiencia en contabilidad corporativa y emprendimientos previos, ella ha logrado combinar sus conocimientos para crear una solución innovadora en el ámbito fiscal.* Innovación en Asesoría Fiscal con Recupera: La conversación destaca cómo Recupera utiliza inteligencia artificial y automatización para ofrecer asesoría fiscal personalizada. Karla explica cómo su plataforma ayuda a los empleados a gestionar sus deducciones y obtener mayores devoluciones de impuestos, educándolos sobre sus derechos y optimizando sus finanzas personales.* Desafíos y Estrategias de Crecimiento: Karla aborda los retos que ha enfrentado como emprendedora, incluyendo la construcción de un MVP y la búsqueda de financiación. También comparte sus planes futuros para expandir Recupera y llegar a más usuarios mediante modelos B2B2C y estrategias de marketing innovadoras.Para más información y contenidos exclusivos:* Blog / Newsletter: Cuentos Corporativos en Substack* Facebook: Cuentos Corporativos en Facebook* Instagram: Cuentos Corporativos en Instagram* X (Twitter): Cuentos Corporativos en X* Email: adolfo@cuentoscorporativos.com#AsesoríaFiscal #Innovación #Tecnología #Startups #Recupera #EmpoderamientoFinanciero #Impuestos #Emprendimiento #Latinoamérica #CuentosCorporativos This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cuentoscorporativos.substack.com

Join us as we chat with Eugenia Blackstone, CMO of Iris, powered by Generali and named one of Forbes' Entrepreneurial CMOs to watch! Eugenia shares insights on Iris's B2B2C identity, discussing how they help businesses enhance their customer offerings while addressing the growing threat of identity theft. Learn about their target markets, lead generation strategies, and Eugenia's approach to staying current with marketing trends.  This episode offers valuable perspectives on marketing leadership, and building consumer trust in an increasingly complex online landscape.

Today my long time outdoor compadre Kenji Haroutunian makes his 3rd appearance on the show. As longtime director of two top-fifty trade shows in the country (and many events and services beyond), Kenji's experience has afforded him a truly independent viewpoint to best understand the ebbs and flows of business trends, successes, failures and the tools that can be applied these days to make a difference. Facebook​ ​Twitter​ ​Instagram​ Love the show? Subscribe, ​rate, review, and share!​ Sign up for my Newsletter ​HERE​ I'd love to hear your feedback about the show! You can contact me here: ​rick@theoutdoorbizpodcast.com Brought to you this week by Alabama Beaches Show Notes 04:27 The pivot from outdoor retail (A16) to trade shows. I don't quite remember how that happened. I had been managing stores, a store manager for Adventure 16 in L. A. and then in the Valley store, and was back in the L. A. store managing there. And then got a call from Larry Harrison, who was. Put on task by the outdoor retailer team to go find their next account exec. There was a long-time account executive who was leaving, and they're looking to fill that spot. And I said, like, well, what's an account executive? It's not something that I was familiar with and sounded pretty fancy, but you know, long story short, I interviewed down in Laguna Beach with the team. And then, back then, it was called Miller Freeman, who was the owner of the outdoor retailer shows. And I got hired there as a salesperson having zero experience selling space or advertising, and starting in, in earnest, my career in the media slash shows business. 08:00 The Big Gear Show Big Gear rose up out of what was the paddle sports retailer show. So that was a show launched by a couple of guys from the paddle sports industry who became sort of unhappy with the timing of outdoor retailer. Paddle sports was a big part of the outdoor retailer show, and they passed. They took their boat, went off, and started their own show. Out of that came the desire to be more inclusive categorically. So, instead of just paddle sports, why don't we bring in hike, running, camping, and biking and create a more comprehensive and inclusive platform? And so that's where the Big Gear Show came from. It launched in 2020. 14:29 Outdoor Biz Evolution Those trade shows were all a bunch of guides, and, you know, we were young kids who worked at the retail shop floors and stuff. It was not as sophisticated then as it is now today. You're right. That evolution is big. And I think, you know, the infusion of capital market representatives, you know, I, it was very different. You're right. You know, during my time, for example, at the show's helm was during the time when financial investors started showing up in numbers dozens and then like hundreds of people were coming, and we even created an event for them called what's that called, Fund Source? And it was specifically designed for new brands to pitch to investment community people and get valuable feedback and maybe even score an investor, you know, in the, in the sort of mode of Shark Tank. Right. But it was, I think Camber Outdoors is helping to sponsor it. 17:10 Do you have any thoughts on how that shakes out, consolidates, and continues to expand? I shy away from the word trade show anymore because it's kind of a loaded term. It kind of almost by default says the old. Way or the old show model that were the outdoor industry anyway, has become passé. And I think that whatever we're going to call the new show model you know, at big gear, we call it B2B2C or just simply like an inclusive platform that makes less of a deal of your categorical status. You know, interestingly, you know, I, I have a, well, I don't have my badge on right now, but I came in the show and they had sort of parsed the show entry timing by what kind of badge you had. So it was like, you get an eight, if you have this badge, get an 11, if you have this badge and you're not allowed in, if you don't have this badge. So I think that determination of who occupies what is really difficult now because. You know, who is a retailer anymore? Who is a guide outfit or influence or media, et cetera. Um, even supplier brands have, have brand, like they have products with their brand name on it, you know, Gore, for example. So it's it's a fuzzier world when you make those determinations. So creating a more inclusive show experience is I think part of the, the future equation that'll make sense and will help to, you know, In concert with several other things that need to happen. 31:48 What, what do you think are a couple of the biggest, we talked about this before we hit the record button, about the state of the outdoor industry today. What do you think are a couple of the biggest challenges facing the outdoor industry today?  I think there's a lot of challenges. I think losing our neighborhood shops, you know, in the cities, primarily, I think shops and touch points at the trailhead and near put in and at the destinations. That's still relatively strong across the country. What I see is that the urban shops are really getting crushed. Like they are, their costs are going up. Their inventory and open to buy situations are super stressed and they're just finding it hard to keep going. It's also a time of changeover. Like a lot of the shops like a 16 that were founded, you know, in the 60s and 70s. Those. Company owners are either looking to sell or turn over the younger generation may or may not be interested in running retail stores. And so they're finding this, this time of change over is very active. And that's true in other, you know, related sectors like fly fishing and surf and others, but I think that's part of the challenge right now. We're still working through the inventory glut that happened from the disruption of the of the pandemic. So get 1st. Sold, people sold everything they had and then they had nothing to sell. And then the product was getting delayed because factories were closed and then the shipping lanes were delayed because they couldn't have enough dock workers to even unload the ships. And so that just created this big lag time in the industry that we're still working through like that created this over inventory situation that we're still in right now. 37:40 How has sustainability been reflected at the Big Gear Show? What are some of the initiatives you guys have? Well, I think on the brands and the product side, you could definitely feel it. A lot of. A presence and interest in that re commerce story. For us as a show producer, you know, shows are horribly wasteful historically. So trying to minimize the flow of that you know, because we have such a small team, I was managing a lot of that myself. What was happening over on the outside festival side, we really wanted to participate in, but we weren't able to do it this year. But they had a composting aspect too. So they really activated a zero waste program that did a pretty good job, but it's pretty expensive because you've got to have people. Staff that are there saying, Oh, wait, that's not a composting thing. You got to put that over here. And this is, it's sort of pre sorting. So they had staff at each of these 10 stations or however many there were. And so that's expensive because you just got to pay people for all the time that they're there, but very very impressive commitment from outside and their partners on, on the festival side of things, we want to implement. And so we've been paying close attention to. Like the flow of trash, you know, trashable things coming in. We had a space that we dedicated just for cardboard that could be reused storing it so that it was kept dry and viable. And then, you know, the companies that needed them at the end of the show, we had it for them. So just reusing and being smarter about You know, everything from badge holders, which we didn't have, you know, no badge holders just printed on enough, you know, quality paper that it's going to stay in place and have a, have a badge holder design that is effective. And we only had that for the B2B day. You didn't need badges or anything to come in with, we had digital waivers, so again, you know, just not piles of paper that you have to keep for years, we used a digital service for that. So. You know, little by little getting smarter as a event producer and bringing those bringing those solutions to bear at the show. 38:37 What are a couple of the brands or products you think are leading the way in sustainability?  I guess the small brand Stream2Sea they're called they're making a product that doesn't like it's a sunscreen product Skin care product I guess you'd say but even the packaging on it is thoughtfully designed so that it's biodegradable, you know over time not in your backpack, of course, but and they have a system for being able to return that, you know empty or recycle it So just you know little thoughtful things like that. I think some of the different stove options, you know, I think one of the big stories coming out of the stove and cooking side is. Single use propane, you know, those green ubiquitous one pound propane bottles. And then we had a pellet stove coming from Timber Stoves. There was quite a bit, actually, especially in one of the highlights of the show was the Founders Market, which was produced by Path Ahead Ventures, REI's program for lifting up. BIPOC and women-founded organizations. Cool. And a lot of those companies are really really carefully curated to bring like really thoughtful, more sustainable solutions to the market, as well as, you know, better solutions for groups that historically haven't been addressed, whether that's different body shapes or just, you know, disabled folks. But that, you know, that's different than sustainability in a way. It is sustainability, but it's the same. Yeah. Way It's the same. 42:28 With all the talk lately of PFAS and things you know, we're discovering that are maybe worse off than we thought. How do you think, or do you think we can do more or maybe. Do some of it faster because it seems like maybe just, you know, guys like us, we're running out of time, but I think about my niece and nephew in the world, we're going to leave them and, you know, some of these things we've got to implement these programs like last week, and it seems like it takes a lot of energy and thought and conversation and things to get everybody's head around it to implement any thoughts on that. Yeah, I'm pretty active in California with the California Direct Creation Partnership that I helped found back in twenty-eighteen in addressing these aspects because you know, the way that the legislation first came out was basically saying that at retail, there can't be p fast in any of the products you sell after January first twenty-five or whatever the date was, and this is like, hey. Hold on a second. We, as the industry, believe in eliminating PFAS, just like we believe in eliminating BPA, just like we believe in using post-consumer recycled ingredients, and just like we believe in circular economy solutions. However, starting with the retail side starts with the horse's tail instead of the front. Like you've got to start at the supply chain side. Get them to stop using it, and then you can regulate. If that's a word regulation-wise, you can, you know, move down the chain. So you start at the fiber manufacturer, then you go to the fabric manufacturer, then you go to the. Apparel manufacturer, then you go to the wholesaler, then you go to the retailer and then you go to the, you know, the consumer and give them a way to get rid of that stuff or to cycle it in a way that doesn't end up with just plastic in the ocean or in the landfill. So I think more plastic in the ocean or the landfill. This is the reason why business. And government partnerships, you know, are the really so important to how we move forward, whether it is keeping PFAS out of our bodies and out of our ecosystems or doing a better job of working with tribes and taking that native knowledge and that stewardship mindedness. Of, you know, thousands of years of indigenous presence and and honoring that all of these things mean disrupting the current flow. And that's hard. You know, if a river is flowing super fast, it's pretty hard to get it to move in a different direction. And that's what we're trying to do. We're changing the culture. We're changing the entire culture of an industry, like changing our own personal culture. It's hard enough doing it for your family or your community is. Super hard and takes longer doing it for an entire industry that has all these moving parts across the country and across the globe like that's, that's going to take years. So I think part of this is just learning to keep I had a coach when I paddled out rigor and he had this phrase, you know, we would use because outrigger races are sometimes. Really long like 20 miles 30 miles. Yeah, and it's just smooth power, like keep the pressure on keep applying the pressure. Don't burn yourself out because you've got an hour and a half more to keep paddling. Don't run out. Don't burn yourself out, but smooth power, you know, and you'll keep keep the rhythm. Keep the power going. That's what we need. We need rhythm and we need, we need gentle applied power. That's. Consistent. Kind of like you and your podcast. 47:02 Where do you see the Big Gear Show in the next three to five years, say? What's that evolution look like? I think we have to keep adapting and building this new model. And I think that the future of it is going to be more more events. Kind of surrounding the main event. So I guess I think of it as like a constellation of stars or something like we've created the critical mass in the center, and now we're just, you know, you, you mentioned ATT elevate. Like I know Shannon's thinking about maybe that belongs in orbit with. The outside festival and the CEO summit idea. And I participated in an Asian outdoor leaders group meeting. They know little things that start to build around the core. People bring their sales meetings to town. That's always happened back at the old show, right? Those are the things that create. The critical mass and get people to say, you know what, I really need to be there. And the more you do that across more sectors, across more job functions and you know, the workforce part of the industry, the more that'll bring the industry to bear. And create that critical mass. So I think that's the future is continuing to work partnerships. I think partnerships are what fuel that that type of you know, critical mass building. 52:52 What is your favorite piece of outdoor gear under a hundred dollars? I think last time I, I said headlamps and I still think headlamps are amazing. 56:58 Is there a memorable outdoor adventure or experience that has influenced your work side of the world? Yeah, absolutely. One of my bigger adventures was skiing the high route across the Sierra from Independence to Fresno, basically. Yeah. And I, in that experience because I was with Jeff Cooper, Dan Dalbera, and Suniva Sorby, it was great; it was pretty well documented. So I have images from that, and I can tell the story. It's a story that's relevant to people who want to ski the high route, but it's also relevant to a number of different objectives or just, um, inspiration for businesses who are facing challenges as a team or challenges as a marketplace. And it's even helpful for for our journalists and people like I, I, I use that story was included in Jeannette Stawski's recent book, The Outdoor Leader recent book called The Outdoor Leader. So I have an excerpt in there from this trip that I did, you know, and that, that I learned so much about not just, you know, how to backcountry ski a multi day like big, big objective. Yeah. Kind of thing, but also about leadership, about following, you know, when the right time is to be following and leading when the, when you're needed to be leading, and that is, It reminds me of kind of this uh, the dynamic in leadership. Like you don't always have to be the big, bad boss. You know, there's times to hand over the boss reins to your up and coming leader or identifying who is, who are your up and coming leaders and investing in them. And then when the time comes, they have the skills and they have the ability to go out and go for it and take up, take the reins. And I learned a lot about that during this trip where I was not the trip leader. But I had to become the leader for, for at least a while away. 59:44 Do you have any advice for anyone looking to break into the outdoor industry? My standard answer is for people who have, you know, been asking me this question for decades, I say, well, best way started retail, learn the retail ropes, go with the front lines, talk to people who are just getting into it or need a new piece of gear or need some advice about where to go and what to do. And you'll learn. Where the point pressure points are, where the pain points are, where the opportunities are, where the products are. Learn More You can follow up with Kenji at: the biggearshow.com and click contact. Next Steps If you enjoy interviews devoted to the outdoor industry, find us online at ricksaez.com/listen. We love likes and comments, and if you know someone who is also an outdoor enthusiast, go ahead and share our site with them, too. And be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter Keywords #Outdoor industry, #Big Gear Show, #trade shows, #outdoor events, #diversity in leadership, #sustainable practices, #sustainability measures, #PFAS regulations, #environmental issues, #outdoor gear, #mentorship programs, #conservation efforts, #pandemic impact on outdoor industry, #sustainability initiatives, #re-commerce. Podcast produced using Descript, CastMagic Podcast hosted by Libsyn: sign up with code 'outdoorbizpod' for 20% OFF Show Notes powered by Castmagic Website powered by Wordpress Get Your Podcast Published NOW!  I'm partnering with Tracy DeForge, Stephanie Euler, and the Produce Your Podcast team to get it out of your head and into your followers' ears. Tracy and her team have helped me grow and monetize my show, and podcasters trust them because they deliver. Go to https://ricksaez.com/pyp to get all the details. Let's get your show created, produced, and on the air today. 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Bonni DeWoskin is a fractional CMO specializing in health tech and age tech. Her superpower and passion is B2B2C. This is a hybrid approach that involves selling to businesses who then market to their own customer base. This is becoming increasingly prevalent in the health tech. Bonni shares from her deep experience what B2B2C is and how to do it well. In this episode you will learn: The definition and importance of B2B2C marketing in health tech Strategies for balancing B2B and B2C How to view the customer journey holistically Tips for leveraging B2B partners as channels to reach end consumers Budgeting considerations for B2B2C marketing Technology considerations, including HIPAA compliance Best practices for creating detailed customer journey maps The importance of tailoring messaging for both B2B and B2C audiences I learned a lot. I think you will too. Peace Adam

In today's competitive healthcare landscape, expanding into new markets and maintaining a focus on customer-centricity are critical for sustained growth. Joining us to discuss these challenges and opportunities is Alice Eweida, CEO of Pandia Medical Group and Pandia Pharmacy. Alice brings extensive experience in navigating both direct-to-consumer and business-to-business models in the healthcare sector.   Alice Eweida is the CEO of Pandia Health (which includes Pandia Medical Group and Pandia Pharmacy) with over 20 years of experience. She took the reins during its seed stage and joined at a time of significant growth as the organization expanded into multiple service categories, adding menopause and developing AI that guides doctors to personalize prescribing medication to best serve the individual patient's needs.    Prior to Pandia Health, Alice led growth and brand marketing at several Series B digital health startups leveraging telemedicine for wellness, nutrition, diabetes and substance use care. Notably, she grew Boulder Care to approximately 5,000 patients and took DayTwo through a rebrand and expanded their care program from providers to mid-sized employers and national and regional payers. At Foodsmart (formerly Zipongo), she established their B2B2C enrollment and engagement programs, growing its user base to 950,000 through an employee benefits program with Fortune 500 companies, including Disney, Google, IBM and United Healthcare.    Alice spent four years at Google where her team launched Google Home, the first device with a voice-activated assistant built in, and was responsible for the integration with YouTube Red. Additionally, she spent time in their sales department to help grow advertising investments for global brands in the beauty and media sectors across Google Search, Google Display, YouTube and Google's Marketing Platform.   Earlier in her career, Alice led product marketing at Sky TV, now a division of Comcast, for Sky Go on mobiles, tablets and games consoles. Prior to that, she was part of Vodafone's Marketing Graduate Program. Alice holds an MA from the Oxford College of Marketing and a BA in English Language and Media Studies from the University of Birmingham in England. RESOURCES Pandia Health website: https://www.pandiahealth.com/   Connect with Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom   Listen to The Agile Brand without the ads. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3ymf7hd   Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv   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 podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow   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, Lindsey Kratzer, Partner at Spark Health Advisors, joins Cardinal's Chief Growth Officer, Lauren Leone, for a conversation about the unique challenges faced by digital health and clinic-based organizations in reaching both B2B and consumer markets. You'll gain insights into developing and implementing successful “land and expand” strategies, with real-world examples from Spark Health Advisors. This episode is packed with actionable advice on building robust pipelines, crafting targeted messaging, and driving engagement to ultimately deliver better outcomes for your healthcare marketing efforts. RELATED RESOURCES Building a Foundation for Better ROI Measurement - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/building-a-foundation-for-better-roi-measurement/  How to Use Marketing Personalization While Protecting Patient Privacy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/marketing-personalization-protecting-patient-privacy/  Marketing's Role at Each Step of the Patient Experience - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/marketings-role-at-each-step-of-the-patient-experience

In this episode of Room for Growth, Billie is joined by two WillowTree colleagues, Kate Gallaher (Partner & VP, Head of Financial Services) and Caitlin Watson (Partner, Marketing Services), as they delve into global loyalty in financial services. Focusing on credit card payment processors and retail banks, they explore the complexities of building brand loyalty in a regulated market, discuss the impact of digitization on customer behavior, and share insights into the most effective loyalty programs in today's digital age, competing with digitally-native FinTech upstarts.Billie, Kate, and Caitlin also unpack our recent research study, authored by WillowTree Senior Product Researcher Rachel Vanderbilt, PhD. The study explores the nuances in credit card loyalty programs across five global markets — North America, South America, Europe, Middle East–Africa, and Asia–Pacific — and underscores the dangers of adopting a US-first mindset on the global stage. ADDITIONAL RESOURCESTOPICS DISCUSSEDHow digitization leads to increased product diversity and brand disloyalty.How data integrity and personalization create relevant offers and user-centric experiences.How brands can build loyalty in a B2B2C model while keeping CX at the forefront.Why considering a global perspective is essential in designing loyalty programs for diverse regional customer bases.KEEP THE GROWTH GOINGPreview WillowTree's forthcoming research study, Global Credit Card Rewards Programs: How Consumer Loyalty Preferences Differ by RegionExplore WillowTree's Loyalty Strategy & Consulting practiceExplore WillowTree's Financial Services expertiseConnect with Kate Gallaher on LinkedInConnect with Caitlin Watson on LinkedInFollow Billie Loewen on LinkedIn

This week, Sushma Niwalkar, Senior Director of Customer Centric AI at Northwestern Mutual, joins your co-host Joe Bradley to share insights gleaned from decades of experience as an AI strategy leader in B2B and B2B2C — as well as her role implementing AI solutions within the financial industry. Sushma's passion for advanced data science has helped her enhance customer experience and drive alignment among critical stakeholders, and she's sharing lessons learned that apply across industries.Discussed in today's episode:How AI enhances advisor-client relationshipsThe role generative AI can play in financial planningStriking a balance between proven techniques and more experimental approachesThe ethical implications and challenges of using first-party data in AI applications

"Ever wonder why the big secret on pitching brands in 2024 isn't getting the buzz it deserves?

Hosts Will Larry and Victoria Guido are joined by Zamina Karim, the CEO and Founder of Mevi, a community-driven motherhood wellness app designed to address the unique challenges of motherhood, especially in the context of the pandemic. Zamina shares her journey from experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression to founding Mevi. She discusses the lack of understanding and support for new mothers, especially during the pandemic when traditional support structures were unavailable. The conversation also touches on parenting challenges in the current era, underscoring the need for community and support. The app aims to revolutionize maternal health by fostering connections among mothers and providing support for the challenges of motherhood beyond medical visits. Zamina's approach to building Mevi is rooted in empathy, aiming to address new mothers' emotional and practical needs and fill a significant gap in current maternal health support. Zamina also talks about the broader implications of Mevi's mission, the evolving startup funding landscape, and the importance of pivoting and adapting in the entrepreneurial journey. She emphasizes the role of empathy in building inclusive experiences for parents and the potential of technology to improve maternal health outcomes. Mevi (https://www.getmevi.com/) Follow Mevi on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/getmevi/). Follow Zamina Karim on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaminasunderjikarim/). Follow thoughtbot on X (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots! Transcript:  WILL: This is The Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Will Larry. VICTORIA: And I'm your other host, Victoria Guido. And with us today is Zamina Karim, CEO and Founder of Mevi, the first-ever community-driven motherhood wellness app. Zamina, thank you for joining us. ZAMINA: Thank you so much for having me. VICTORIA: Well, outside of founding Mevi, what keeps you going? What's exciting for you right now in your world? ZAMINA: Well, I have a toddler. She is two turning three, and she keeps me incredibly active and stimulated throughout the day. And I have my hands full with her throughout the day. And outside of that, I've just jumped into the business full-time. So, I'm navigating solo foundership and recognizing how different of an experience that is when you have been working in a team environment for the last 15 years or so. So, that's kind of what's been keeping me busy the last few months. WILL: You mentioned your daughter. When you became a parent, I know there's something surprising; there's plenty. But what was the most surprising thing that you went through when you became a parent? ZAMINA: Oh my gosh, there were so many things. You're totally right, Will. But I think, for me, it was a really big emphasis that I noticed on the products that I would need to have. And if I had all of those products, I would be ready and I would be well on my way, and parenting would be a breeze. And it kicked me on my butt when I realized that having the perfect car seat and the perfect stroller was not setting me up for success. And there was a lot that I didn't know and didn't realize, even though I had done so much research and had a lot of other parents in my network. I think it's one of those things that you don't truly understand until you have experienced it yourself and you are living through it. VICTORIA: So, then, what led you to start Mevi? ZAMINA: Mevi was started because my baby was born during the pandemic, and I experienced a ton of challenges during that time. I struggled with symptoms of anxiety and depression for over a year. But I didn't really need any clinical diagnosis, and so no one knew how to help me in my family. And I did not know how to help myself either. And I really felt the Western sort of pressure of having to do it all. And I was quite frankly embarrassed by the struggles that I was experiencing. And, you know, you never really go back to your old self. But once she turned one, I started to feel a little bit more balanced. And I came out of my shell, and I started speaking with other women from all over the world really. And I learned very quickly that my experience was the norm and not the exception. And that really was the inspiration to go ahead and try to solve that problem. WILL: Yeah. I remember we had my middle child at the very beginning of July 2020. And the first thing that was rough is that was whenever they were like, "If you have COVID, we may have to separate you from your child when you have birth," and it was terrifying. And they ended up not doing that. We didn't have COVID or anything. But I remember, because we have three now, and I remember thinking, like, if I was a parent of a single child, it would have to be rough because, like, the child is not playing with anyone, and you're also by yourself. So, I totally relate with what you're saying. ZAMINA: Yeah, absolutely. And then, beyond that, all of those kinds of traditional childcare centers or places where people would congregate were shut down. And up here in Canada, a lot of those places haven't really opened back up, and so there was no real bounce back to a pre-pandemic norm. A lot of families are now just navigating with this as the new normal. So, I think it's really important to recognize that parenting in 2021 and beyond is really different from what it was pre-pandemic. VICTORIA: So, you had this acute need yourself to build a community to survive [laughs]. What in your background led you to think, oh, I could start a company around this; I could build the solution for this problem? ZAMINA: Yeah, it's actually a really interesting mix of personal and more technical and career-driven. So, on a personal level, I was born in India, and my parents are from East Africa. So, that cultural element really bleeds into my perspectives and my values on life, as well as what's missing in healthcare today, so this idea of taking a prevention-focused approach or addressing root causes rather than addressing symptoms, which is a lot more common in today's kind of healthcare context. And then, on a more career-based side, my background is in consumer tech, growth marketing. And I studied psychology and human development when I was in school. So, all of these areas really came together as the perfect combination for starting Mevi because I had this hard tech background. I know how to code. I self-taught Ruby on Rails about ten years ago. And then I'd worked in this consumer space, kind of selling things for companies like Masterclass, and Uber, and Lululemon, and Aritzia. And I had this experience on the paid acquisition side as well. So, all of those things really came together for me to feel equipped to step into this journey of building Mevi. But I think no matter what technical or kind of soft skills you have, it is still a huge climb when building a company from scratch and, in particular, when you're doing it as a solo founder. WILL: Wow, that's so amazing. I love your background, and I love especially talking to founders who have a technical background and kind of seeing how their journey was. Did your technical background help you in anything, or did you code your app? ZAMINA: I did not code the app. Because I was on the tech side over a decade ago, so I was building apps about ten years ago; it's one of those muscles where it can very quickly atrophy. And things now are developing at such a rapid pace compared to when I was in the space that I'm no longer someone who would be best suited to actually code the app. I would be spending a lot of time relearning versus just delegating that to somebody else. But I do possess the ability to talk to engineers and to be able to navigate some of the architecture and the fundamentals with them and that, for me, has been a really big game changer because I'm not completely lost when chatting with technical folks. And I can kind of navigate my way around with a little bit more ease than I would be able to if I didn't have that background. VICTORIA: Yeah. I want to talk about how you're thinking about building your team for the future and filling in those gaps that you may have since you have such a well-rounded background. But first, I wanted to go back to, what stage do you feel like you are in your product life cycle? Are you still in the discovery phase or you have an MVP? What's the phase you're at right now? ZAMINA: We are getting our MVP built right now. So, I've done about a year's worth of user interviews, research, chatting with folks all over the world, and really doing my best at validating the concept, and the idea, and the problem space. And one thing I will say is that the problem space is super clear. Famtech and femtech are places where there's a lot of capital being invested, and there's a lot of incredible innovation happening. But the solution is something that I think is always going to be evolving as needs of parents evolve. But right now, I have a pretty solid idea of what the product should be in its first iteration, and that is what we'll be launching with in 2024. And we'll be testing with some select partners. WILL: I'm so excited for you. Can you explain what is Mevi? What's the problem that you're looking to solve with it? ZAMINA: We are rooted in this belief that all of the negative symptoms, the stress, the mental health disorders that are experienced by moms stem from the isolation and lack of connection that they have to their communities. So, our mission is to really revolutionize maternal health by caring for the life that happens in between doctor's visits. Really, that is where life happens. And in doing so, we want to solve for those two specific root cause factors, emotional support and social isolation, that contribute the most to postpartum disorder. So, from a practical standpoint, what Mevi is really going to do is connect moms to their personalized support networks so that they can delegate things like critical care tasks, activities of daily living, support with things at home, as well as emotional and mental health support to their support network so that they can basically show up for them in the way that they most need. VICTORIA: That's really exciting. And to play that back a bit, it's interesting from your research and from your own experience that the thing that was missing was that element of community and connection to other people. Can you tell us more about that? ZAMINA: In today's world, moms are expected to do it all, and we're kind of conditioned to that regard in every aspect of our lives. And there's a lot of support lacking for moms from a childcare perspective, from a systemic support perspective around things like maternity leave. And, ultimately, I think we're kind of given these signals that we should be able to do it alone, so we should just go ahead and do that. And I think, for that reason, a lot of women really struggle because when they do ultimately step into parenthood, particularly in a post-pandemic context, they are incredibly overwhelmed, but they're getting all of these signals that they should be able to do it. And so, then they feel incredibly isolated and really struggle with those feelings. And so, what Mevi and what I, as a person and as a founder I'm really trying to address and bring attention to is this idea that women absolutely cannot do it alone. And that over the last, you know, 10,000 years, we have raised children, and we have also raised mothers with the support of villages. And those villages look different for different people, but that's really the case across the entire planet. And so, what I really want to do is to bring attention back to the fact that it's important to build your personal village and to be able to request support from them in the ways you need. WILL: Yeah. So, I was looking at your website when I was doing some research, and the very first, I guess, banner, you can call it, with a text message in it, there's a text message that's sent to the mom, and I'm guessing it's AI-driven. It's asking, "Hey. Out of these three options, what exactly do you need help in?" Can you walk me through what that looks like? Is it AI-driven that sends the text out and it has a list of friends and family that sends the text to, or how does that work? ZAMINA: Yeah. So, first big disclaimer is that what you see on the website was actually our alpha product that we tested up here in Canada with a cohort of new moms. And that was really built to validate the problem space and to understand if a solution like this would be impactful. And that was actually not AI-driven, believe it or not. It was largely built through automation tools and a database of text messages that yours truly wrote and connected with Twilio. So, it was really kind of strung together on the back-end prototype that we used to understand if getting help on tasks like this would be beneficial. We also were sending regular kind of positive reinforcement messages, just like, you know, resources, notes, things like that, to those moms just to give them kind of a daily positive reminder. But those text messages were also being sent, yes, to their support networks that they would sign up, so their partner, perhaps their mother, their mother-in-law, their sisters, their friends, so on and so forth. And we would determine which messages would go to whom. And through that test, we realized that there was kind of a really positive response to what this was trying to achieve but that it was quite limited in its functionality because it was hard coded on the backend, and there wasn't really a lot of AI leveraged. So, we are now moving into building out an MVP, which will be a mobile app. WILL: Wow. I can definitely see how this is beneficial because we have three kids, and my oldest and my youngest share the same birthday, so three kids in three years. And it seems like, oh, why are you asking that simple question? Sometimes, the simple question is exactly what you need. "Hey, how can I help?" And given choices, that is huge just to nudge what you need help. Because, like, I love my sleep and [chuckles] with kids, you don't really get sleep sometimes. And I used to remember everything, but my youngest has been dealing with earaches probably over the last month, and I am forgetting a lot just because [chuckles] I haven't been getting sleep. So, I love what you're doing. And the purpose and the problem you're trying to solve, I think is much needed. ZAMINA: Yeah, thank you so much. That point that you made about giving options is really important because, especially when you're encountering motherhood for the first time, it's quite daunting, and you don't really know what you don't know. And so, people will say, "Oh, you know, I'm here for you. Let me know how I can help." But that in and of itself is a huge barrier because you don't really know what to ask. You don't want to infringe on them. You don't want to make it inconvenient for them. And there's also boundaries that you want to set in terms of who you want to let into your home and let into your personal space and that kind of thing. So, I think it's really important to provide a little bit of education for new mothers around what kinds of things they can typically benefit from getting support with, particularly in the home in those early days. As an example, a lot of moms feel hesitant about letting others come into their home to hold their child. They actually would prefer that others come into the home and support them with the dishes or making a meal so that they can stay close to their baby, particularly in those early days when babies are feeding around the clock, and skin-to-skin contact is really important. And so, it's really important to provide that guidance, especially to new moms, so that they can share that with their support networks. But then also sharing that information with their support network so that they don't feel insulted or they don't feel bad when their requests for support are directed in a different way. So, through Mevi, we also hope to provide that education and that guidance to everybody that's in the network so that they understand how to be helpful. Because I think at the end of the day, a lot of our friends and our families genuinely want to be there for us, but they just don't know how. And so, we're really there to be those coaches for them. MID-ROLL AD: Now that you have funding, it's time to design, build, and ship the most impactful MVP that wows customers now and can scale in the future. thoughtbot Liftoff brings you the most reliable cross-functional team of product experts to mitigate risk and set you up for long-term success. As your trusted, experienced technical partner, we'll help launch your new product and guide you into a future-forward business that takes advantage of today's new technologies and agile best practices. Make the right decisions for tomorrow today. Get in touch at thoughtbot.com/liftoff. VICTORIA: I'm curious about...I think it's a hashtag on your LinkedIn profile for empathetic tech. Based on what you're describing, how does that relate to what you're building and how you build empathy into the technology and products? ZAMINA: I am so committed to proving that we can build great businesses that do good in the world, that support women's health outcomes but are still businesses at the end of the day and make great revenue and great profits. When I came out into the space, and I kind of said, "Okay, I'm here, and I'm building this thing," particularly because I'm solving a problem for mothers, I often got met with this question of "Well, is it a nonprofit?" And no, absolutely not. It is not a nonprofit. It is intended to be a scalable business. But I think a lot of people have a misunderstanding that if you're building something that is good for the world, that it won't generate revenue and profit. And so, from an empathetic tech standpoint, that's really something that I am kind of on a mission to prove through Mevi and through my own kind of personal endeavors. It's something that's really close to my heart. And I really, really want to put femtech on the map for that reason. And from a product standpoint, I mean, we have lots of ideas about how we can build that empathy directly into the product. But I think the biggest thing is coaching moms to be vulnerable in ways that feel accessible to them. Again, back to this idea that women are expected to do it all and moms are expected to do it all, I think if we can start to nudge moms to sharing with their closed private networks of, you know, the handpicked people that they've put into their support networks about how they're feeling, what they need help with, you know, their mood day to day, those kinds of things, we can start to build more empathy, both in the context of that particular family, but in the broader context of motherhood as a whole. WILL: Why do you think they automatically go to, "Oh, it's a nonprofit business," when you're talking about the mental health of women and anything in that category? ZAMINA: I haven't figured it out yet [laughs], but in part, it feels like it's a social endeavor. "Oh, you're here to solve your own problem." And yes, I'm here to solve my own problem, but really, this is the problem of women across Canada, and the States, parts of Europe, and in Australia, and New Zealand. And so, it's not just a small niche problem. But I think a lot of people who I've encountered, particularly in the earlier days of when I had just kind of come up on the scene, I was talking with a lot of people who didn't resonate because either they were male. They didn't have children. They weren't familiar with healthtech or femtech. And so, for them, they were like, "I don't understand this space. It must not be very big. It must not be very important," but it's quite the contrary. VICTORIA: What other challenges have you faced so far on your journey? ZAMINA: The other big one, honestly, is the fact that I'm a solo founder. For the last 15, 20 years, I have been working with people day in and day out, and, you know, whether it's in office or remotely, I had the option to kind of jam with them throughout the day on different problems. And in this particular journey, I don't really have that in the same way that I have been familiar with for, you know, my entire career. So, that has been a huge learning curve for me. And I have really recognized that the journey of entrepreneurship is just as much of a mental one as it is everything else, and finding ways to cope with the kind of emotional ups and downs as you get lots of wins. But you also get doors closed in your face. All of those things require an immense amount of grit and resilience. And when you are going at it alone, it can be a little bit harder to navigate that. But I'm slowly starting to really find my rhythm. And I've really managed to do that, I think, in large part due to an advisory board that I have built of people who are really looking to support me, who are bullish on the mission, who believe that this is a really big problem that deserves to be solved, and are helping to clear roadblocks and obstacles, both, you know, in the environment, but also for me when I get in my own head about things. And that has been really, really powerful for me is, kind of building that advisory board of people. WILL: Since we're talking about hurdles, what are some of the hurdles you see in the future? Since we talked about your past ones and your current ones, do you see any on the future—on the horizon? ZAMINA: Yeah, I mean, obviously, there's the kind of traditional ones of finding product-market fit and landing the product with that ideal customer. And so, I'm really excited about the work that's being done right now to get there. But, obviously, it's going to be a constant, you know, road of iteration and evolution on the product space. And that is one that I'm really excited about. But I think the other bigger one is just the consumer landscape right now is a tough one to be in. Capital is drying up from an investment standpoint. And I've seen a lot of founders who are farther ahead in their journey, who have incredible results, that are growing rapidly year on year, and they are struggling to raise money. And they've got traction, really, really great traction. So, at this stage, it's really important for me to find ways to self-fund and bootstrap through this period, which ultimately, I think is going to give me a competitive advantage. It's going to give every founder who's doing the same thing a competitive advantage in the long run because I believe that if you can get traction in this environment, you're truly building a really great business. But I do see that this area of capital being one that founders are really going to have to navigate for the next year or two. VICTORIA: That resonates with some stories that we've heard as well. And I'm curious to hear you talk about the discovery process a little bit more. Was there anything that you discovered early on that caused you to pivot in strategy? ZAMINA: So, I joined a pre-accelerator in San Francisco late 2023. And we built this vision of the MVP that I was really excited about. And as I was getting ready to think about actually building it out, what I realized was that in the feature set that we had built out, we were trying to do way too much. I had this vision of what Mevi could be ten years from now, and I was almost trying to build that in in an MVP. And so, one of the big pivots that I made from a product perspective was really, really dialing it back and simplifying the feature set to really what I believed and what I had heard from folks would be the most impactful for them rather than, you know, squeezing in a bunch of other things that would be kind of beneficial or a value-add in the long run. I really wanted to ensure that when we did launch and when we do launch that, people really understand what we're here to do. And then, over time, as we get more and more consumer feedback, of course, we can continue to build the product in the direction that folks are desiring. But that was an early pivot. And another one was more on the business model side, and this is one that I'm still kind of workshopping and working through with different folks. But this idea of going direct to consumer versus actually going to other companies and other businesses who serve this population of new mothers and actually selling the product to them, and then having them use it in their different contexts as they serve their clients. And so, we've kind of pivoted our business model from B2C to B2B2C, which, even in doing so over the last month, has really, really gotten a lot of very positive signals that that is kind of the right approach to be making in the short term. And then, of course, you know, again, once we launch and we get that consumer feedback, we will continue to explore and expand other business models. But early on, I was just trying to do a lot. And in both of those pivots, I found some focus, and I'm really, really excited by that. WILL: That's awesome. I love how you said pivoting. I think that's probably the core to having a successful business, knowing when to pivot, knowing when not to. What does success look like for you in, like, the next six months, you know, five years, especially when...I know you have a launch coming up. You're talking about raising capital. You kind of pivot on your business plans a little. What does it look like to be successful in that timeframe? ZAMINA: In the next few months, success is really just going to be doing what we say we're going to do and putting an app out into the market and having it really be tested with some hand-picked partners who are also innovating in the maternal health space. I really believe in aligning with people who believe deeply in solving this problem. And I think that's just the low-hanging fruit as well from a business standpoint. And so, over the next six months, that's really what I'll be prioritizing. And then, over the next, gosh, five, seven years, I really want it to be a full suite of features and tools that moms can leverage through a mobile platform. I really want it to be kind of, like, the Flo app [chuckles] for mothering, a household name that is doled out, you know, from OBGYNs who are saying, "Oh, hey, you should check this out now that you're pregnant," used by doula practices or midwife institutes, circulated among friends as the must-have app to have on your phone when you find out that you're pregnant. Obviously, that is a really, really lofty goal. But I do believe that there is a pretty big gap in this market, and I'm excited to try to fill it. VICTORIA: How do you balance having ambitious goals against also needing to maintain your life and your life as a parent? ZAMINA: I have a really incredible support system. My husband is an entrepreneur as well. And really, my career over the last ten years allowed him to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams, and he's absolutely killing it. And so, he kind of said to me, "Hey, it's your turn. I really want to give you the space to try this thing out and see where it can go. I really believe in it." I have him kind of in my corner every day, cheering me on and giving me a lot of space to learn and, grow and pivot from time to time. But I also think that he's really great from a financial standpoint and helping me kind of navigate, you know, these goals and understanding kind of the revenue potential of the business and those kinds of things. And so, I have a really great balance of, you know, me being kind of pie in the sky, head in the clouds, really, really aspirational about what I'm building. And he does two things really great. He kind of brings me back to earth sometimes, but he also has a really, really great financial acumen that he lends to the business. And so, he's really kind of my champion and has allowed me to pursue this. WILL: I'm so glad that you have a supportive partner. That could be a make-it or break-it a lot of times. It's just someone in your corner that you can trust and know that they have your back. I think that's just huge. ZAMINA: Yeah, absolutely. I'm super lucky. WILL: What motivates you? What makes you...because being an entrepreneur is not easy. It's a lot of long hours, a lot of sleepless nights at times. So, what motivates you to want to be an entrepreneur? ZAMINA: I really want to leave the world in a better place than I found it. I spent a lot of time in my career, particularly on the marketing side, selling people things. And some of those things were great, and some of those things were absolutely things that they did not need. And I think once I became a parent, my perspective on life really shifted. And I realized that I wanted to spend my time doing something that I could be proud of but that would also, you know, do good in the world. I'm fueled by this idea that I'm building in a space that has kind of been underserved for decades and, that I'm solving a real-world tangible problem, and that I have a lot of people who have provided some incredible guidance, feedback, support along the way, who are validating the journey that we're on. And so, all of those things kind of, you know, fuel me in that way. And then, I think from a practical standpoint, just being able to build and design my life in the way that, you know, excites me, being able to spend time with my family, to have that flexibility. You know, in these early days, I don't have a lot of that because I'm spending a lot of time in the business, but I'm excited by the opportunity that it will present in the long run. VICTORIA: That's really exciting. And it reminds me just about what are your core values, and what values drive your everyday decisions? ZAMINA: I think it's really the one around the desire to leave the world in a better place. Again, when my daughter was born, I just saw things in a really different way. You know, I think I had been largely ignorant to a lot of that and not to the fault of my own. I think it's just one of those things that you don't really understand until you become a parent. You see how difficult it is to obtain childcare. You see how predatory it can be when it comes to consumption around toys, and products, and nutrition. And there's just a lot of things that become apparent to you that you don't really realize. And so, anything that I do and anyone that I align myself with is really centered around this idea and this desire to leave the world in a better place than I found it. WILL: Yeah, I totally agree with that. And I wish there were so many more resources out there because it's a hard thing to do. So, I really am glad that you're doing this. And it kind of leads into my next question. Do you have any advice for building an inclusive experience for parents? ZAMINA: If you spend any time on social media, you will see that people are very quick to dole out advice and to have comments on how other people choose to do things in their families, particularly in the context of, you know, female and motherhood-based content creators. And, honestly, the biggest thing that's missing when those kinds of things happen is empathy. A lot of the times, we feel maybe a little bit insecure, or we feel worried that decisions that we're making are not good, or we feel worried about being judged. And so, maybe we shift that onto other people. We project that onto other people. And what I've just seen come up time and time again is if everyone could just see the fact that everyone's struggle is very unique to their individual context. You never know what other families might be dealing with. You don't understand, you know, what difficulties they might be having at work, what difficulties they might be having with childcare, what their financial situation is. And all of that informs their decision-making, and everyone's just doing the best that they can. You know, when it comes to how we engage with other parents on social media, how we engage with other parents in real life, at work, in products, it's really just about trying to bridge the gap through empathy. And that's obviously way, way easier said than done. But I think it's really important because sometimes we just need that window to get the glance into other people's lives to really understand, oh, I should maybe, you know, keep that particular opinion to myself or maybe not be so judgmental in this particular context? And so, yeah, I think that's the biggest piece of advice that I have just for anyone that is navigating life in any context with a parent. VICTORIA: That's really helpful. Thank you. And it's, like, leading with empathy again, right? ZAMINA: Absolutely. Yeah [laughs]. The commonality here is absolutely leading with empathy. VICTORIA: Well, wonderful. I've really enjoyed our conversation so far. Is there anything else that you would like to promote? ZAMINA: Two quick things. Like I said, we are getting ready to launch in the middle of the year, so I'm really excited for that. And if anyone listening is excited by the mission, you can sign up for our waitlist at getmevi.com. Again, disclaimer, the website is a little bit out of date. It needs some work. But the wait list is very much active and works just fine. So, it'd be great to capture your intention there. And then, you can also follow us on Instagram @getmevi. VICTORIA: Wonderful. And also, do you have any questions for me or Will? ZAMINA: Gosh, yeah, I mean, I would love to understand kind of what patterns are you seeing in terms of what founders are building right now? Have you noticed kind of any underlying trends that you think would be valuable to share? VICTORIA: Well, I can talk about my experience connecting to the San Diego community, startup and founders community. So, it is interesting. I think what you mentioned earlier about trying to bootstrap as much as you can and do it yourself as much as you can. I've seen founders show an interest in learning more about low-code tools and using those to prove out their MVP and prove out their concept and go from there. There's always shifts in the investment, right? So, people, I think, are even more going to fall into their similar patterns for what they choose to invest in and take less risks. It's trending upward again, and we're starting to see some signs of investment picking up again. You know, being in San Diego is an interesting place because we're right next to Tijuana, and you can be in Mexico in 30 minutes from my house or 45, depending on traffic. And there's just a lot of opportunity to do all different types of startups around here: biotech startups and startups that help you predict if breast cancer is going to come back. And there's also just all kinds of interesting things going on with actual physical products as well and treating products as more of a startup-type model. So, that's what I see going around here. But, Will, what do you think? WILL: Yeah, I was actually thinking about probably the last two or three podcast episodes that I recorded, it was around parenting and motherhood. So, I think that's a good thing because, like you said, it's an underserved area, but it's amazing to see what that community is doing. And I think it's going to be so good, especially in the next couple of years. After talking to those founders and even yourself, the pandemic, I think, encouraged a lot of that growth in that area. So, I think we're going to see a lot of growth in that area, and I'm excited about it. ZAMINA: Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree with both of those things. And I think the no-code one is one in particular that will fuel a lot of innovation, not only in this industry but across tech as a whole. I'm seeing some really, really great advancements happening and making it a lot easier for solo non-technical founders or just non-technical people in general to prototype things very, very quickly. VICTORIA: Absolutely. And then, the tools to build products that are really compliant and mature and ready for healthtech and FinTech. There's also so much more out there available to give people the resources they need to do it right. So, it's really interesting. And yeah, I think, like you said, with COVID, too, the acceptance of virtual healthcare and the need for virtual communities, and that's not gone away [laughs]. There are still some people who won't want to re-engage in-person events and community building, so... ZAMINA: Yeah, this is kind of the new normal for us, and we've got to figure out how do we maintain our well-being and how do we maintain different types of social connectivity in this world that is becoming increasingly interpersonally independent? So, I think even AI and, you know, the Apple Vision Pro has really sparked conversations around what's going to happen to in-person interaction if everyone is wearing these massive devices on their faces? And I think, at this point, we can only imagine. But I do think it's a very practical and real thing that we should be solving for today and not just be waiting until we're all wearing these massive devices to recognize that we need to solve for that connectivity between all of us. VICTORIA: Have you tried out a Vision Pro yet? ZAMINA: I have not. Have you? VICTORIA: No, I haven't tried it. And I haven't ever talked to anyone who is using it. So, I'm curious. One of these days. ZAMINA: I've met a few people, or I know a few people who have tried it, mixed reviews. Obviously, the cost is a big prohibitive factor at the moment. But I think that there's the novelty around the device, which makes it really exciting right now. But I don't really see, like, in my life any practical use cases. You know, even if it was cheaper, if it was the product that it is today and the price was even half of what it is, I still don't really understand how I would benefit from it, but I'm definitely curious to see where it goes. VICTORIA: Yeah. Like, I want the ability to, like, have a big screen without having a physical screen, but I don't want to wear goggles. ZAMINA: Totally. VICTORIA: I also get nauseous. Like, I actually tried to do a virtual hangout during COVID, and I got some 3D, whatever, virtual glasses. And I got so [chuckles] nauseous so fast. I was like, this isn't...why does anyone enjoy this? And apparently, that's something that happens to women more than men because of hormones. ZAMINA: Oh, that is so interesting. I did not know that. VICTORIA: But I really enjoyed our conversation today. Thank you again so much for joining us. WILL: I'm so excited for your launch and your product. I think it's going to make a huge impact in that area. And I just can't wait to see where it goes. And thank you for building it and stepping out and taking that leap to do it. ZAMINA: Oh yeah. Thank you both so much. It was a really great conversation, and yeah, I'm excited to get launched and excited to stay in touch and see what we do from here. VICTORIA: Yeah, we'll have to bring you back in a year and see how things have progressed. ZAMINA: Yeah. Let's do it. Let's pencil that in [laughs]. WILL: You can subscribe to the show and find notes along with a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. You can find me on Twitter @will23larry. VICTORIA: And you can find me @victori_ousg. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thanks for listening. See you next time. AD: Did you know thoughtbot has a referral program? If you introduce us to someone looking for a design or development partner, we will compensate you if they decide to work with us. More info on our website at: tbot.io/referral. Or you can email us at: referrals@thoughtbot.com with any questions.

Teresa is an award-winning leadership expert, a keynote speaker, writer, and the former  CHRO at Allianz Partners (Allianz Partners is a world leader in B2B2C insurance and assistance, offering global solutions that span international health and life, travel insurance, automotive and assistance).  She is on a mission to help executive professionals eradicate burnout and transform their leadership. Relevant links:Website: https://www.teresavozza.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-vozza-chrl-cca/ Join the community at: instagram.com/leadershipisfemale instagram.com/emilyjaenson ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyjaenson/⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-is-female-podcast/?viewAsMember=true⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leadershipisfemale/support

Phillip and Brian have FOMO over guerrilla marketing in the *bathroom*, and break down the Jackson family walkthrough of Meow Wolf's Omega Mart. Stick around for BigCommerce CEO Brent Bellm's sit down with Brian live from Shoptalk. “From $70M to $700M”Key takeaways:- ShopTalk has become the biggest pure-play event in North America for e-commerce, showcasing the growth and optimism in the industry.- AI is making its way into various tools and solutions, embedding Gen AI to increase efficiency in teams.- TikTok is seen as a viable platform for brands to engage with new audience segments, and it offers a unique opportunity for creators to collaborate with brands.- Checkout replacement tools are shifting gears, aiming for faster and more adaptable solutions to meet the evolving needs of e-commerce businesses.- Omega Mart by Meow Wolf is an immersive art exhibit that satirizes capitalism and consumerism, allowing visitors to explore a surreal grocery store with twisted products on the shelves.{00:15:41} - “There are a lot of solutions that are actually embedding Gen AI in their tools. Everything from data cleanliness to customer service to product copy to marketing and other tools. I think everyone's just barely actually embedding it in a way that will actually increase efficiency in teams.” - Brian{00:27:15} - “{TikTok Shop} is closer to almost like a B2B2C model. You have your home designers and fabric stores sell to those home designers and they work their fabrics into the homes that they're influencing. It's almost the same thing. Managing these effectively, you know, designers for all kinds of experiences, not just homes, but beauty, fashion, whatever it is.” - Brian{00:52:47} - “The overarching philosophy of metamodernism in that the best way to deliver an experience is to engage in both culture and commerce but to do so with a wink to say, "We both know that for this thing to exist that you really want that I have to play into the commercial nature of the way that it exists. And so I will critique that so that you can't critique it, Mrs Consumer. I will critique it for us, but we both know that the only way that you're going to get this and the only way you can deliver this and experience this is if it's commercialized in some way," and that is the overarching narrative of Omega Mart.” - Phillip{00:59:15} - “You can press a button and have a catalyst store on Next.js and React, the highest performing most popular tech in the world of composable, in under 60 seconds pre-integrated with all of our functionality, as well as leading content management solutions, as well as leading search and merch engines, out of the box hosting from top partners like Vercel. We have so lowered the bar to the world's best composable tech that we think that's the future, and it's perfectly timed with the growth again of MACH enthusiasm in the US.” - Brent{01:07:21} - “What if we turned Makeswift, not just for content websites, which is what it was built for, into commerce websites too? And that was the sort of the magic aha idea, and I think we are going to transform the industry.” - Brent{01:13:29} - “We're open sourcing the React component library. Meaning, any agency, any developer can come in and contribute a new component or enhance a component. We'll make sure it's secure. We'll be sort of the gatekeepers on the quality, but you're not dependent just on the components that BigCommerce builds. Anybody can be building new extraordinary website components that go into the library and make it that much more powerful to leverage that library.” - BrentAssociated Links:Check out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printThe MUSES Journal is here! Grab your copy of our latest annual journal today at musesjournal.comHave you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

Martha Chang sits down with Atul to discuss her many, many triumphs: successful Film Producer, Technologist, Fundraiser, Investor and now COO, ZuCasa, a platform offering B2B2C tehncial solutions for the Streaming, OTT and Gaming Space. Imagine watching a sports match live, and interacting with 20 friends who are sitting anywhere in the world. Next, a digitized version of the global music phenomenon known as  Antakshari is coming. Zucasa makes the joys of the world more accessible. PMF, Increasing TAM & SOM, and constantly pushing boundaries to unlock value for those in her business ecosystem, Martha walks us through her incredible journey.   This is part of the ‘Prof P' series. Please Rate, Review and Subscribe!! 00:00  Intro: Martha Chang 02:00  North Korean Film, Witness Protection Program, Ever Evolving Career 06:00 3 Ninjas x Disney's #1 Movie 07:15  Fiber Optics 08:30  Video: Algorithms + Compression + Data 12:00  Faith x Action: Business Check Mate 14:35  Film: Budgets x Pay Structure 18:30  ZuCasa x Sports x Entertainment x Zee TV 22:00  TAM, SAM, SOM: New Tech, New Opportunity 31:00  ZuCasa Reactions: Cricket + Concerts 35:50  Raising Capital 39:10  Investor / Founder Relationship: Easy Capital Impact on ROI 41:00  Raising Capital: is about YOU + Your Ability to Execute 45:00  Investors: We Need Love Too

Today we're going to talk about the value of B2B2C, and how to create a win-win situation for all parties involved despite the challenges and risks associated with B2B2C and self-service models, in a special episode 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. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Carlos Manalo, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at The Office of Experience and Tom Flierl, Chief Commercial Officer at Amla Commerce. Resources The Office of Experience website: https://www.officeofexperience.com Znode website: https://www.znode.com Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-agile-brand/ For consulting on marketing technology, customer experience, and more visit GK5A: https://www.gk5a.com Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow 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

Today we sit with Luis Suarez, the founder of Sanarai, a startup focused on increasing access to high-quality mental health resources for the Spanish-speaking community. Originally from Mexico City, Luis moved to the US to pursue his MBA at Duke University. After struggling to find mental health support in Spanish during the COVID-19 pandemic, Luis recognized the need for better resources for the Latino community. With Sanarai, he aims to bridge the gap and provide culturally sensitive mental health services to Spanish speakers. Luis shares his personal journey and the inspiration behind starting Sanarai. He highlights the significant gap in mental health services for the Latino population, with only 5% of mental health professionals speaking Spanish despite 13% of the population being Spanish speakers. He shares how they have built a two-sided marketplace connecting patients with mental health providers, focusing on relationship issues, anxiety, depression, and more. The team has leveraged resources like Google for Startups to grow their platform and ensure the highest quality of care for their users. If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.  Founder Bio:  Luis Emilio Suarez pursued his education at Colegio Vista Hermosa, and later attended Universidad Politécnica de Madrid from 2006 to 2011, where he obtained a degree in Mining and Energy Engineering. He then went on to study at Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business from 2015 to 2017, and received a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). Luis has an extensive work history starting from 2010, when he worked as a Project Engineer at Soletanche Bachy. He worked as a Contract Manager at SENER from 2012 to 2016, and in 2016 he became an MBA Summer Intern at Kearney. He was later promoted to Management Consultant in 2017. Most recently, in 2020, he founded Sanarai and became its CEO. Time Stamps: 02:51 Introduction and background of Luis Suarez 06:40 Challenges of serving the Latino market and expanding to Central and South America 09:46 Sanarai as a two-sided marketplace for mental health services 11:04 B2B2C model and partnerships with companies and community organizations 12:00 Strategy for creating and filling demand for therapists 14:20 Matching patients with therapists based on specialties 16:37 Building the technology for the platform started with an MVP. 18:54 How proven interest from therapists and clients led to building a customized platform. 20:20 Focusing on quality of mental health providers rather than the technology. 23:00 What does the Sanarai team look like today 26:32 How does Sanarai's work mode work 29:27 Explaining 1871 as an incubator and shared space for startups 30:52 Sanarai experience with Google for Startups program 33:03 Funding and resources offered by Google for Startups 35:24 How to get in contact with the Sanarai team Resources Company website: https://www.sanarai.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sanaraizen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanaraizen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanaraizen/

Sabine VdL talks to Pravina Ladva, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Swiss Re. Pravina's career reads like a playbook for digital transformation and has answers that could redefine the way we look at insurance economics. This conversation is not just timely, it's urgently needed in a world where data is the new oil and AI is the new electricity. Pravina tells us about why Swiss Re is taking the lead with its groundbreaking Sigma Research Report from the Swiss Re Institute, what are we – as an industry – standing to gain or lose, uncovering the blueprints for the future of insurance, digital risk, and how technology could either be the ladder or the snake in this high-stakes game of digital transformation. KEY TAKEAWAYS          Today you can't turn a corner without talking about AI, tech and data. This means there's a huge amount of opportunity that's been untapped. There are a whole load of new business models that we haven't even dreamed of yet.  Digitisation is taking the analogue world and putting it into a digital system so that it can be transmitted around the world both in terms of data and conversation in a digital context as opposed to a paper context. Digitalisation is how you take that information and apply it to your business processes. Many organisations deal with some kind of legacy technology, you need to be aware of you digital environment and work within that as well as what are the opportunities to change it and where some of it is OK, because not all legacy is bad.  BEST MOMENTS ‘If you type digitisation and digitalisation the come up together on autocorrect, it shows we really have a mixed view on what they both are and mean.'‘Every one of my peers that I speak to are all facing the same challenge: There is a war for talent because we all want the same kind of people to come and do similar kinds of things.'‘No organisation on its own can achieve what it wants to achieve, you need to be very open minded about who you're partnering with, whether that's InsurTechs, large global service providers, whoever it is in the end-to-end ecosystem to really bring the value in the right way.'‘It's not about your core technology, it's about what you do with it and how you operate it that makes a difference.' ABOUT THE GUEST Pravina Ladva started her career at Abbey National/Santander, gaining experience in the financial technology sector, with responsibility for various areas from strategy to delivery and financial results. She joined Barclaycard in 2008 and held various roles including COO Digital Marketplace and CIO Barclaycard Business Solutions. During this time, she led B2B and B2B2C technology and change teams, as well as the build and launch of a digital marketplace platform in the UK. Pravina Ladva joined Swiss Re in 2017 as Chief Technology and Operations Officer for iptiQ, Swiss Re's digital white-label provider of property & casualty and life & health insurance, and in July 2020 assumed the role of Swiss Re Group Digital Transformation Officer. Pravina Ladva was appointed Group Chief Digital & Technology Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee as of 1January 2022. LinkedIn https://www.swissre.com/ ABOUT THE HOSTSabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew, a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, and commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers and accelerating over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner.  Twitter: SabineVdLLinkedIn: Sabine VanderLindenInstagram: sabinevdLofficialFacebook: SabineVdLOfficialTikTok: sabinevdlofficialEmail: podcast@sabinevdl.comWebsite: www.sabinevdl.comThis show was brought to you by Progressive Media