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In this episode of the IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Brian Schwam to discuss how Interest Charge Domestic International Sales Corporations (IC-DISCs) can help businesses save on taxes. With over 35 years of experience, Brian shares how IC-DISC has evolved since 1972 and why it remains a valuable tool for U.S. exporters. He explains how businesses, particularly in the aerospace industry's Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector, can take advantage of this incentive to improve their financial position. We walk through a hypothetical example to illustrate how an exporting business could benefit from IC-DISC. Brian explains how companies involved in manufacturing, repairing, or trading parts can qualify and why many eligible businesses overlook this opportunity. We also discuss the annual MRO conference in Atlanta, where industry professionals gather to share insights and best practices. This event highlights the ongoing impact of IC-DISC within the aerospace sector and beyond. Despite the clear benefits, many businesses hesitate to implement IC-DISC due to a lack of awareness or expertise. Brian talks about how our firm partners with CPA firms to integrate IC-DISCs into existing tax processes, making it easier for businesses to take advantage of these savings. He also highlights the underutilization of IC-DISC and why more companies should consider it as part of their tax strategy. We wrap up by discussing the upcoming MRO America's Conference in Atlanta, where exporting aviation maintenance companies can connect and learn more about IC-DISC applications. Whether you're new to IC-DISC or looking to refine your approach, this conversation provides useful insights for businesses considering this tax-saving opportunity.     SHOW HIGHLIGHTS In this episode, I discuss the intricacies and benefits of Interest Charge Domestic International Sales Corporations (IC-DISC) with tax attorney Brian Schwam, who has over 35 years of experience in the field. We explore the historical context of IC-DISC, including its origins in 1972 and the significant changes it underwent following international scrutiny and U.S. tax reforms, such as the 2003 Bush tax cuts and the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Brian provides insights into how IC-DISC can serve as a valuable tax incentive for U.S. exporters, particularly those in the aerospace industry's Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector. Through a detailed hypothetical example, we illustrate how companies can leverage IC-DISC to maximize export profits, highlighting specific benefits for pass-through entities and closely held C corporations. We address common apprehensions businesses face regarding IC-DISC implementation and discuss how collaboration with CPA firms can facilitate a seamless integration into existing tax processes. Despite the clear benefits, IC-DISC remains underutilized, and we emphasize the potential missed opportunities for businesses not taking advantage of this tax-saving strategy. The episode also covers upcoming industry events, such as the annual MRO conference in Atlanta and the ICDISC Alliance Conference, which offer valuable networking and professional growth opportunities.   Contact Details LinkedIn - Brian Schwam (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-schwam-b6026a3/) LINKSShow Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About WTP Advisors GUEST Brian SchwamAbout Brian TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dave: Hey, brian, welcome to the podcast. Brian: Thanks, dave, good to be here. Dave: So where on planet Earth are you calling in from today? It's hard to tell by looking at your background. Brian: Outer space. I am in the sunny South Florida. Dave: Okay. Brian: Breezy, south Florida, okay. Dave: Now are you a native of Florida. Brian: I am not a native of Florida. I spent 50 years of my life in the upper Midwest in Wisconsin. Okay, I had to move to Sunbelt. Dave: Okay, Now were you educated in the Midwest then too. Brian: I was. I'm a proud alum of the University of Wisconsin, both for an undergraduate degree in accounting and also my JD from the law school Okay. Dave: So you've and I take it and I've known you a while, so I think that's been several decades ago that your career was started. Is that about right? Brian: Several would be a good good approximation. Yes, I've been at this for 38 years. I know it doesn't look like it, right, okay? Dave: And so, and how long have you been involved in ICDISC? Then Most of that time 38 years, oh, 38 years in ICDISC. Then most of that time, 38 years, oh, 38 years in the disc, wow, yeah. So how does that do you know? Do you have any way to quantify that? Like how many you know ICDISC returns you've, you know, signed or reviewed or prepared, or Boy, it's a big number, dave. Brian: It's probably five figures. Okay, probably, so you know, somewhere north of 10,000 for sure. Okay, over that time period. Dave: Well, and that is why I'm glad that you are one of the founding members of the IC Disc Alliance with me that when I had a chance to partner up with you and some of your team when we created the IC Disc Alliance, I was really excited because in my book I pretty much knew all the players in the IC Disc space and once the famous Neil Block retired after 50 years to me you were without peer in the IC Disc space. Brian: So I really enjoyed collaborating with you through the years here in the ICDISC space, so I really enjoyed collaborating with you through the years. Dave: Thank, you for that, Dave. I hope to be able to follow Neil into that 50-year stratosphere. Yeah, that's big shoes to follow. So let's just talk a bit about the ICDISC. What the heck is it? Why does everyone use that silly acronym? Brian: Because what it really stands for is a mouthful. Dave: Okay. Brian: Discharged Domestic International Sales Corporation and that is what the ICDISC stands for, short right ICDISC. And I don't know if we'll get into. I'll get into what the IC stands for and everything. But basically this is an export incentive that's been in the Internal Revenue Code since 1972. Okay, in various forms. Initially it was an export incentive that just about any company could use, that was exporting goods that were manufactured, produced, grown or extracted in the US. It came under some fire from our trading partners and in 1984, it was transformed into the ICDISC. It started out just as the DISC in 1972 for the Boston International Sales Corporation and it, like I said, came under scrutiny. Our trading partners said hey, you're a, you can't have an exemption from income because you're not. You know you tax things differently in your country. This flies in the face of the other incentives you give your taxpayers. So they changed it into the ICDIS, which made it into, instead of a permanent tax savings, at least on its face, into a temporary savings where, to the extent a taxpayer saved tax and deferred income from tax, they were required to pay an interest charge to the IRS on that deferred tax. Hence the IC. Dave: Okay, okay. Brian: That rate changes every year. It's based on the one-year average TBLO rate as of September 30th annually. And at the same time they instituted something called the Foreign Sales Corporation, which was widely used by thousands of companies, and that came under attack and eventually became the extraterritorial income exclusion which was immediately attacked and eventually, a couple of years later, it just went away. In the meantime, the disk floundered for quite a number of years. In fact, in the year 2000 there were only 787 disks in existence. Dave: Wow, it seems like a shockingly small number. Brian: Well, the tax laws weren't real conducive to benefiting from the disk at that time. Then, in 2003, the Bush tax cuts brought in the concept of qualified dividend income and it took the disk off of life support and really put it on robust territory for pass-through entities, because they could now, to the extent that they could qualify and we'll get into that, to the extent they could qualify and to the extent that they could benefit it provided a 20% rate benefit between ordinary income and qualified dividend income, so it was a significant savings. Now that's been whittled away over time, where it's been reduced here and there. Various tax law changes and probably the largest or the next biggest reduction came in in 2017 with the Trump tax bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced the rate on qualified income on non-qualified income. So it reduced the rate on S-corp income partnership income in an individual's tax return to a 29.6% level, and so now the spread between the qualified dividend rate and the ordinary rate just isn't as great as it used to be. It's approaching 6%. So where it used to be 20, then it went to 15, and now it's 6. But it's still a permanent savings for these past three entities and it's not something that they should ignore, because it can save significant taxes, depending upon the level of export activity. Dave: Okay, and now to be clear, depending on a company-specific fact pattern, that spread could be greater. Right For a pass-through. It could be as high as what like? Brian: 13% or so For a pass-through it could be as high as what like, 13% or so For a pass-through business. Dave: It could be as high as 13.2%, okay, but in general we see that it and it could even be somewhere between that, depending on. Brian: Anywhere in between 5.8 and 13.2. Dave: And our experience has been that most companies tend to gravitate more toward the lower end of the savings than the higher end. Brian: Yes. Dave: Yes, okay. Now what about for a C-Corp? Brian: C-Corp is a different animal. Okay, a C-Corp can't use an disc to pay deductible dividends to its owners if it's a closely held C corp. This is not something that a public company can benefit from. But if a closely held business C corp is paying dividends to its shareholders and would like to be able to deduct those payments, rather than not being able to deduct those payments, using an ICDIS can transform the dividend into a deductible dividend. Now, it doesn't save the shareholders any tax, because they're paying tax on the dividend regardless of where it comes from, but it would eliminate the corporate level tax on the C corporation, so that benefit could be as high as 21%. Dave: Okay. Brian: Okay, another manner in which certain C corporations use the disc is to fund bonuses for shareholders and key employees, and then that saves the shareholders 17% tax the difference between a tax on a wage and a tax on a dividend, qualified dividend. So that's a 17% savings for the shareholder. In that case the C-Corp doesn't save any tax. They're getting a deduction either way wages or commission to the disk. And now that I've mentioned the word commission, that's probably a good segue into how does a disk earn income? Yeah, and what is its income? So most discs are what we call commission discs. They earn a commission when a operating business that's related to that disc makes an export sale of qualified export property. So let's dig down into that first. What's qualified export property? Well, that's property that has been manufactured, produced, grown or extracted in the US. So if I'm manufacturing in Mexico or Canada or China and I'm simply selling what I've made in those other countries, you know the disc is not something that's going to benefit that type of a business. Dave: Okay. Brian: It is there to spur US manufacturing, create US jobs, right in line with the America First proposition that's headlining Washington in 2025. Dave: Okay. Brian: So it should be on safe ground, everything that's going on there. So if a company has property that's been manufactured, produced, grown or extracted in the US and they sell it for export outside the United States and not to a US possession, then that sale can potentially generate an ICDIS commission that would be paid to the ICDIS. And keep in mind this ICDISC is not an entity that the outside world sees or understands or knows about. It's simply an entity that does business, if you will, internally with the operating company, so customers don't know about it. It's really transparent to the world. It's just there to help US exporters save tax. Dave: Okay, it's just there to help US exporters save tax. Okay, and the logistics of it. Like say a company has just for simple math, let's say they have $10 million of export, of qualified export revenue, and the ICDIS commission that's calculated to say 10% of that. Brian: Okay. Dave: So 10% of that would be a million dollars, and so walk me through kind of the that's correct and it accrues the deduction, assuming it's not a cash basis taxpayer. Brian: It accrues that deduction at the end of the year, the DISC accrues the income at the end of the year and then by statute the DISC does not pay income tax. So now we've gotten a deduction on one side, we have non-taxable income on the other side and then when the disc pays a dividend to its owners, that becomes a qualified dividend and is taxed at a lower rate. Dave: Okay, so then, effectively, that million dollars gets reclassified from being taxed at ordinary dividend rates to qualified dividend rates. Brian: From ordinary income rates to qualified dividend rates. Dave: yes, Yep, thank you for that. And where that shows up for a pass-through is going to be on the individual shareholders, k-1, right. That box up near the top that shows ordinary taxable income would basically go down. Let's say there was one shareholder, that number goes down by a million dollars. And then there's a box further down on the K-1 for qualified dividend income and that's where the number's being shifted to right. Brian: Right. Assuming the disc is owned by the operating company, which most of the time it is in the pass-through business context, then the ordinary income gets reduced on the K-1 and the dividend income will increase on the K-1, not necessarily in the same year, but that will be the result over time. Dave: And then that tax savings then will show up on the individual shareholders. 1040, right, because their ordinary income line is a million dollars less. The qualified dividend income line is a million dollars more, and that's where that arbitrage. Brian: They pay less tax if they're getting a distribution from the company to cover their taxes, which is often the case, the company doesn't have to distribute as much cash, therefore increasing the working capital of the business. Dave: Okay, well, thank you. Thank you for that. Now, what I want to drill down into a little more today is looking at the aerospace industry, specifically what's called the MRO space in aerospace. Do you know what MRO stands for? Brian: I believe, I do, I believe maintenance, repair and overhaul. Dave: That's my understanding as well. Brian: That's a significant area in the aviation space. Dave: yes, Okay, and I believe that there's a big conference in Atlanta in April with like something like 17,000 expected attendees. Brian: Yeah, just a small gathering. Dave: A small gathering. Brian: For sure. Yes, that's my understanding as well. In fact, I'll be there. Dave: Yeah, I believe we'll both be there, yeah we'll both be there A few of our colleagues. Brian: Yeah, so it's a one a year significant gathering of companies that operate in this MRO space, supporting airlines and other aviation companies, and basically MRO is important because it keeps planes able to fly. Yeah, and we actually have a booth there. Dave: Yeah, and we actually have a booth there. 1818 BC and it makes it sound like it's a date from a long time ago. But yeah, we'll be there and this will be our first year in attendance or exhibiting. And this has come from, in recent years, I'd say, a big ramp up in the number of MRO companies who we are helping with their IC disk. Is that right? Brian: Yeah, absolutely. In fact, one of the sponsors of the conference was a company I was doing some work with and I asked them if he thought it would be a good idea for us to attend, and it was a resounding absolutely that he thought that we could meet a lot of companies that could benefit from this ICDISC similar to his company. Dave: Okay. What are the elements in the MRO space or the characteristics of the companies that make them a good fit for the ICDISC, because my understanding is it's probably only one out of a hundred of like all the registered corporations in the US are really a fit for the disc. Brian: Yeah, so it takes a specific fact pattern to really benefit. So the companies in the service side of the business so let's say they're carpet cleaners or something to that nature they're not going to be able to benefit from the disk. But let's say it's a repair center and airlines will ship in parts to the repair center because they've worn out and they need it. They need a replacement part so that they can fly this plane. So what happens is maybe the repair center takes their part and repairs it, but they previously repaired another part that's identical and then to the customer and that plane gets back in the air right away. So in that scenario, even though it's a different part that's going back out versus what was coming in, that type of activity qualifies as long as what they're doing qualifies as manufacturing and that repair is occurring in the US. Dave: Okay. Brian: Then that type of a company could definitely benefit Other companies. I don't want to use this term, but it's kind of like horse trading. Sometimes companies will buy a surplus of parts, knowing that eventually they're going to be used by somebody and they hang on to these parts, or they find them from somebody who says I don't want these parts anymore, I haven't been able to sell them. So they take a flyer, they take a risk and they buy these parts and they hang on to them and maybe they sell them at a significant profit and maybe they don't. But there's that space as well that can benefit from the disc, and there's some misconception out there that some of the companies that are similar to what I just described can't benefit from a disc, and so, for example, if parts are obtained outside the US, they stay outside the US. They stay outside the US and they're repaired, recertified and resold. Those aren't going to qualify for the ICBITS. But sometimes parts are acquired outside the US and they're brought into the US, they're repaired, put it back into inventory in the US and then sold for export, and that activity does qualify for the ICs, and so it's very important to know where this refurbishment or remanufacturing is taking place. Dave: Okay and yeah, and there's a US content piece to it, right, like if they buy a part from China and all they do is they just put a little lubricant on it and throw it in a box. Brian: that may not qualify and then they export it. The test is what's the customer's value when that part comes into the US. So if it's a burned out hot engine part, for example, yeah there's no value or very little value and it comes into the US, its customers value is close to zero. It gets repaired, it's going to easily meet the content test and it's easily going to be considered manufactured in the US. It's rare, I think, that we'll find that somebody will buy a new part from outside the US just to inventory it here for export. Dave: Okay, yeah, because there's that it's a 50% US content test, right which? Is also, I think confusing on the surface if you don't really dive down into the rules, right, I mean, the layperson may find it. Brian: How do you know what's 50% US content? Well, the cost of good, I mean. Think of it the other way. The foreign content can't be more than 50%. And the foreign content is the cost, the customs value when it was imported. So if I'm selling something for $100, I imported it for as much as $49.99. That's going to qualify as long as I did something, you know, remanufactured it once it got to the US and once it got to the plus, more often than not, I think the value of those things coming in because they're used and worn and damaged parts, they're going to have a low customs valuation where there'll be no problem meeting that content. Dave: Okay, I can see that. Well, I find and my listeners tell me they really like kind of case studies, little mini of case studies, little mini, you know, client case studies On an anonymous basis. Do you have an example or two of some of the types of companies we've worked with, just to give people a flavor of them and, again, you know, being anonymous to you know? What company it is, but just a sense of like the sense of the size of the company, what the benefit might have been. Brian: The size is sort of across the board, right. So some of them are someone on the smaller side. They might have export sales between $5 and $10 million, and then some of them might have export sales of $100 million. It all depends on the size of their business and the benefits are kind of all over the map. Because we don't just do a simple calculation of the benefits. And the reason we don't is because in this industry what we find is there's a lot of margin variability in the companies that are exporting, and then a transaction-by-transaction analysis of the disk commission is what makes the most sense. That allows us to benefit from the margin variability, allows them to benefit from a higher disk commission and obviously then they're going to save more tax. And in some cases the commission grows by 10x by using the T by T. Sometimes it's two or three x, sometimes it's. You know, I've seen you know where it would have been zero because there was an overall loss in the company, but we were able to get a significant discommission with a T by T approach. So it's hard to pinpoint an exact number, but generally speaking it's 15 to 20, you know the commission ends up being 15 to 20% of sales. And if you look at the statutes, one of the statutes says oh, the commission can be 4% of sales, and another implies that it could be anywhere from 4% to 10%, but we generally see in this industry at least 15% on average. It's significantly higher. Dave: Yeah, and I'd like to drill down into that because I tell, and based on my understanding, we may manage more IC disks than any other organization of the country. I mean we I think our number is somewhere north of 500 companies now that we're helping out, and when I'm having these conversations, you know. So I'm, as you know, I'm more focused on the sales side. You know, and you and your team are more focused kind of on the technical aspect of producing these returns, and what I tell people is that our real value isn't being able to produce an IC disk return. Our value is the incremental benefit that the transaction by transaction calculation yields. That the transaction by transaction calculation yields. Because you know just about any any cpa firm you know most of them their software includes the ic disk return. You know, if they just go do a four percent calculation, it's a, you know, reasonably straightforward calculation. But we find that you know they're capturing only a fraction of the total benefit. Brian: That's true, and while I've seen a good number of interesting looking disc returns, I tend to agree that if you follow the directions, anybody can probably prepare a disc return. We do that as well. That's not where we add the most value. Where we add the most value, adding the value comes in unlocking the highest commission possible so that the tax savings are as great as possible. Yeah, and a lot of businesses that are high margin I'm sorry, low margin high volume businesses. When you look at the disc, on its face it looks like oh, there's not much benefit here, we're only making 2% or 3% of sales on our bottom line. So our disc commission would be 2% or 3% of sales. But, like I said, with the transactional approach, if the commission approach is 15%, well now we've taken the company into a tax loss which could potentially save additional taxes for the owners over and above that 5.8%, because now we're offsetting that loss against other income wages, interest, et cetera and being taxed just on the qualified dividend income of the disc. And so you can't just look at the overall margin or overall profitability of the company and project what that, what it's going to look like, Because they vary all over the place. Dave: Based on this transactional approach, yeah, and I would like to talk a bit about. Oftentimes, when I'm talking to a company that's considering a disk, oftentimes they've never even heard of it. Their CPA firm may not have even mentioned the idea. And they'll say, and they'll ask me hey, does this mean my CPA, you know, screwed up by not telling me about it. In my response, you know I try to be generous and I explain it that, look, you know, in our experience only about one out of 100 companies are a candidate. And so let's just say you have a large local CPA firm and they have 100, you know midsize corporate clients. Statistically we find that only one of them, you know, would be a fit for the disk. And your experience may be a little different, you know, feel free to correct me. And so when you think about it from the CPA's perspective, if there's a special part of the tax code and they only have one client that benefits, it's a difficult economic dynamic for the CPA firm to invest in a whole team and expertise to serve one client, right? Isn't that like part of the challenge that the and I know you've worked at a number of large CPA firms Is my understanding correct? That's part of the problem is just their clientele. There aren't enough of them. That makes it worth doing yeah. Brian: Yeah, I think that's a fair characterization. I might phrase it a little bit differently. I mean, there are thousands of CPA firms and they're all excellent generalists. This is not an area where you can be a generalist. Cpa firms often outsource R&D, tax credit work, cost segregation work. This, to me, falls right in that same category. You don't want to dabble in this, and if you're not sure what you're doing, you can get you and your client in trouble. Have good intentions, but if you don't execute it properly, it can be more of a headache than it's worth. And so, like most people, I think people gravitate towards what they know and understand, and things that they don't know and understand can look and sound scary. Dave: Yeah. Brian: So it's like, oh my God, an IC disc. I've never heard of that. I'm not sure I can bring that to my client because I don't really know what I'm doing. Well, I wish I knew somebody I could call to him. He's not a competitor right who could help me through this and help my client through this, and so that's really one of the reasons why we exist, because, as you stated, you don't want it to be a competitor that you call, and so, because we are so hyper focused on what we do and we don't do the things that I'll call the cpa's generalists, that the generalists do, we're an excellent partner because we're not looking to take away anybody's tax return or any of the other type of work that the CPA might be doing for that client. We just want to play in our space. Dave: Yeah, sometimes I'm sorry. Sometimes you know clients or potential clients will say, yeah, but you know our CPA firm does. You know all of our work. It's a one-stop shop thing and I'm afraid having you do the disc return and then doing the corporate return yeah, but our CPA firm does all of our work, it's a one-stop shop thing and I'm afraid having you do the disc return and then doing the corporate return it's just going to be a nightmare for you all to coordinate your efforts. It just sounds like too much trouble. What would your response be to that? Brian: My response is I work with over 500 companies. Generally we do the disk work for those companies. The regular mainstream CPA does everything else. We coordinate our work with that CPA and it's never a problem. We say, look, we're going to need X number of days to turn this around, so please have a draft of the operating company return by a particular date, and then they work towards that date. They give us the return, we get data from the company and we turn the number around so they can finish their tax return and then we go ahead and finish the disc return and I would say 99.9% of the time it works like we're all part of the same thing. Dave: Yeah, because really the CPA they prepare that final draft corporate return. They then pull two numbers from the disk return that goes into the corporate return and then they're done, basically right. Brian: And they're done and they can go ahead and finish up their disk return, I mean their operating company return and their state returns and everything. And then we just have to get the disc return done. And sometimes you know they file their tax return in april and you know the disc returns aren't due till september. So one might say, oh, you could just sit on them until september. But you know, we try to get them done at the same time. Sure sure Everybody can rest easy. But I mean we think of ourselves as a bolt-on resource to that CPA firm while we're working with that and we work with probably 50 to 75 CPA firms around the country in that role- yeah. It works well. I mean, you can talk to any one of them about what it's like to work with us, and I'm sure you'd get a glowing recommendation for how we work with them and for their clients. Dave: Yeah, no, I'm with you. So, as we're nearing the end here, the other thing that people find interesting you'd mentioned in 2003, there were 700 IC disks under 1,000. Yeah, 787. And then, according, if my recollection is correct, the most recent IRS stats that updated that were published, I think, in 2010. And I believe in 2010, there were like 2000 disks. Brian: Yeah, something like 1926. Okay, To be exact, and that number I'm sure has grown dramatically since then. I would guess there's somewhere between eight and 10,000 disks out there now. Okay, yeah. Dave: Yeah, now what's interesting? This is what people find interesting. I believe there's about 50 million business organization, you know business entities in the country, and so let's just assume that's the number, 50 million. Brian: I mean it's tens of millions. Dave: I'm certain of that. For some reason, I think it's 50 million. Does that sound reasonable? Brian: It does so let's think it's 50 million, does that? Dave: sound reasonable. It does. So let's say it's 50 million and on your average, you know we find around one out of a hundred. You know, maybe one out of 200 companies are fit for the disc. So if we run through the math, you know one percent of 50 million, I believe, is 500, 000. You know approximate companies that we think would benefit from a disc. Yet most recent stats, there's only 2000, you know, and maybe it's 4,000, 6,000, you know. Even, let's say it's 10,000 that exists now. So if you divide 10,000 by 500,000, what is that? Like 2%, I think, of the projected eligible company actually have a disc yeah, and people can't. They always are surprised by that and I usually tell them it might. And tell me if your numbers are consistent. I say about 100. One out of 100 benefit or could benefit. The ones who could benefit 90 percent of them have never heard of the disc, maybe 95%, and the 5% of the 1% who have heard of it, even once they hear about it, they usually haven't implemented it. Brian: Right. Then there's a percent that have implemented it. They're not getting out of it what they can. Dave: Right right. Brian: So it's so. There's a lot of missed opportunities by taxpayers and everyone's always trying to save some taxes. It helps fun, you know. It might help hire another employee might help, you know, if the savings are moderate and it's 50, 6070, 1000 of tax savings that still could pay for an employee to come work at the company. Why do? Dave: you think that utilization is so low? I mean because it'd be shocking if only 2% of the companies who did research and development took advantage of the RMD tax credit. Brian: I think it's just not well known. I mean it's very esoteric, it's been in the tax code for ages and ages and it just doesn't you. You know, there were so many years where it just wasn't relevant when you think that it's not something people think about. And then if you know, if you're a small exporter and you're exporting a half a million dollars a year a million dollars a year unfortunately it probably doesn't benefit you to have a disc and so maybe someone will look at it whether that size and they're like, oh yeah, it doesn't benefit you to have a disk and so maybe someone will look at it whether that size and they're like, oh yeah, it doesn't work. And then they grow and they forget that it might work once they've grown. So once a company hits about three million of export sales really should look at it again, because that's where it starts to have economic relevance that's where it starts to have economic relevance. Dave: Do you think some of it could be that? I mean, in general, public companies don't use disks, right? Brian: They just simply don't. Dave: Okay, and so I've found that oftentimes small to mid-sized privately held companies receive a lot of their sophisticated business knowledge from their Fortune 500 suppliers or clients. You know they'll hear from them about something and you know, like the payroll protection program during COVID, you know I suspect some of those might have heard about that from you know some of their large customers. Maybe that's not a good example, but you know that could be another reason. Right, there's just a dearth of knowledge that the CPAs aren't focused on it because the economics don't make sense. The large sophisticated public suppliers and clients don't use it, so they don't hear about it from them. Right, it's not really in the news, it's just. It just kind of flies below the radar screen, doesn't it? Brian: It definitely does, and that's certainly a reason why it's not as utilized as it probably could be. Dave: Yeah, and it seems like you know most of our, you know virtually all of our clients come as a referral from either an existing client or an advisor who we've worked with other clients you know, like a CPA or attorney or banker. So yeah, it's just a yeah, even though you know the podcast is called the Icy Disc Show. I don't get the sense that I'm ever going to. You know, reach Joe Rogan's audience size. It just seems to kind of fly below the radar screen. Brian: Yeah, and the potential audience is probably a little smaller than Joe's. Dave: Probably Well. So the last thing, the other thing people tell me they're surprised about the first year of the disk return. When they set up a disk is to get everything done. And we tell them the disk return's ready and they say, super good, and e-file it for me, like the CPA does the corporate and personal returns. And what is our response when they tell us to go e-file it for them? Brian: The response is unfortunately, the IRS doesn't provide for e-filing of disk returns and we'll need to send you a paper return. You're going to need to sign it and file it with the IRS and the unfortunate thing there is gosh, I don't know what percent of the time, but it's a growing percentage of the time the IRS loses the return Right and then sends a notice saying, hey, we never filed or whatever. And some of these disk returns are quite large. The fact that they because when you do the transaction by transaction analysis, there's a lot of paper that gets produced and filed and it's shocking to me that the IRS would lose those what they do. Dave: So it's interesting what they do. So it's interesting. I like to say that not only does the ICDISC fly under the radar screen of most everything, it even, in some ways, it's almost like it flies under the radar screen of the IRS itself. Brian: Yeah, and they put some things in place with regard to the ICDISC in 1984 and have never changed it. For example, if you're in the situation where you have to pay interest on deferred tax, which often occurs. First of all, a lot of times taxpayers don't realize it and they don't do it. Secondly, if they do it. It's so antiquated that the instructions to the form where you calculate the interest it says please staple a check to this form and mail it in. I mean, who does that in 2020, right? Nobody. People, businesses prefer to do things electronically to avoid checks being stolen, fraudulent activity, so on and so forth. But here the IRS is saying staple a check to this form and mail it to Kansas City, missouri. Dave: Yeah, and I guess it kind of makes sense that you know if there's only a few thousand of these disks in existence. In the same way, you can't expect the CPA firms to make it a heavy focus, I suppose even the IRS. You know there's a hundred other tax incentives or a thousand other tax incentives that are more highly utilized that you know they maybe are spending their time on. Brian: Yeah, as I like to say, the people at the IRS that understood the disc were working there in the 70s and 80s, OK, and they're long retired. Yeah, and they're long retired. There's really not a lot of bodies at the IRS that understand the DISC and certainly when you're doing a transaction by transaction study and calculating the commission on each individual transaction, there's nobody there that understands that. Dave: Nobody Well, and it's kind of the same thing outside the IRS, right? Nobody Well, and it's kind of the same thing outside the IRS, right? I mean I have this joke that nobody makes partner at a big four firm being the IC disk expert. Oh, that's true, so it even especially nowadays. Yeah, and so it seems like like the average age of IC disks experts is about the same as the average age of the average Fortran computer language programmer. It just seems like you know new people are not coming into the disk and there's just a dearth of knowledge all around. Brian: Right, right. And I myself learned COBOL, which is a choice between Fortran and COBOL, when I was in business school, both equally non-usable. Dave: Is it part of that? Because since the disk came on in 1972, it seems like since 1973, people have been talking about the IC disk going away. So is that maybe part of it? People think, well, why should I learn something if it's going away? Brian: Maybe part of it. People think, well, why should I learn something if it's going away? There's always been a fear that it's either going to go away or that there's a technical correction coming that the disk dividend is not a qualified dividend. But the bottom line is politically, I just don't see that happening. Dave: It stands for too many things that are positive for the US Job creation export sales for too many things that are positive for the US Job creation, export sales, us companies being more competitive in the global market. Brian: So it doesn't really lend itself to be repealed. What can be repealed are some of the tax rates. Some of the tax rates can change and that can change the benefits of the disc. The concept of the disc itself and what it stands for really is very consistent with our country. Dave: Yeah, wow, I can't believe how the time has flown by, brian. Is there anything else that you want to mention about the IC disc or the MRO industry? Brian: No, I can't think of anything specifically other than I'm looking forward to being there and meeting many of the attendees and other exhibitors that are there and spending some time with you and our colleagues in Atlanta. Dave: Yeah, it will be fun. So it's the ICDISC Alliance. If you want to look us up on the website for the conference or stop by 1818BC. We also have a LinkedIn page for the ICDISC Alliance, and so I'd love to meet with any of you who are going to be at the conference. Awesome, well, thank you very much for your time, Brian. This has been really useful. Brian: You're welcome. You're very welcome. Special Guest: Brian Schwam.

In this week's episode, Brian Russell reflects on how to think about and surrender into a time of spiritual growth during the season of Lent and beyond. He shares from his own experiences as well as from the wisdom of John Mark Comer, Dallas Willard, JR Woodward, John Wooden, AJ Sherrill, and Martyn Lloyd–Jones. Resources Mentioned by Brian "How a Rule of Life Helps Your Growth in Love for God and Neighbor" https://youtu.be/r98dPPZARH0 John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way  https://amzn.to/4kr6GV9 Interview with JR Woodward https://youtu.be/58De8PsisLg Interview with AJ Sherrill https://youtu.be/-OfQ3IQbA78 AJ Sherrill, The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation: How Knowing Ourselves Can Make Us More Like Jesus (2020) https://amzn.to/36hezJj Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines https://amzn.to/41vi4GU   Sign up for Brian's Monthly Update: www.brianrussellphd.com Brian Russell's Books Astonished by the Word: Reading Scripture for Deep Transformation https://amzn.to/3uuWCoQ    Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life https://amzn.to/2S0AcIZ    (Re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade Books) https://amzn.to/30tP4S9 Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed) https://my.seedbed.com/product/onebook-invitation-by-brian-russell/   Join Brian's Monthly free centering prayer gathering: www.centeringprayerbook.com   Connecting with Brian:  Website: www.brianrussellphd.com  Twitter: @briandrussell  Instagram: @yourprofessorforlife  Interested in coaching or inviting Brian to speak or teach for your community of faith or group?  Email: brian@brianrussellphd.com  Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support.    

Patrick engages in compelling conversations about the power of prayer, the significance of being a godparent, and the profound nature of Jesus Christ as both true God and true man. He addresses the courage needed to make tough moral decisions, drawing insights from real questions and timeless wisdom. Patrick describes the different ways in which we use the word “pray” and what the word really means. (02:05) Mary - What is the role of Godparents? (07:58) Brian - How to explain correctly that Jesus is God? (17:50) 3-Year-Old abandoned in a cemetery before Christmas is reunited with his dad, and then was flooded with gifts from community (23:42) Deputy who was abandoned as baby donates Christmas gifts to children’s shelter in Calif. Brian - Comment on cancel culture and how it even seems to happen to Patrick from other Catholics (27:53) Mark - What constitutes grave matter for mortal sin (40:07) George - What is the difference between praying to God and praying the Saints? (45:58) Encore from 1/6/21

Patrick explains the differences between the King James Bible and the Catholic Bible. He provides historical context, highlighting the unique Elizabethan English of the King James Version and the removal of seven deuterocanonical books. Patrick also recommends the Ignatius Bible for its accuracy and insightful annotations. If you're interested in understanding scripture or need the perfect gift for a loved one, this episode is essential.   Richard - There was no lift in the airplane because it was too hot to fly. We were not able to take off. (02:18) Nina - What is the difference between the King James Bible and a Catholic Bible? (03:32) Teresa - My daughter had a few abortions and when people say things that are hurtful, I tell her that when the devil reminds you of your past you should remind him of his future. (12:25) Brian – How can we debunk false charges from Protestants about incorruptible Saints? (21:39) John – What's the best study bible for my non-Catholic daughter. (26:29) Patrick reads and responds to an anonymous email about marital relations and sexual acts that do not lead to the creation of new life (35:21) Alicia – I had an abortion when I was young, and it was a horrifying experience (43:14) Penny - You didn't address that the husband had a vasectomy

“The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes,” someone once told Brian… How does that translate into retirement planning? And how can you help ensure you approach your financial planning for your “golden years” in the best possible way? In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over five retirement mistakes that you should stay away from at all costs, as well as what retirement is actually about. Brian touches upon something that a very successful person told him when he was getting started with his business back in 1993: ‘The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes.' With his desire to work hard and strong work ethic, Brian quickly became successful. But there was a problem with his approach – Brian opens up about that. Brian shares some of the retirement mistakes he has seen people make in his 30-year career. Having a distorted view of what wealth really is and having what Brian calls “vertical diversification” are two common mistakes Brian has seen over and over again in his career. There are many factors to consider when attempting to diversify. You shouldn't believe that a bank account and a portfolio of public investments are all that's available to you as you move your diversification horizontally. Brian points out a common practice to avoid: making an investment decision based on the tax deduction alone. When making decisions regarding how you save money, Brian suggests considering how you'll ultimately use the money. Brian discusses why you shouldn't have too much dependency on markets nor having complacency. Brian sees retirement as a balancing act between growing money for the future while drawing income for your retirement needs.   Mentioned in this episode: BrianSkrobonja.com   Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered  individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS. The firm is a registered investment adviser with the state of Missouri, and may only transact business with residents of those states, or residents of other states where otherwise legally permitted subject to exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. This website is solely for informational purposes. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be  rendered by Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC unless a client service agreement is in  place. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC provides links for your convenience to websites produced by other providers of industry related material. Accessing websites through links directs you  away from our website. Users who gain access to third party websites may be subject to the copyright and other restrictions on use imposed by those providers and assume responsibility and risk from use of those websites. Any references to protection, safety or  lifetime income, generally refer to fixed insurance products, never securities or investments. Insurance guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying abilities of the  issuing carrier. This is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as the sole  basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual's situation. Our firm is not permitted to offer, and no  statement made on this site shall constitute tax or legal advice. Our firm is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. The information and  opinions contained here in provided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by our firm. Any media logos and/or trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners and no endorsement by those owners of Brian Skrobonja is stated or implied. The awards, accolades and appearances are not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of future performance. Each of these awards have set criteria for their nominations and eligibility requirements. “Best Wealth Managers” and “Future 50 Company” are annual surveys conducted by Small Business Monthly. The winner is chosen by an online vote of the general public and no specific criteria is utilized to determine the winner other than number of votes. Some voters may not be clients of Brian Skrobonja and Skrobonja Financial Group. These awards are not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of future performance.

Dive into the world of marketing with Ashley Behre as she unravels the knots of marketing hard-to-sell issues like a pro. From small-town authenticity to Las Vegas glitz, Ashley takes us on a journey through the dynamic landscapes of digital marketing, community impact, and the fierce world of engaging tech giants. Don't miss this invigorating chat that's sure to stir up your marketing spirits!Here are a few topics we'll discuss on this episode of Hard to Market Podcast.SEO and content take center stage.Community impact defines agency ethos.Marketing plans are not one-size-fits-all.Inspiring leadership is marketing gold.Strategic community engagement is key.Resources:The Abbi AgencyPodcast ChefConnect with Ashley Behre:LinkedInConnect with our host, Brian Mattocks:LinkedInEmailQuotables:15:47 - Ashley: I think the key thing there is the big hearts. We need to find those people because we're the ones who can bring bold to life in a way.Brian: That's awesome. So that sort of charity or community engagement-driven approach to marketing is something that's pretty, a pretty strong differentiator I think for you in the marketplace. 19:29 - I think the biggest thing that I've learned is that you have to make time and space to allow yourself to be inspired. And that like it has been a journey for me. You know, you get into the weeds of everything and time goes by and you kind of forget to stop and smell the roses  per se. But you know, put time on your calendar to read into articles, to walk and listen to a podcast, to find and put yourself in spaces where you can be inspired because that inspiration is what leads to good marketing that matters.07:56 - The best way we're trying to do it in 2024, if I had to boil down our marketing plan in 2024, is show don't tell. I am much more interested in spending time achieving an award that shows the excellence in services rather than telling everyone that I'm really good at what I do, right? So we're doing a lot of that and then I think the next biggest pivot is it's super hard to market to marketers. They're the, we are the biggest critics, right? And I think that's one of the hardest things I find with my job is that my target audience is myself. So I have to really think about and sit down like, what would be of interest to me to learn about? Why, why would I care about that? I I am probably served to the most out of anyone content.17:19 -  The person that we're working with, our partner, and bringing things to life. And I think there's, you cannot forget about the emotional connection with your main point of contact or the people that you're working with because they that might be the draw for you. I will say that the agency also has other elements that may resonate more with potentially the tech clients and that would be our kind of more performance-driven mindset. The test and learning situations that we, build and drive performance from. We try to be as tied to goals and outcomes as possible. Not all industries are as tied to goals as some others are, but making sure that we are as not aggressive is the word, but fierce is, is kind of the word we like to use. 13:26 -  Brian: How are you identifying those?Ashley: Yeah, again, it depends on the market honestly. It's really important to have an authentic approach to each market and to make sure that you're received by the audiences in that market, how best you can be. The best way for me to share that is an approach into the Las Vegas market is very different from how you approach Montana. For example, Las Vegas is a little bit flashier. We have to make the biggest impact we can. Connect with our host, Brian Mattocks:LinkedInEmailSchedule a Free Podcast Consult

“The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes,” someone once told Brian… How does that translate into retirement planning? And how can you help ensure you approach your financial planning for your “golden years” in the best possible way? In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over five retirement mistakes that you should stay away from at all costs, as well as what retirement is actually about. Brian touches upon something that a very successful person told him when he was getting started with his business back in 1993: ‘The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes.' With his desire to work hard and strong work ethic, Brian quickly became successful. But there was a problem with his approach – Brian opens up about that. Brian shares some of the retirement mistakes he has seen people make in his 30-year career. Having a distorted view of what wealth really is and having what Brian calls “vertical diversification” are two common mistakes Brian has seen over and over again in his career. There are many factors to consider when attempting to diversify. You shouldn't believe that a bank account and a portfolio of public investments are all that's available to you as you move your diversification horizontally. Brian points out a common practice to avoid: making an investment decision based on the tax deduction alone. When making decisions regarding how you save money, Brian suggests considering how you'll ultimately use the money. Brian discusses why you shouldn't have too much dependency on markets nor having complacency. Brian sees retirement as a balancing act between growing money for the future while drawing income for your retirement needs.   Mentioned in this episode: BrianSkrobonja.com   Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered  individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS. The firm is a registered investment adviser with the state of Missouri, and may only transact business with residents of those states, or residents of other states where otherwise legally permitted subject to exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. This website is solely for informational purposes. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be  rendered by Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC unless a client service agreement is in  place. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC provides links for your convenience to websites produced by other providers of industry related material. Accessing websites through links directs you  away from our website. Users who gain access to third party websites may be subject to the copyright and other restrictions on use imposed by those providers and assume responsibility and risk from use of those websites. Any references to protection, safety or  lifetime income, generally refer to fixed insurance products, never securities or investments. Insurance guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying abilities of the  issuing carrier. This is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as the sole  basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual's situation. Our firm is not permitted to offer, and no  statement made on this site shall constitute tax or legal advice. Our firm is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. The information and  opinions contained here in provided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by our firm. Any media logos and/or trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners and no endorsement by those owners of Brian Skrobonja is stated or implied. The awards, accolades and appearances are not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of future performance. Each of these awards have set criteria for their nominations and eligibility requirements. “Best Wealth Managers” and “Future 50 Company” are annual surveys conducted by Small Business Monthly. The winner is chosen by an online vote of the general public and no specific criteria is utilized to determine the winner other than number of votes. Some voters may not be clients of Brian Skrobonja and Skrobonja Financial Group. These awards are not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of future performance.

Jump into the vibrant journey of Shoppable's creation with Founder Heather Udo. Unveil the strategies behind securing powerhouse clients like the Wall Street Journal, fostering advisory networks, and scaling a unique three-sided marketplace. Dive in for the savvy insights on profit, sales, and team-building that propelled her start-up to thrive against all odds.Here are a few topics we'll discuss on this episode of Hard to Market Podcast.Wall Street Journal as the first client.Advisory board game-changer.Tech for anything shoppable.Network effect boosts growth.Importance of focusing on profit and sales.Resources:ShoppablePodcast ChefConnect with Heather Marie Udo:LinkedInConnect with our host, Brian Mattocks:LinkedInEmailQuotables:1:43 - So one, I brought on incredible advisors onto to Shoppable advisory board to help open up doors. So for a little bit of context, Shoppable is a three-sided marketplace. So something that is incredibly difficult to do and a lot of venture capitalists will say, oh, it's not possible2:56 - So anyway, so we had to, we had the challenge of having to solve both sides of that marketplace and solved that by building out an incredible advisory board. So one of the advisors we brought on had a very, very extensive background in the publishing space, working with the top publishers in the country and bringing her on board. She was able to open up doors and help me get meetings and credibility with these top-name publishers out of the gate.1:42 - Brian: How did you get your first customer with Shoppable?Heather: So, great question. My first customer was our launch partner was the Wall Street Journal, and we were very, very fortunate to be able to have them as our launch partner in order to secure that, that partnership or any great launch partner. We did a couple things that really changed the game for us.2:46 - Heather: But then we also needed publisher customers that could utilize the technology on their sites to sell it to the end consumer. So anyway, we had to, we had the challenge of having to solve both sides of that marketplace and solved that by building out an incredible advisory board. So one of the advisors we brought on had a very, very extensive background in the publishing space, working with the top publishers in the country and bringing her on board. She was able to open up doors and help me get meetings and credibility with these top-name publishers out of the gate. So we actually almost had another launch partner that also wanted to be our launch partner. They ended up not being able to move forward in it as fast as the Wall Street Journal did, but that's really how we were able to first get our foot, you know, get our foot in the door was through our advisory network.Brian: So you networked your way, into your great first client.3:51 -  Brian: So you networked your way, into your great first client. How, how are you managing to scale? I mean, are you still using that networking strategy to get to the next level as it were?Heather: Yeah, the networking strategy has worked really well for us on both sides of the marketplace. So we also used the advisory board to, help unlock doors at, within our first retail partners so that we had their products to sell within Shoppable platform. Connect with our host, Brian Mattocks:LinkedInEmailSchedule a Free Podcast Consult

It's September 20th. It's the latest episode of our 5th season, welcome dear listener. I'm Paul joined by Justin and Daz. We are here to look at the Wolves game, mention the LASK game and look ahead to West Ham at home. Thanks for joining us. Part One - game of two halves Brian: How bad was the first half? ‘Plumbed the depths' said James Pearce. Defense had a few bad moments OR was it overall a bad performance Quansah had some good moments ‘Terrific stuff by Wolves' said the commentator at 10 - once again it felt like a few moments. After 20, it felt mostly us to me. Various attempts to have Gomez play the Trent role. Obviously wasn't effective Mac Allister - why did he play? I counted 7 giveaways. Card was super soft. Wolves tactics - after what they and Gary O'Neill did last year, I assume we expected a low block. Neto is very good (Wolves tried to find him at every opportunity - once we cut the supply, it was a very different game) and Bellegarde looks a handful (first game, played 128 games at Strasbourg). The good parts were very good: xG 0.54 to 2.83 (according to Understat). Didn't include the Cuhna miss at 34 minutes. Darwin is an absolute handful Salah (leads the league in big chances created (6)), Szoboszlai, Matip and Gomez front foot defending kept Wolves penned in the second half. Predictions? Part Two - Elsewhere and LASK Bad news for Everton - Burnley looked OK at Forest Chelsea continues to look like a team of strangers (happy for it to continue) Man United crisis - the backdrop shows an absence of ethical compass, the foreground shows a collection of mismatched players - Rashford and Fernandes are less effective at pressing than Weghorst, Ronaldo and Elanga. Champions League first round just started - Europa League tomorrow and hopefully the road to Dublin - any takeaways? League Cup against Leicester who are 2nd in the Championship and have only lost one game. Part Three - Home to West Ham They have looked better this season than last - what does that tell us about Declan Rice? Three wins, a draw at Bournemouth and a defeat against City. They've won at Brighton and Luton. Less than 72 hours after LASK but not the biggest concern Everyone available?  Formation.  Predictions? We will be back with a review of the West Ham game and a preview of the Spurs game (and LASK). Thanks to Daz and Justin for joining me. And thank you for listening.If you enjoyed the pod, please share it with a friend. Follow us @FirstStateKopites on Twitter  – we only tweet and retweet from sources we think are credible. Music is courtesy of Hypenotic – they are a Welsh electro-pop band – https://hyperfollow.com/hypenotic

“The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes,” someone once told Brian… How does that translate into retirement planning? And how can you help ensure you approach your financial planning for your “golden years” in the best possible way? In this new episode of the Common Sense Financial Podcast, host Brian Skrobonja goes over five retirement mistakes that you should stay away from at all costs, as well as what retirement is actually about. Brian touches upon something that a very successful person told him when he was getting started with his business back in 1993: ‘The more money you have, the bigger the mistakes.' With his desire to work hard and strong work ethic, Brian quickly became successful. But there was a problem with his approach – Brian opens up about that. Brian shares some of the retirement mistakes he has seen people make in his 30-year career. Having a distorted view of what wealth really is and having what Brian calls “vertical diversification” are two common mistakes Brian has seen over and over again in his career. There are many factors to consider when attempting to diversify. You shouldn't believe that a bank account and a portfolio of public investments are all that's available to you as you move your diversification horizontally. Brian points out a common practice to avoid: making an investment decision based on the tax deduction alone. When making decisions regarding how you save money, Brian suggests considering how you'll ultimately use the money. Brian discusses why you shouldn't have too much dependency on markets nor having complacency. Brian sees retirement as a balancing act between growing money for the future while drawing income for your retirement needs. Mentioned in this episode: BrianSkrobonja.com   Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered  individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS. The firm is a registered investment adviser with the state of Missouri, and may only transact business with residents of those states, or residents of other states where otherwise legally permitted subject to exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. This website is solely for informational purposes. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be  rendered by Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC unless a client service agreement is in  place. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC provides links for your convenience to websites produced by other providers of industry related material. Accessing websites through links directs you  away from our website. Users who gain access to third party websites may be subject to the copyright and other restrictions on use imposed by those providers and assume responsibility and risk from use of those websites. Any references to protection, safety or  lifetime income, generally refer to fixed insurance products, never securities or investments. Insurance guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying abilities of the  issuing carrier. This is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as the sole  basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual's situation. Our firm is not permitted to offer, and no  statement made on this site shall constitute tax or legal advice. Our firm is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. The information and  opinions contained here in provided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by our firm. Any media logos and/or trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners and no endorsement by those owners of Brian Skrobonja is stated or implied. The awards, accolades and appearances are not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of future performance. Each of these awards have set criteria for their nominations and eligibility requirements. “Best Wealth Managers” and “Future 50 Company” are annual surveys conducted by Small Business Monthly. The winner is chosen by an online vote of the general public and no specific criteria is utilized to determine the winner other than number of votes. Some voters may not be clients of Brian Skrobonja and Skrobonja Financial Group. These awards are not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of future performance.

In this episode, Brian Mattocks and Sean Boyce discuss why marketing is often underestimated and dive into the continuous discovery process in marketing. They emphasize the importance of understanding the buyer's journey and problem space to create effective marketing strategies and tactics. They also highlight the significance of focusing on the right problem and using customer insights to tailor marketing messages.Sean Boyce has run his consultancy firm NxtStep Consulting for over 10 years but found he wasn't able to grow his network effectively and efficiently through in-person marketing or lead generation services. To solve this, Sean founded Podcast Chef, a full-service podcast management platform that helped him grow his network while making awesome content at the same time.Seeing the effectiveness of podcasting at reaching new people, Sean opened it up to others, helping people to start a podcast and delegating the management from post-production to booking guests. Here are a few of the topics we'll discuss on this episode of Hard to Market: Marketing is often underestimated and misunderstood, especially in the B2B SaaS software startup space. Continuous discovery is crucial in marketing and should inform all marketing efforts, from copy to conversations. Understanding the buyer's journey and problem space is essential for effective marketing. Focusing on the top issue and identifying patterns among target market customers helps prioritize and tailor marketing strategies. Building a systematic process based on goals and objectives ensures meaningful progress. The discovery process in marketing is ongoing and requires constant adaptation and learning. Balancing the customer's perceived problem with the actual problem is key to delivering the right solution. Resources: NxtStep Consulting Podcast Chef Connecting with Sean Boyce:LinkedInConnecting with Brian Mattocks: LinkedIn Email Quotables: 00:17 - Why is marketing so hard? And I think this is something that a lot of people have misconceptions about. I think people underestimate how difficult marketing is going to be. And from my world, that comes from like the B2B SaaS software startup space. There's conventional wisdom that I would say is largely incorrect in terms of like protecting your ideas and not sharing them with people and stuff like that because they're going to steal them, run with them and become overnight billionaires, which pretty much never happens. 10:54 - It's not the customer's job to be thinking through the better solution. That's your job, right? You are providing a better solution, but you, you need to understand what the proper problem is and how it manifests. And when I say, I mean how they think of it in their head.  01:25 - Marketing is as much a practice as any of the other professions that require years and years of degree work. And the reason I bring it up in that context is even if you understand the basics, even if you know how to use all of the tools, even if you know the right, the exact right time and place to put advertising together, what you're always doing is discovery with your buyer and the buyers for the same, ostensibly the same service across different companies are different because every buyer persona that you're going after is different. 09:59 - Oftentimes the customer misdiagnoses what they need and so their search queries and their demands are going to be different than what they tell you in discovery, right? So in the discovery process, you're going to get to whatever root cause or or or whatever meaningful deep-seated pain you're trying to solve, you're going to get there, but it's not gonna change what they do on, you know, Monday morning when they start typing in those, what they perceive their issues to be on Google. So how do you connect those dots through that content conversation to get folks from that maybe suboptimal search query to your product or service? 02:09 - Brian: How do you take that discovery process and systematize it in a way that you're not reinventing the wheel every single time?Sean: Yeah, this is a good point. And so getting comfortable with the continuous discovery process is critical for the work that I do and people that are trying to build B2B Seth type businesses. But it influences everything. I call it copy to conversations. So anything that you might write anywhere, this is like marketing content, right?

Patrick explains what a “communion of saints” mean, and he addresses the priest scandal and how that shouldn't deter us from our love of the Catholic Church Donna - What does it mean that there is a “communion of saints?” John - My wife and I are going to have a convalidation ceremony. My wife doesn't want to wear a dress, but instead suit and pants. Lee - Comment about intercessory prayer. I converted to Catholicism 20 years ago. As a Protestant, I was raised to think that the soul is asleep in Christ after death. As Catholics, we don't believe that the soul sleeps. Ed – Is there a book about faith and science that I can recommend to my son who says, “I believe in science”? Brian - How can I respond to someone who said he left the Church because of abuse crisis. Steve - Is the Catholic Church okay with me doing Yoga? Maria - There is sexual abuse everywhere. Why do people focus on the Catholic Church? Now the Church has special training to help priests report abuse. Raymo - How does the Church differentiate pride vs proud? Liz - What about Catholic Yoga while praying the Rosary? How can it be wrong if I'm praying while exercising?

Patrick answers listener questions about what happens if you are not given absolution in confession, how best to talk to an atheist friend about the faith, what did Jesus do with the gifts from the three wise men, and where does it say the “veil was torn in two?” -  Email - Is it okay for lay people to say the prayer the priest is saying as the priest is saying it? Patricia - If a priest does not give you absolution does that confession not absolve you of sin? Louise - Can I give the Eucharist to CNAs who work at hospitals? Brian - How can I talk with a close friend who left the faith and is now an Atheist? Mike - What are your thoughts on Luke 22 where Jesus tells us to buy a sword? Could that be used as a reason for people to buy guns now days? Keith - Seal of the confessional: If someone was to tell a priest that he was about to commit a sin can the priest mention that to the authorities? Jenny - How involved were you with your kids' friendships? Rowen 9-years-old - What did Jesus do with the gifts from the three wise men? Mary Ann - I met someone interested in becoming Catholic but she is wondering where does it say that the veil was torn in two?

In this week's episode, I tackle your questions regarding image, sex and dating! I answer three questions about modern day courtship, the in's and out's of a good flirt, and the importance of looking into your dates before you meet them in person!  Please tell us your thoughts about the Q&A over on Instagram @celestemooreimage, and be looking forward to more of these in the future! In this week's episode we discuss:  [1:55] Question 1: (Lee) What does courtship mean today? [7:18] Question 2: (Unknown) What are the best ways to flirt?  [11:06] Question 3: (Brian) How do I know if someone is catfishing me?   

About BrianBrian leads the Google Cloud Product and Industry Marketing team. This team is focused on accelerating the growth of Google Cloud by establishing thought leadership, increasing demand and usage, enabling their sales teams and partners to tell their product stories with excellence, and helping their customers be the best advocates for them.Before joining Google, Brian spent over 25 years in product marketing or engineering in different forms. He started his career at Microsoft and had a very non-traditional path for 20 years. Brian worked in every product division except for cloud. He did marketing, product management, and engineering roles. And, early on, he was the first speech writer for Steve Ballmer and worked on Bill Gates' speeches too. His last role was building up the Microsoft Surface business from scratch as VP of the hardware businesses. After Microsoft, Brian spent a year as CEO at a hardware startup called Doppler Labs, where they made a run at transforming hearing, and then spent two years as VP at Amazon Web Services leading product marketing, developer advocacy, and a bunch more marketing teams.Brian has three kids still at home, Barty, Noli, and Alder, who are all named after trees in different ways. His wife Edie and him met right at the beginning of their first year at Yale University, where Brian studied math, econ, and philosophy and was the captain of the Swim and Dive team his senior year. Edie has a PhD in forestry and runs a sustainability and forestry consulting firm she started, that is aptly named “Three Trees Consulting”. As a family they love the outdoors, tennis, running, and adventures in Brian's 1986 Volkswagen Van, which is his first and only car, that he can't bring himself to get rid of.Links Referenced: Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com @isforat: https://twitter.com/IsForAt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brhall/ TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: This episode is brought to us by our friends at Pinecone. They believe that all anyone really wants is to be understood, and that includes your users. AI models combined with the Pinecone vector database let your applications understand and act on what your users want… without making them spell it out. Make your search application find results by meaning instead of just keywords, your personalization system make picks based on relevance instead of just tags, and your security applications match threats by resemblance instead of just regular expressions. Pinecone provides the cloud infrastructure that makes this easy, fast, and scalable. Thanks to my friends at Pinecone for sponsoring this episode. Visit Pinecone.io to understand more.Corey: This episode is brought to you in part by our friends at Veeam. Do you care about backups? Of course you don't. Nobody cares about backups. Stop lying to yourselves! You care about restores, usually right after you didn't care enough about backups. If you're tired of the vulnerabilities, costs, and slow recoveries when using snapshots to restore your data, assuming you even have them at all living in AWS-land, there is an alternative for you. Check out Veeam, that's V-E-E-A-M for secure, zero-fuss AWS backup that won't leave you high and dry when it's time to restore. Stop taking chances with your data. Talk to Veeam. My thanks to them for sponsoring this ridiculous podcast.Corey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. This episode is brought to us by our friends at Google Cloud and, as a part of that, they have given me someone to, basically, harass for the next half hour. Brian Hall is the VP of Product Marketing over at Google Cloud. Brian, welcome back.Brian: Hello, Corey. It's good to be here, and technically, we've given you time to harass me by speaking with me because you never don't have the time to harass me on Twitter and other places, and you're very good at it.Corey: Well, thank you. Again, we first met back when you were doing, effectively, the same role over at AWS. And before that, you spent only 20 years or so at Microsoft. So, you've now worked at all three of the large hyperscale cloud providers. You probably have some interesting perspectives on how the industry has evolved over that time. So, at the time of this recording, it is after Google Next and before re:Invent. There was also a Microsoft event there that I didn't pay much attention to. Where are we as a culture, as an industry, when it comes to cloud?Brian: Well, I'll start with it is amazing how early days it still is. I don't want to be put on my former Amazon cap too much, and I think it'd be pushing it a little bit to say it's complete and total day one with the cloud. But there's no question that there is a ton of evolution still to come. I mean, if you look at it, you can kind of break it into three eras so far. And roll with me here, and happy to take any dissent from you.But there was kind of a first era that was very much led by Amazon. We can call it the VM era or the component era, but being able to get compute on-demand, get nearly unlimited or actually unlimited storage with S3 was just remarkable. And it happened pretty quickly that startups, new tech companies, had to—like, it would be just wild to not start with AWS and actually start ordering servers and all that kind of stuff. And so, I look at that as kind of the first phase. And it was remarkable how long Amazon had a run really as the only player there. And maybe eight years ago—six years ago—we could argue on timeframes, things shifted a little bit because the enterprises, the big companies, and the governments finally realized, “Holy crow. This thing has gotten far enough that it's not just for these startups.”Corey: Yeah. There was a real change. There was an eye-opening moment there where it isn't just, “I want to go and sell things online.” It's, “And I also want to be a bank. Can we do that with you?” And, “Huh.”Brian: My SAP—like I don't know big that darn thing is going to get. Could I put it in your cloud? And, “Oh, by the way, CapEx forecasting stinks. Can you get me out of that?” And so, it became like the traditional IT infrastructure. All of the sudden, the IT guys showed up at the party, which I know is—it sounds fun to me, but that doesn't sound like the best addition to a party for many people. And so essentially, old-school IT infrastructure finally came to the cloud and Microsoft couldn't miss that happening when it did. But it was a major boon for AWS just because of the position that they had already.Corey: And even Google as well. All three of you now are pivoting in a lot of the messaging to talk to the big E enterprises out there. And I've noticed for the last few years, and I'm not entirely alone. When I go to re:Invent, and I look at announcements they're making, sure they have for the serverless stuff and how to run websites and EC2 nonsense. And then they're talking about IOT things and other things that just seem very oriented on a persona I don't understand. Everyone's doing stuff with mainframes now for example. And it feels like, “Oh, those of us who came here for the web services like it says on the name of the company aren't really feeling like it's for us anymore.” It's the problem of trying to be for everyone and pivoting to where the money is going, but Google's done this at least as much as anyone has in recent years. Are those of us who don't have corporate IT-like problems no longer the target market for folks or what's changed?Brian: It's still the target market, so like, you take the corporate IT, they're obviously still moving to the cloud. And there's a ton of opportunity. Just take existing IT spending and see a number over $1 trillion per year, and if you take the run rates of Microsoft, Amazon, Google Cloud, it's certainly over $100 billion, but that means it's still less than ten percent of what is existing IT spending. There are many people that think that existing IT spend number is significantly higher than that. But to your point on what's changing, there's actually a third wave that's happening.So, if the first wave was you start a company. You're a tech company, of course, you start it on AWS or on the Cloud. Second wave is all the IT people, IT departments, the central organizations that run technology for all the people that are not technology people come to the cloud. This third wave is everybody has to become a technology person. If you're a business leader, like you're at a fast-food restaurant and you're responsible for the franchisee relations, before, like, you needed to get an EDI system running or something, and so you told your IT department to figure out.Now, you have to actually think about what apps do we want to provide to our customers. How do I get the right data to my franchisees so that they can make business decisions? How can I automate all that? And you know, whereas before I was a guy wearing a suit or a gal wearing a suit who didn't need to know technology, I now have to. And that's what's changing the most. And it's why the Target Addressable Market—or the TAM as business folk sometimes say—it's really hard to estimate looking forward if every business is really needing to become a technology business in many ways. And it didn't dawn on me, honestly, and you can give me all the ribbing that I probably deserve for this—but it didn't really dawn on me until I came to Google and kept hearing the transformation word, “Digital transformation, digital transformation,” and honestly, having been in software for so long, I didn't really know what digital transformation meant until I started seeing all of these folks, like every company have to become a tech company effectively.Corey: Yeah. And it turns out there aren't enough technologists to go around, so it's very challenging to wind up getting the expertise in-house. It's natural to start looking at, “Well, how do we effectively outsource this?” And well, you can absolutely have a compression algorithm for experience. It's called, “Buying products and services and hiring people who have that experience already baked in either to the product or they show up knowing how to do something because they've done this before.”Brian: That's right. The thing I think we have to—for those of us that come from the technology side, this transformation is scary for the people who all of the sudden have to get tech and be like—Corey, if you or I—actually, you're very artistic, so maybe this wouldn't do it for you—but if I were told, “Hey, Brian, for your livelihood, you now need to incorporate painting,” like…Corey: [laugh]. I can't even write legibly let alone draw or paint. That is not my skill set. [laugh].Brian: I'd be like, “Wait, what? I'm not good at painting. I've never been a painting person, like I'm not creative.” “Okay. Great. Then we're going to fire you, or we're going to bring someone in who can.” Like, that'd be scary. And so, having more services, more people that can help as every company goes through a transition like that—and it's interesting, it's why during Covid, the cloud did really well, and some people kind of said, “Well, it's because they—people didn't want to send their people into their data centers.” No. That wasn't it. It was really because it just forced the change to digital. Like the person to, maybe, batter the analogy a little bit—the person who was previously responsible for all of the physical banks, which are—a bank has, you know, that are retail locations—the branches—they have those in order to service the retail customers.Corey: Yeah.Brian: That person, all of the sudden, had to figure out, “How do I do all that service via phone, via agents, via an app, via our website.” And that person, that entire organization, was forced digital in many ways. And that certainly had a lot of impact on the cloud, too.Corey: Yeah. I think that some wit observed a few years back that Covid has had more impact on your digital transformation than your last ten CIOs combined.Brian: Yeah.Corey: And—yeah, suddenly, you're forcing people into a position where there really is no other safe option. And some of that has unwound but not a lot of it. There's still seem to be those same structures and ability to do things from remote locations then there were before 2020.Brian: Yeah. Since you asked, kind of, where we are in the industry, to bring all of that to an endpoint, now what this means is people are looking for cloud providers, not just to have the primitives, not just to have the IT that they—their central IT needed, but they need people who can help them build the things that will help their business transform. It makes it a fun, new stage, new era, a transformation era for companies like Google to be able to say, “Hey, here's how we build things. Here's what we've learned over a period of time. Here's what we've most importantly learned from other customers, and we want to help be your strategic partner in that transformation.” And like I said, it'd be almost impossible to estimate what the TAM is for that. The real question is how quickly can we help customers and innovate in our Cloud solutions in order to make more of the stuff more powerful and faster to help people build.Corey: I want to say as well that—to be clear—you folks can buy my attention but not my opinion. I will not say things if I do not believe them. That's the way the world works here. But every time I use Google Cloud for something, I am taken aback yet again by the developer experience, how polished it is. And increasingly lately, it's not just that you're offering those low-lying primitives that composed together to build things higher up the stack, you're offering those things as well across a wide variety of different tooling options. And they just tend to all make sense and solve a need rather than requiring me to build it together myself from popsicle sticks.And I can't shake the feeling that that's where the industry is going. I'm going to want someone to sell me an app to do expense reports. I'm not going to want—well, I want a database and a front-end system, and how I wind up storing all the assets on the backend. No. I just want someone to give me something that solves that problem for me. That's what customers across the board are looking for as best I can see.Brian: Well, it certainly expands the number of customers that you can serve. I'll give you an example. We have an AI agent product called Call Center AI which allows you to either build a complete new call center solution, or more often it augments an existing call center platform. And we could sell that on an API call basis or a number of agent seats basis or anything like that. But that's not actually how call center leaders want to buy. Imagine we come in and say, “This many API calls or $4 per seat or per month,” or something like that. There's a whole bunch of work for that call center leader to go figure out, “Well, do I want to do this? Do I not? How should I evaluate it versus others?” It's quite complex. Whereas, if we come in and say, “Hey, we have a deal for you. We will guarantee higher customer satisfaction. We will guarantee higher agent retention. And we will save you money. And we will only charge you some percentage of the amount of money that you're saved.”Corey: It's a compelling pitch.Brian: Which is an easier one for a business decision-maker to decide to take?Corey: It's no contest. I will say it's a little odd that—one thing—since you brought it up, one thing that struck me as a bit strange about Contact Center AI, compared to most of the services I would consider to be Google Cloud, instead of, “Click here to get started,” it's, “Click here to get a demo. Reach out to contact us.” It feels—Brian: Yeah.Corey: —very much like the deals for these things are going to get signed on a golf course.Brian: [laugh]. They—I don't know about signed on a golf course. I do know that there is implementation work that needs to be done in order to build the models because it's the model for the AI, figuring out how your particular customers are served in your particular context that takes the work. And we need to bring in a partner or bring in our expertise to help build that out. But it sounds to me like you're looking to go golfing since you've looked into this situation.Corey: Just like painting, I'm no good at golfing either.Brian: [laugh].Corey: Honestly, it's—it just doesn't have the—the appeal isn't there for me for whatever reason. I smile; I nod; I tend to assume that, “Yeah, that's okay. I'll leave some areas for other people to go exploring in.”Brian: I see. I see.Corey: So, two weeks before Google Cloud Next occurred, you folks wound up canceling Stadia, which had been rumored for a while. People had been predicting it since it was first announced because, “Just wait. They're going to Google Reader it.” And yeah, it was consumer-side, and I do understand that that was not Cloud. But it did raise the specter of—for people to start talking once again about, “Oh, well, Google doesn't have any ability to focus on things long-term. They're going to turn off Cloud soon, too. So, we shouldn't be using it at all.” I do not agree with that assessment.But I want to get your take on it because I do have some challenges with the way that your products and services go to market in some ways. But I don't have the concern that you're going to turn it all off and decide, “Yeah, that was a fun experiment. We're done.” Not with Cloud, not at this point.Brian: Yeah. So, I'd start with at Google Cloud, it is our job to be a trusted enterprise platform. And I can't speak to before I was here. I can't speak to before Thomas Kurian, who's our CEO, was here before. But I can say that we are very, very focused on that. And deprecating products in a surprising way or in a way that doesn't take into account what customers are on it, how can we help those customers is certainly not going to help us do that. And so, we don't do that anymore.Stadia you brought up, and I wasn't part of starting Stadia. I wasn't part of ending Stadia. I honestly don't know anything about Stadia that any average tech-head might not know. But it is a different part of Google. And just like Amazon has deprecated plenty of services and devices and other things in their consumer world—and Microsoft has certainly deprecated many, many, many consumer and other products—like, that's a different model. And I won't say whether it's good, bad, or righteous, or not.But I can say at Google Cloud, we're doing a really good job right now. Can we get better? Of course. Always. We can get better at communicating, engaging customers in advance. But we now have a clean deprecation policy with a set of enterprise APIs that we commit to for stated periods of time. We also—like people should take a look. We're doing ten-year deals with companies like Deutsche Bank. And it's a sign that Google is here to last and Google Cloud in particular. It's also at a market level, just worth recognizing.We are a $27 billion run rate business now. And you earn trust in drips. You lose it in buckets. And we're—we recognize that we need to just keep every single day earning trust. And it's because we've been able to do that—it's part of the reason that we've gotten as large and as successful as we have—and when you get large and successful, you also tend to invest more and make it even more clear that we're going to continue on that path. And so, I'm glad that the market is seeing that we are enterprise-ready and can be trusted much, much more. But we're going to keep earning every single day.Corey: Yeah. I think it's pretty fair to say that you have definitely gotten yourselves into a place where you've done the things that I would've done if I wanted to shore up trust that the platform was not going to go away. Because these ten-year deals are with the kinds of companies that, shall we say, do not embark on signing contracts lightly. They very clearly, have asked you the difficult, pointed questions that I'm basically asking you now as cheap shots. And they ask it in very serious ways through multiple layers of attorneys. And if the answers aren't the right answers, they don't sign the contract. That is pretty clearly how the world works.The fact that companies are willing to move things like core trading systems over to you on a ten-year time horizon, tells me that I can observe whatever I want from the outside, but they have actual existential risk questions tied to what they're doing. And they are in some ways betting their future on your folks. You clearly know what those right answers are and how to articulate them. I think that's the side of things that the world does not get to see or think about very much. Because it is easy to point at all the consumer failings and the hundreds of messaging products that you continually replenish just in order to kill.Brian: [laugh].Corey: It's—like, what is it? The tree of liberty must be watered periodically from time to time, but the blood of patriots? Yeah. The logo of Google must be watered by the blood of canceled messaging products.Brian: Oh, come on. [laugh].Corey: Yeah. I'm going to be really scared if there's an actual, like, Pub/Sub service. I don't know. That counts as messaging, sort of. I don't know.Brian: [laugh]. Well, thank you. Thank you for the recognition of how far we've come in our trust from enterprises and trust from customers.Corey: I think it's the right path. There's also reputational issues, too. Because in the absence of new data, people don't tend to change their opinion on things very easily. And okay, there was a thing I was using. It got turned off. There was a big kerfuffle. That sticks in people's minds. But I've never seen an article about a Google service saying, “Oh, yeah. It hasn't been turned off or materially changed. In fact, it's gotten better with time. And it's just there working reliably.” You're either invisible, or you're getting yelled at.It feels like it's a microcosm of my early career stage of being a systems administrator. I'm either invisible or the mail system's broke, and everyone wants my head. I don't know what the right answer is—Brian: That was about right to me.Corey: —in this thing. Yeah. I don't know what the right answer on these things is, but you're definitely getting it right. I think the enterprise API endeavors that you've gone through over the past year or two are not broadly known. And frankly, you've definitely are ex-AWS because enterprise APIs is a terrible name for what these things are.Brian: [laugh].Corey: I'll let you explain it. Go ahead. And bonus points if you can do it without sounding like a press release. Take it away.Brian: There are a set of APIs that developers and companies should be able to know are going to be supported for the period of time that they need in order to run their applications and truly bet on them. And that's what we've done.Corey: Yeah. It's effectively a commitment that there will not be meaningful deprecations or changes to the API that are breaking changes without significant notice periods.Brian: Correct.Corey: And to be clear, that is exactly what all of the cloud providers have in their enterprise contracts. They're always notice periods around those things. There are always, at least, certain amounts of time and significant breach penalties in the event that, “Yeah, today, I decided that we were just not going to spin up VMs in that same way as we always have before. Sorry. Sucks to be you.” I don't see that happening on the Google Cloud side of the world very often, not like it once did. And again, we do want to talk about reputations.There are at least four services that I'm aware of that AWS has outright deprecated. One, Sumerian has said we're sunsetting the service in public. But on the other end of the spectrum, RDS on VMWare has been completely memory-holed. There's a blog post or two but nothing else remains in any of the AWS stuff, I'm sure, because that's an, “Enterprise-y” service, they wound up having one on one conversations with customers or there would have been a hue and cry. But every cloud provider does, in the fullness of time, turn some things off as they learn from their customers.Brian: Hmm. I hadn't heard anything about AWS Infinidash for a while either.Corey: No, no. It seems to be one of those great services that we made up on the internet one day for fun. And I love that just from a product marketing perspective. I mean, you know way more about that field than I do given that it's your job, and I'm just sitting here in this cheap seats throwing peanuts at you. But I love the idea of customers just come up and make up a product one day in your space and then the storytelling that immediately happens thereafter. Most companies would kill for something like that just because you would expect on some level to learn so much about how your reputation actually works. When there's a platonic ideal of a service that isn't bothered by pesky things like, “It has to exist,” what do people say about it? And how does that work?And I'm sort of surprised there wasn't more engagement from Amazon on that. It always seems like they're scared to say anything. Which brings me to a marketing question I have for you. You and Amazing have similar challenges—you being Google in this context, not you personally—in that your customers take themselves deadly seriously. And as a result, you have to take yourselves with at least that same level of seriousness. You can't go on Twitter and be the Wendy's Twitter account when you're dealing with enterprise buyers of cloud platforms. I'm kind of amazed, and I'd love to know. How can you manage to say anything at all? Because it just seems like you are so constrained, and there's no possible thing you can say that someone won't take issue with. And yes, some of the time, that someone is me.Brian: Well, let's start with going back to Infinidash a little bit. Yes, you identified one interesting thing about that episode, if I can call it an episode. The thing that I tell you though that didn't surprise me is it shows how much of cloud is actually learned from other people, not from the cloud provider itself. I—you're going to be going to re:Invent. You were at Google Cloud Next. Best thing about the industry conferences is not what the provider does. It's the other people that are there that you learn from. The folks that have done something that you've been trying to do and couldn't figure out how to do, and then they explained it to you, just the relationships that you get that help you understand what's going on in this industry that's changing so fast and has so much going on.And so,   And so, that part didn't surprise me. And that gets a little bit to the second part of your—that we're talking about. “How do you say anything?” As long as you're helping a customer say it. As long as you're helping someone who has been a fan of a product and has done interesting things with it say it, that's how you communicate for the most part, putting a megaphone in front of the people who already understand what's going on and helping their voice be heard, which is a lot more fun, honestly, than creating TV ads and banner ads and all of the stuff that a lot of consumer and traditional companies. We get to celebrate our customers and our creators much, much more.Corey: This episode is sponsored in part by our friends at Uptycs, because they believe that many of you are looking to bolster your security posture with CNAPP and XDR solutions. They offer both cloud and endpoint security in a single UI and data model. Listeners can get Uptycs for up to 1,000 assets through the end of 2023 (that is next year) for $1. But this offer is only available for a limited time on UptycsSecretMenu.com. That's U-P-T-Y-C-S Secret Menu dot com.Corey: I think that it's not super well understood by a lot of folks out there that the official documentation that any cloud provider puts out there is kind of a last resort. Or I'm looking for the specific flag to a specific parameter of a specific command. Great. Sure. But what I really want to do whenever I'm googling how to do something—and yes, that—we're going to be googling—welcome. You've successfully owned that space to the point where it's become common parlance. Good work is I want to see what other people had said. I want to find blog posts, ideally recent ones, talking about how to do the thing that I'm trying to do. If I'm trying to do something relatively not that hard or not that uncommon, if I spin up three web servers behind a load-balancer, and I can't find any community references on how to do that thing, either I'm trying to do something absolutely bizarre and I should re-think it, or there is no community/customer base for the product talking about how to do things with it.And I have noticed a borderline Cambrian explosion over the last few years of the Google Cloud community. I'm seeing folks who do not work at Google, and also who have never worked at Google, and sometimes still think they work at Google in some cases. It's not those folks. It is people who are just building things as a customer. And they, in turn, become very passionate advocates for the platform. And they start creating content on these things.Brian: Yeah. We've been blessed to have, not only, the customer base grow, but essentially the passion among that customer base, and we've certainly tried to help building community and catalyzing the community, but it's been fun to watch how our customers' success turns into our success which turns into customer success. And it's interesting, in particular, to see too how much of that passion comes from people seeing that there is another way to do things.It's clear that many people in our industry knew cloud through the lens of Amazon, knew tech in general through the lenses of Microsoft and Oracle and a lot of other companies. And Google, which we try and respect specifically what people are trying to accomplish and how they know how to do it, we also many ways have taken a more opinionated approach, if you will, to say, “Hey, here's how this could be done in a different way.” And when people find something that's unexpectedly different and also delightful, it's more likely that they're going to be strong advocates and share that passion with the world.Corey: It's a virtuous cycle that leads to the continued growth and success of a platform. Something I've been wondering about in the broader sense, is what happens after this? Because if, let's say for the sake of argument, that one of the major cloud providers decided, “Okay. You know, we're going to turn this stuff off. We've decided we don't really want to be in the cloud business.” It turns out that high-margin businesses that wind up turning into cash monsters as soon as you stop investing heavily in growing them, just kind of throw off so much that, “We don't know what to do with. And we're running out of spaces to store it. So, we're getting out of it.” I don't know how that would even be possible at some point. Because given the amount of time and energy some customers take to migrate in, it would be a decade-long project for them to migrate back out again.So, it feels on some level like on the scale of a human lifetime, that we will be seeing the large public cloud providers, in more or less their current form, for the rest of our lives. Is that hopelessly naïve? Am I missing—am I overestimating how little change happens in the sweep of a human lifetime in technology?Brian: Well, I've been in the tech industry for 27 years now. And I've just seen a continual moving up the stack. Where, you know, there are fundamental changes. I think the PC becoming widespread, fundamental change; mobile, certainly becoming primary computing experience—what I know you call a toilet computer, I call my mobile; that's certainly been a change. Cloud has certainly been a change. And so, there are step functions for sure. But in general, what has been happening is things just keep moving up the stack. And as things move up the stack, there are companies that evolve and learn to do that and provide more value and more value to new folks. Like I talked about how businesspeople are leaders in technology now in a way that they never were before. And you need to give them the value in a way that they can understand it, and they can consume it, and they can trust it. And it's going to continue to move in that direction.And so, what happens then as things move up the stack, the abstractions start happening. And so, there are companies that were just major players in the ‘90s, whether it's Novell or Sun Microsystems or—I was actually getting a tour of the Sunnyvale/Mountain View Google Campuses yesterday. And the tour guide said, “This used to be the site of a company that was called Silicon Graphics. They did something around, like, making things for Avatar.” I felt a little aged at that point.But my point is, there are these companies that were amazing in their time. They didn't move up the stack in a way that met the net set of needs. And it's not like that crater the industry or anything, it's just people were able to move off of it and move up. And I do think that's what we'll see happening.Corey: In some cases, it seems to slip below the waterline and become, effectively, plumbing, where everyone uses it, but no one knows who they are or what they do. The Tier 1 backbone providers these days tend to be in that bucket. Sure, some of them have other businesses, like Verizon. People know who Verizon is, but they're one of the major Tier 1 carriers in the United States just of the internet backbone.Brian: That's right. And that doesn't mean it's not still a great business.Corey: Yeah.Brian: It just means it's not front of mind for maybe the problems you're trying to solve or the opportunities we're trying to capture at that point in time.Corey: So, my last question for you goes circling back to Google Cloud Next. You folks announced an awful lot of things. And most of them, from my perspective, were actually pretty decent. What do you think is the most impactful announcement that you made that the industry largely overlooked?Brian: Most impactful that the industry—well, overlooked might be the wrong way to put this. But there's this really interesting thing happening in the cloud world right now where whereas before companies, kind of, chose their primary cloud writ large, today because multi-cloud is actually happening in the vast majority of companies have things in multiple places, people make—are making also the decision of, “What is going to be my strategic data provider?” And I don't mean data in the sense of the actual data and meta-data and the like, but my data cloud.Corey: Mm-hmm.Brian: How do I choose my data cloud specifically? And there's been this amazing profusion of new data companies that do better ETL or ELT, better data cleaning, better packaging for AI, new techniques for scaling up/scaling down at cost. A lot of really interesting stuff happening in the dataspace. But it's also created almost more silos. And so, the most important announcement that we made probably didn't seem like a really big announcement to a lot of people, but it really was about how we're connecting together more of our data cloud with BigQuery, with unstructured and structured data support, with support for data lakes, including new formats, including Iceberg and Delta and Hudi to come how—Looker is increasingly working with BigQuery in order to make it, so that if you put data into Google Cloud, you not only have these super first-class services that you can use, ranging from databases like Spanner to BigQuery to Looker to AI services, like Vertex AI, but it's also now supporting all these different formats so you can bring third-party applications into that one place. And so, at the big cloud events, it's a new service that is the biggest deal. For us, the biggest deal is how this data cloud is coming together in an open way to let you use the tool that you want to use, whether it's from Google or a third party, all by betting on Google's data cloud.Corey: I'm really impressed by how Google is rather clearly thinking about this from the perspective of the data has to be accessible by a bunch of different things, even though it may take wildly different forms. It is making the data more fluid in that it can go to where the customer needs it to be rather than expecting the customer to come to it where it lives. That, I think, is a trend that we have not seen before in this iteration of the tech industry.Brian: I think you got that—you picked that up very well. And to some degree, if you step back and look at it, it maybe shouldn't be that surprising that Google is adept at that. When you think of what Google search is, how YouTube is essentially another search engine producing videos that deliver on what you're asking for, how information is used with Google Maps, with Google Lens, how it is all about taking information and making it as universally accessible and helpful as possible. And if we can do that for the internet's information, why can't we help businesses do it for their business information? And that's a lot of where Google certainly has a unique approach with Google Cloud.Corey: I really want to thank you for being so generous with your time. If people want to learn more about what you're up to, where's the best place for them to find you?Brian: cloud.google.com for Google Cloud information of course. And if it's still running when this podcast goes, @isforat, I-S-F-O-R-A-T, on Twitter.Corey: And we will put links to both of those in the show notes. Thank you so much for you time. I appreciate it.Brian: Thank you, Corey. It's been good talking with you.Corey: Brian Hall, VP of Product Marketing at Google Cloud. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice. Whereas, if you've hated this podcast, please, leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice along with an insulting angry comment dictating that, “No. Large companies make ten-year-long commitments casually all the time.”Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.Announcer: This has been a HumblePod production. Stay humble.

Today, Rodrigo tackles a question regarding a relationship between a True Phlegmatic man and a False Fire Woman with Ross and Brian: How can a False Fire allow her partner to step into his masculinity more? A multi-pronged answer that dives into various topics, you won't want to miss it!Traumatic Compatibility episode : https://www.buzzsprout.com/1372156/10574466False Fire episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1372156/7846042Confused about BioTypes? Here's a starter episode that explains the Unani Biotypes and Systemic Psychology we reference.For more information on BioTypes visit www.RGPdevelopment.comFOLLOW US ON SOCIALSRodrigoInstagram (English)Facebook (English)Instagram (Español)Facebook (Español)RossInstagramFacebookTwitterBrianInstagramTwitterYouTubeBioTypical Relationship Corner Jingle + Editing by Dan PurcellSupport the show

Mike and Brian take audience questions in the “best of” from the Agile Mentors Community’s monthly coaching calls. Twice a month, there is an open Q&A session we offer as part of the Agile Mentors Community where anyone from the community can join in and ask either Mike or Brian questions. These are open discussions and allow the users to ask their own questions that are unique to their situations. We call these “Coaching Calls” because they are there to help coach the members and help them overcome obstacles along the way. Everyone who takes a class with Mountain Goat Software receives 12 months membership in the Agile Mentors Community and they are able to attend these calls and ask questions. Take a listen to some of the best questions we’ve received over the past few months to get an idea of what these sessions are all about. By the way, we are aware there are a few places where the audio is not perfect in this episode and apologize for the less-than-ideal audio in several places. This is because these answers come from live sessions and there were a few streaming hiccups while delivering them. Listen now to discover: 3:10 - Brian: How to conduct fun retrospectives when you aren’t allowed to use cloud-based tools? 7:40 - Mike: How much planning is needed to ensure we complete items in a Sprint? 11:50 - Brian: Do you change the story points on an item if it turns out to be bigger than you thought? 14:50 - Mike: Why use Fibonacci numbers to estimate? 18:05 - Brian: Should Product Owners attend a Daily Scrum? 20:25 - Mike: What’s the best practice for capturing Non-Functional Requirements? 23:00 - Brian: How do you get your first experience as a Scrum Master if you have none? 26:46 - Mike: Tips for starting out with a new team? Listen next time when we’ll be discussing… Next week we will be taking a very short break of just one week. We are trying to practice a sustainable pace approach and are taking just one week off in order to do that. References and resources mentioned in the show Funretrospectives.com Agilementors.com Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? It would be great if you left a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us as podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He’s passionate about making a difference in people’s day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. Mike Cohn is co-founder of the Scrum Alliance, and founder of Mountain Goat Software. He’s a veteran of applying Scrum and agile principles and practices to help organizations build better products and ship them on time.

Mike and Brian take audience questions in the “best of” from the Agile Mentors Community’s monthly coaching calls. Overview Twice a month, there is an open Q&A session we offer as part of the Agile Mentors Community where anyone from the community can join in and ask either Mike or Brian questions. These are open discussions and allow the users to ask their own questions that are unique to their situations. We call these “Coaching Calls” because they are there to help coach the members and help them overcome obstacles along the way. Everyone who takes a class with Mountain Goat Software receives 12 months membership in the Agile Mentors Community and they are able to attend these calls and ask questions. Take a listen to some of the best questions we’ve received over the past few months to get an idea of what these sessions are all about. By the way, we are aware there are a few places where the audio is not perfect in this episode and apologize for the less-than-ideal audio in several places. This is because these answers come from live sessions and there were a few streaming hiccups while delivering them. Listen now to discover: 3:10 - Brian: How to conduct fun retrospectives when you aren’t allowed to use cloud-based tools? 7:40 - Mike: How much planning is needed to ensure we complete items in a Sprint? 11:50 - Brian: Do you change the story points on an item if it turns out to be bigger than you thought? 14:50 - Mike: Why use Fibonacci numbers to estimate? 18:05 - Brian: Should Product Owners attend a Daily Scrum? 20:25 - Mike: What’s the best practice for capturing Non-Functional Requirements? 23:00 - Brian: How do you get your first experience as a Scrum Master if you have none? 26:46 - Mike: Tips for starting out with a new team? Listen next time when we’ll be discussing… Next week we will be taking a very short break of just one week. We are trying to practice a sustainable pace approach and are taking just one week off in order to do that. References and resources mentioned in the show Funretrospectives.com Agilementors.com Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? It would be great if you left a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us as podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He’s passionate about making a difference in people’s day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. Mike Cohn is co-founder of the Scrum Alliance, and founder of Mountain Goat Software. He’s a veteran of applying Scrum and agile principles and practices to help organizations build better products and ship them on time.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/er7l4bpf11pzj0t/NCHS063%20-%20REBROADCAST%20-%20How%20to%20Sleep%20Better%20Part%202.pdf?dl=0 (Click here) to download the full transcription as a formatted PDF. Episode SummaryWelcome to The No Cap Health Show, a podcast inspired by Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler's extremely popular TikTok channel with over 3 million followers. Every week, Dr. Brian uses a light-hearted approach and shares health trends popular on the app. Using his decades of experience in medicine and ability as an expert researcher he confirms (No Cap) or debunks (Cap) the topic and shares best practices with listeners. New episodes will be released every Wednesday. In this episode, Dr. Brian continues his discussion with Part Two of How to Sleep Better. Dr. Brian breaks down the many supplements that can aid in improving sleep, including c melatonin and tryptophan. He details a number of factors that have been proven to effect sleep. Finally, Dr. Brian speaks to how our diet can impact sleep and provides tips on sleep preparation that can help lead to healthier sleep. If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you leave the show a Rating & Review at https://ratethispodcast.com/NoCap (RateThisPodcast.com/NoCap). Key Takeaways03:29 – Dr. Brian recaps last week's episode, How to Sleep Better, Part One and introduces Part Two 05:12 – Dr. Brian discusses the impact lettuce water can have on sleep 06:21 – Dr. Brian lists supplements that can help improve sleep, including melatonin magnesium and tryptophan 09:42 – Dr. Brian provides a list of sleep techniques that can effect sleep 11:54 – Dr. Brian shares with the audience a reason not to make your bed 13:16 – Dr. Brian speaks to how dinner can help or hinder your sleep 14:22 – Dr. Brian lists a number of sleep preparation steps that can be beneficial to getting a good night's sleep 20:19 – Dr. Brian provides the No Cap Recap for today's episode and encourages listeners to reach out and Rate and Review this podcast on https://ratethispodcast.com/NoCap (RateThisPodcast.com/NoCap). Tweetable Quotes“Another one is tryptophan. Now, you may not be thinking tryptophan and you have any relationship, but I guarantee you probably do because tryptophan is in turkey. And there's a reason people get into a ‘food coma' at Thanksgiving, because turkey has a lot of tryptophan.”(09:02) (Dr. Brian) “So, I'm gonna tell you something that's a very sobering reason to not make your bed. Do I have your attention now? There are these little critters called dust mites and they live better when your sheets are on your bed than when they are off. And the reason is because when your bed sheets are on it locks in moisture.”(12:03) (Dr. Brian) “How can dinner help you sleep or actually even hinder your sleep? Well, studies have shown that a high carb and low fat meal can actually worsen sleep versus a low carb, high fat meal.”(13:20) (Dr. Brian) “A warm bedroom is nice and cozy, I admit. But the heat is not neat for your sleep. I like the bedroom around sixty-eight degrees, which is about twenty degrees Celsius. And studies show that people tend to sleep better when it's cooler.”(16:07) (Dr. Brian) Resources MentionedDM Dr. Brian your questions and we will respond back with answers - https://v.cameo.com/F5MH0Hglnmb (https://v.cameo.com/F5MH0Hglnmb) https://www.boxerwachler.com/ (Dr. Brian's Website) https://www.tiktok.com/@brianboxerwachlermd? (Dr. Brian's TikTok) https://www.instagram.com/drboxerwachler/ (Dr. Brian's Instagram) Please remember, Dr. Brian is a doctor, but he is not your doctor. He is here to provide general information, not medical advice, so you should always check with your doctor before relying on any information. Podcast Production & Marketing provided by FullCast Copyright. Advanced Vision Education, LLC See https://omnystudio.com/listener (omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Trend Following legend Jerry Parker joins me today, where we answer questions regarding the effectiveness and risks of Richard Dennis' “Pyramiding” methodology, how single stocks have performed differently than the indices recently, how to most optimally apply breakout systems, how to react to a drastic fall in a market like we saw in LUNA and the difference between performance of short and long trades in non-volatility targeted systems, how to avoid harmful research pursuits and popular ideas that just don't work, different ways that ownership of a CTA passes on to a new owner, designing systems that gives you a high degree of consistency and much more. ---- ---- Follow Niels on https://twitter.com/toptraderslive (Twitter), https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielskaastruplarsen (LinkedIn), https://www.youtube.com/user/toptraderslive (YouTube) or via the https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/ (TTU website). IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/Ultimate (here). And you can get a free copy of my latest book “The Many Flavors of Trend Following” https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/flavor (here). Learn more about the Trend Barometer https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/resources/market-trends/ (here). Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/reviewttu (iTunes) or https://open.spotify.com/show/2OnOvLbIV3AttbFLxuoaBW (Spotify) so more people can discover the podcast. Follow Jerry on https://my.captivate.fm/@RJParkerJr09 (Twitter). Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Intro 06:32 - What has caught Jerry's attention? 13:34 - Q1, Sascha: The Richard Dennis “Pyramiding” methodology 18:35 - Q2, Jeff: Jerry's current positioning in single stocks 23:10 - Q3, Louis: Parameter selection for different breakout systems 32:16 - Q4, Adam & Scott: How to deal with a drastic fall in a market like LUNA 41:49 - Q5, Carl: What doesn't work in Trend Following? 48:34 - Q6, Brian: How to pass on ownership of a CTA Business 53:34 - Designing consistent Trend Following systems 01:09:17 - Trend, trends and no diversification 01:22:36 - Performance update Copyright © 2022 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved ---- PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey: 1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/resources/ebooks/ (Click Here) 2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I'm really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/resources/market-trends/ (Click Here) 3. Other Resources that can help you And if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/resources/ (Click Here) https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/legal/privacy-policy/ (Privacy Policy) https://www.toptradersunplugged.com/disclaimer/ (Disclaimer)

A note from Dale and Brian: This month we're kicking off a new series of “Special Features,” which will include everything from special guests to live Q&As with studio audiences. We appreciate all of your support since our podcast has launched and want to dedicate one episode per month that speaks directly to audience requests and interests beyond our own story. To kick off this new series, we're having on one of our most frequently requested guests: our wives, Lorie and Angie Karmie. If you find our episodes are rewarding, wait until you hear from these two—their wisdom and perspective will make you think, and the stories they share are sure to make you laugh as well. Thank you again for being part of this journey. We hope you enjoy hearing insights from our guests in these upcoming months as much as we have.Get ready and get inspired to live a life where impact has no limits.Dale and Brian________________How do you support someone chasing a big adventure?This week, Dale and Brian kick off their new special features–a series filled with fresh perspectives and even more entertaining stories.Today, hear the true behind-the-scenes magic, Angie and Lorie Karmie, as they share their view of the ForeverLawn journey. They may not have been the ones running the business, but they were undoubtedly holding down the forts so Brian and Dale could continue chasing their crazy turf adventure. Not only are Angie and Lorie their husband's biggest cheerleaders, but their unwavering belief in Dale and Brian continues even into the darkest moments. Evidence shines through their humility that ForeverLawn would not be where it is today without these two.The inspiring story of these two strong women raises compelling questions about who we surround ourselves with. Do you have this type of support in your life? Are you this support to someone else?As you listen today, we hope you'll leave feeling encouraged. Whether you're the running man, or the support and sounding board, your role is essential. Today is an episode you will not want to miss–so good, we had to break it into two. Stay tuned for part two later this week.Look below to see what questions Angie and Lorie answered in part 1 of their session.You just might find your question below!Episode Highlights: What Angie and Lorie thought when the guys came to them with the idea of fake grass.The importance of leaning in when God calls you to something.The story of Angie and the septic tank.The importance of finding joy in the journey.You Asked, They Answered:Were there ever moments where you doubted your choice to pursue this business?What would you say to someone struggling to have faith in their spouse chasing an adventure?What is the most challenging memory from the business journey, and how did you push forward through it?Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on ForeverLawn:www.foreverlawn.comInstagram: @foreverlawnincGet Grass Without Limits HereVisit our show notes page HERE

Welcome back to Artbeat Radio! In this episode, the Podcast Class have a conversation about their favorite types of music and how it all makes them feel. Enjoy!   Audio Transcription: (Please listen on Podomatic or Spotify to view the full transcript)   *Intro music by Artbeat Radio staff*    Music, stories, and more! You're listening to Artbeat Radio, a program of Able ARTS Work.   Renee: Hello everyone and welcome to Artbeat Radio Podcast. We are going to interview everyone on our podcast team about their favorite soundtracks and music and how that makes them feel. Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy!  Brian: Stephanie, what's your favorite genre of music?  Stephanie: My favorite genre of music is Pop because I like Cheap Thrills by Sia and Party Rock by The Anthem because I like the beats to it and how they make me feel. They make me feel like I have a lot of energy.  Brian: Why do you like that type of music so much?  Stephanie: Because it's really good dancing music.  Brian: Alright!  Stephanie: Yeah.  Brian: Aaron, what is your favorite kind of music?  Aaron: Country.  Brian: Who in Country do you like? Is it Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks?  Aaron: Garth Brooks.  Brian:  How does it make you feel?   Aaron: He makes me happy.  Brian: Okay, Renee. Ms. Renee, what is your favorite genre of music and why and how does it make you feel?  Renee: Okay. Uhm I think my favorite music is Seymour's the Greatest and how I feel, like, amazing and I always move on, like, singing and it feels deep inside my gut, is really awesome. And my favorite music is Suddenly, Seymour is my favorite one. And I feel like special and I'm so lucky I have someone in my life. Like my Seymour.   Brian: Oh Alison, what is your favorite genre of music and why and how does it make you feel?  Alison: I like Country's, uhm, Hank Williams, the first, We're Gonna Put You in the Movies, They're Gonna Make a Big Star Out of Me. And guess what? That was one of my dad's favorite songs. And Your Are My Sunshine and that's the favorite of the whole Salo family.  Brian: And how does that music make you feel?   Alison: Happy!  Brian: Why does it make you happy?  Alison: Because it reminds me of Dad and Uncle Nate, who are in heaven.  Brian: Interesting, Alison.  Renee: What is your favorite type of music that you feel like and why?  Brian: Hmm. I like just about any type of music. Not just country. I like rock n roll. I like the early pioneers of rock n roll, you know like, Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens because they were the really first pioneers of rock n roll music. They got the rock n roll begun.   Renee: How do you feel?  Brian: Happy and they had danceable music and lyrics that you could really understand.  Renee: That's awesome.  Brian: Thank you, Ms. Renee.  Renee: You're welcome, Mr. Corder.  Brian: Hope you enjoyed our conversation about these different styles of music! Please come back again another day. Thank you for listening to our episode!  Have a wonderful day  *Outro music by Artbeat Radio staff*    We hope you enjoyed this episode of Artbeat Radio. For more information, please go to our website. Ableartswork.org. Thanks for listening and tune in next time!   

Welcome back to Artbeat Radio! We had the opportunity to interview Ricky Mena! Ricky dresses up as Spider-Man, taking a therapeutic approach to enhance the quality of life in children who are terminal, battling life threatening illness, special needs, fostered, abused, bullied, and more. He has touched countless lives in his time as Spider-Man and has big plans to continue in the future. Listen in as we talk about his life, his work and his future plans.  You can find Ricky and learn more about him through his Instagram @Rickymena Thanks for listening and tune in next time! For more information about our organization, please visit our website www.ableartswork.org  Audio Transcription: (Please listen on Podomatic or Spotify to view the full transcript) *Intro music by Artbeat Radio staff*  Music, stories, and more! You're listening to Artbeat Radio, a program of Able ARTS Work.  *Instrumental spiderman theme plays* Renee: Ricky! Ricky: Hi Renee. How you doing? Renee: Hi! My name is Renee Morneau and how are you? Ricky: *laughs* I'm doing pretty good this morning. It's good to finally get on here and meet you guys.  Renee: Nice to meet you too! What is your favorite movie of Spider-Man? Ricky: My favorite Spider-Man movie?  Renee: Yeah Ricky: Oh, man. That's a tough question. There are some good ones out there but my favorite is one that is not a lot of other people's favorites, which is The Amazing Spider-Man two with Andrew Garfield. Renee: Wow! Ricky: Yeah. I've said that on other podcasts that are famous for like, you know, actual Marvel podcasts? And people are always blown away by that answer but- because not a lot of people like that one, but that's my favorite one. Renee: Mine too! Ricky: It is? Oh my gosh! Renee: I think me and you are a good common Ricky: Yeah, that's true. We're a good team. Hi Alison! Alison: Hi. How how did this all start?  Ricky: Well, it got started when I was at a very low point in life, so I wasn't doing good with money. I had just like, got out of a relationship where I thought I was gonna get married with this person and it didn't work out that way, moved across the country. Back to my hometown of Pittsburgh, California  Alison: I've been there! Ricky: You've been there? Alison: Yes! Ricky: It's a small place that no one knows exists, so man, so many connections today. But my friend said, hey, come on back to your hometown and you will help you get back on your feet. And they said you could stay on our couch until you get back on your feet. And for the first time in my life, I had to do that. And it took a lot off. A lot of pride for me to swallow, to do that, and after a couple months I was getting back on my feet. I became a personal trainer. I was training people in the gym and doing all that cool stuff and getting really in shape myself. And then I fell asleep on the couch one night and I had a dream that my grandmother, who passed away a couple months before, came to me. She put on this movie projector that put this like movie in the sky and it showed me Spider-Man visiting these kids in the hospital and he's just making them so happy in the dream. And I looked at my my grandma, who I called, who I called my nana. And I said, Nana, what does it have to do with me? And she said that is you when you wake up, that's what you're that's what you're gonna do. And so, I woke up with $300 in my name and I, you know, to my name. And I only had a car that I had paid off. And I looked at the car in the parking lot and I said I knew I was going to sell it. And because the dream felt so real. And yeah, so I've got a suit and two months later 'cause it took the gentleman 2 months to make it and I got it. And I started doing my work there. And then, you know, that's just the short of it. It was really hard getting started getting into visit children or, you know, special needs children or children on the spectrum and that's where my work really started. But it was hard to get started. 'cause everyone said no and then that all changed with how persistent I was and how much I showed- showed my intent on what I was doing it was not for me it wasn't for money it was just to help and I think it really after that. Alison: Guess what? I was born in Oakland! Ricky: You were born in Oakland? Can I tell you a guess what too? Alison: Yeah.  Ricky: The first hospital that I-I had to sneak into my first hospital, which I will not advise anyone to do! but I had to sneak into my first hospital at the orders of a mom who really wanted me to be there for her son. And it was in Oakland. I won't say which hospital, but I'll just tell you it was in Oakland.  How long have I been acting like Spider-Man? So how long have I been Spider-Man? I've been Spider-Man since 2014.  Renee: Wow, that's a long time.  Ricky: Yeah, it feels like a long time. You know what's crazy? In Spider-Man, in the movies, keeps getting younger. And I keep getting older, so it's tough.  Renee: I'm in a relationship. I have a boyfriend.  Ricky: That's cool. You would love my wife. She-I don't know if this is any one question later and I hope I'm not spoiling it- but she dresses as spider Gwen! Renee: Cool! Ricky: Yes, she's awesome! Renee: How many kids did you save when you visit the hospital?  Ricky: Oh well, I like the word you used, save? But I will say that, you know, one of the things of me being Spider-Man is that I don't. I don't have the ability to actually save anybody. And I really think that's important for people to know because that's part of real life, you know, there's the there's the movies, and then there's real life, you know, And so, my job. When I go into the hospital is not to save anyone. It's just to be there for the times that are really hard. And even though it's really hard to help people smile and to help kids really smile and that can feel sometimes like being saved. You know what I mean? It's like, if you have 30 days in a row that are just really dark and bad, and you don't feel good and then someone comes along or something happens in your life to where you're like “Oh my gosh this is the first time in a long time that I could feel the sun, you know that I could that I feel warm and I feel good about something” And one thing that does is it gives you hope. And. And the hope itself can save people, I believe, but I'm just a messenger of the hope. But to answer your question, I've been there for over 15,000 kids in seven years. Yeah, from uh, from the Bay Area, California, all the way to London. I did long time...a long time! it gets, it gets tiring, so you gotta pace yourself, you know?  Renee: Tell you why I said hi. That's all. Ricky: She's teaching right now. She's actually a teacher, so- Renee: Wow! Ricky: And she's out there, teaching. So, she's double awesome. She's going for her masters in school, and yeah, she's amazing on so many different levels. I wish she was here so you guys can meet her. But maybe that's for another time.  Renee: That's so awesome. Thank you, Ricky! Brian: Hi Ricky! It's nice meeting you. Ricky: It's great to meet you too.  Brian: How has your journey been?  Ricky: My journey has been a very long journey. It feels like it's been a very rewarding journey and also a very difficult journey. And if I'm able to elaborate on that just a little bit- Brian: Yeah, please! Ricky: Yeah, it's difficult. Because I visit, like I said before, there's children that I cannot save. I walk into the lives of children who are sometimes, you know, they're at the end of their life. And I know that's a hard topic, but that's something I do. And so that's when it gets difficult that it starts feeling-the journey starts feeling long. At that point, it's hard to come to terms with those realities, and especially when I become so close to everyone I come in contact with, I'm just-I'm a person who likes to open my heart to everyone. And but, the most rewarding is actually seeing that my presence there, even though it's just dressing as Spider-Man, you know, and being there as a friend. And you know, kind of giving these therapeutic services. In this unique way that I'm doing it- to see so many my presence just matter so much and I'm doing the smallest, most simplest thing. It's just being there holding hands, encouraging people and just kind of like implanting that hope. So, it's been a rollercoaster to sum all that up. It's been a lot of ups and downs. And uh, I just-the one thing I work hard towards every day is to find that new balance every day it's something new. Every year, it's something new. And I have to continually just try to find that balance for myself between my personal life and the life of Spider-Man. To balance those things, to still be able to retain an amount of joy for myself, to do the job, but also be myself, my joyful self and in real life too. So it's been hard, but it's been rewarding at the same time.  Brian: Yeah. Well, how do you about how do you balance all that?  Ricky: That's a very good question. How to balance those kind of things? And I'm sure you guys deal with that too. Brian: Yeah. Ricky: It's like, you know, it's balancing like this, that's something that's for everyone, not just me. It's difficult and it's a balancing act that will-if you can think of the balancing act as juggling and you have three balls that you have initially, right? And that's very difficult. And you're like, “Oh my gosh, it's difficult”. And so the more practice you have with those three balls juggling, you're juggling the better you'll get, the better you'll get. But then all of a sudden, life will throw a 4th. And so you're like, “Oh my gosh”, and you gotta rebalance and you got to-and so it's just not freaking out. When something new enters the-your juggling act and just allowing yourself being kind to yourself, give yourself some time. The world can make you feel like you have to rush and kind of and kind of be OK quickly. But that's not...That's not the path you wanna take. You wanna take your own time and do you wanna just-you know, I always say, listen, I always talk to people outside yourself. And if it helps talk to a therapist. That has helped me-has helped me so much, you know, talking to friends. But one thing that's helped me outside of that is exercise. In any way. Listening to music has been huge for me. Um, and then redefining your work. Your purpose. For me it's being Spider-Man. But for me, if I stay doing the same thing. Just all the time-if I did sit the same thing all seven years without any growth or kind of like throwing something new in there to challenge even just myself, or to just change the landscape of what I do for children. Then it would have just kind of got boring. I would have been in the same-I would have offered nothing new to myself or the kids, so it's like it's about challenging yourself. It's about all that. The juggling act changes every day, so don't get discouraged. Every day is a new day and instead of looking at it like, “Oh my gosh, I'm so overwhelmed by the day and how new it is” Change is very hard every day. But look at it as like a new opportunity, a new adventure. And even though it's hard, it's something that whatever is hard can sculpt you and help make you a stronger person for tomorrow. And shoot, you guys, you guys have been being sculpted your whole lives and so, oh my gosh, you're probably so strong and I am in my own way and I know that. And so, it's like you're being prepared for something great. Your purpose is just is just far greater than so many other people on this planet. 'cause you're being thrown so much right and I feel the same way and it's like stepping up to that challenge every day. So. The juggling act is tough, but it's very doable. It's very doable. Brian: I've got another question. Now that we've got this Omicron, how is it possible to balance life like you're talking about? Ricky: Right, it becomes very hard. It is as far as like the coronavirus in general. If I could share my little experience very briefly-when the coronavirus first hit California, I was standing in a hospital. As Spider-Man, my wife was next to me, as spider Gwen and we just left the room and we were immediately swept away into a room that no one was saying and we were told that the last visit we just did, the little girl had been, or may have been around someone with the coronavirus, and that our visit was done and we were to visit no more kids. Then we had to actually quarantine and they kept us there for an hour. All my volunteers-they had our bags. They dropped them at our feet in this room. It was very scary. And at that moment, I didn't know it at the time, but everything changed for us, just like it did for everyone else and for us. You know, we visit terminal-or excuse me, children who have immune-compromised immune system, so we can't-we have not been able to visit any children in two years. I have not been able to do the work that I love doing with all my heart to the full capacity that I've loved doing it in two years, so. It's been very trying for us just like it is for you and to find that balance. These challenges, if you look at them as-as these obstacles as walls, then they're kind of they're a lot-it's a lot harder to visualize yourself overcoming like a wall or a dead end because it's like hard to visualize going through a dead end. So, what we've had to do, and I encourage anyone else to do, is look at all these challenges that the coronavirus is throwing it all of us and look at them as obstacles. So, when we couldn't visit children in the hospital, we saw that as an obstacle instead of a dead end. So how can I still bring hope to children? We're in a time where, look, we're not in the same room. Guys and girls, we're still talking. So we have technology. Let's utilize that. How can we be creative to get what we need to nourish our souls, to survive and kind of like still tap into that like evolution of self? Yeah, we all need it, like we all need to grow human beings. So amazing. We're like plants. We need the water, we need the sun. We just need that, right? Brian: Yeah! Ricky, So whats crazy is-I'll tell you even more, Brian. Like, Speaking of clients, he's like, I used to be a tree trimmer before, before I was Spider-Man. I was a tree trimmer for 10 years. And one thing I thought that was so amazing about trees is that if you plant a tree, Somewhere where there's no water source at all, right? Or let's say a tree grew really big and then had this great water source. This river was nearby and it's roots grew to the water. But the river dried out and there's no more water anywhere the tree doesn't say to itself, “You know what I give up, I'm going to die”. The tree's roots actually become that much more persistent and resilient underground. And will break even concrete. You've seen it. Brian: Yes! Ricky: There's sidewalks that are just. Broken. Right, because it won't let anything in its path. And this is a tree that cannot move it's relying on food coming to it. Right. So it's like “I gotta find it. I gotta find water” and it will. It will find pipes. If it has to and it'll bust those pipes to get water. It'll find-It'll find a water source. And it's been amazing. 'cause I actually like I said. I you used to do trees. And so we would have to-We would remove roots sometimes, and we would find out that the tree is like some- I mean it's like 100 yards away. And that's that tree is so far. Wow, it came all the way here to get water and itself could not move. And I think we need to be like the tree, right? We need to utilize. We need to grow our roots, we need to we need to expand on our foundation and it's easier said than done.  I'm not gonna lie. I've been going through a lot of hard times in the last two years. A lot mentally, uhm, you know I've had to work out at home. It's a lot harder to do that, but I've done it. I've had to change my diet because ,listen. Guys and Girls, I gained 20 pounds. The first you know, two years of the pandemic, I guess gained 20 pounds. And then recently I was contacted by a hospital and they said, “Hey, just prepare yourself, prepare yourself. We're getting it under control. You might-We're going to call on you as soon as its time go back in”. Man, I panicked because, oh, shoot, I, being Spider-Man, I need to be 167 pounds and really fit. And at the time, I was 188. And I freaked out, and I looked at my wife and I said, I said my wife's name is Kendall, I said, “Kendall, I'm jiggling in places I've never jiggled before. What do I do?” *laughs* So I kinda had a little meltdown there, but I had to grow my roots and I said it's time to buckle down. It's time to tap back in and I and I, she helped me with a meal plan and I got back to it and I made it happen. But the coronavirus has affected all of us and all I can say is we're still here.  Brian: Yeah. Ricky: Brian, Brian, you're still here, buddy. And here we are. And let's-it's part of the adventure and we can do it. Anything you wanna do, you can utilize this technology. You can ask and reach out to friends. There's ways to accomplish things. I think the world has, really adapted to this coronavirus thing and so- Brian: Yeah! Ricky: So, I hope that answers your question a little bit, sorry I went on a little bit of a rant there but- Brian: No, that's all right, Ricky! Ricky: Yeah *laughs* Brian: I asked a really good question.  Ricky: You did and it has, it is levels to it. There's layers like an onion and I and that's really deep. I like that. Brian: Yeah. And I know where you're coming because I've had-I recently lost three family members. Ricky: Yeah. And loss is extremely hard, especially when it hits so close to home, right? Brian: Yeah Ricky: If you would ask yourself one question, you know, and I've dealt with a tremendous loss myself, is how do you think those people, whether-wherever you believe that they are now in the spirit world or in heaven, whatever you believe, that you believe that you should ask yourself, you know, when times get hard is how do you think they would want you to honor their name?  Brian: Well, as soon as this Omicron is over my sister-in-law knows a guy that has a boat and we're going to dump his remains. Ricky: Oh, so you're gonna throw the ashes?  Brian: Yeah.  Ricky: Nice. So, you getting on a boat, it's something to look forward to.  Brian: Yeah! Ricky: Yeah, and living life is what it's all about.  Brian: Yeah Ricky: And it's OK to be sad. You gotta cry when it's time to cry when you feel like that. And it's OK to talk to others. It's OK to reach out to others. I'm sure you know that. And then when the time comes, and this is the hard part, It's like when you one day you'll find yourself smiling. You'll find yourself smiling, right? And then and then you'll go, “*gasp* I feel bad. I feel guilty because I've had so much loss. I actually feel guilty that I'm smiling and and my family member who passed didn't get to”. Or maybe another family member who's still dealing with the-going through the grief process and not cannot find this moment to smile. I want you to remember what I said when I said this like when you go “oh, wow, I'm smiling. I feel bad”, Remember when I'm saying this don't feel bad. Take that smile and put it in your, put it in your gas tank and and use it to smile again and get to the next spot in life and get to that boat. You have something to look forward to and then get to the next thing. That's like the boat and just keep going. And one day you'll be smiling all the time and you'll and you'll look at their picture and you'll smile and you'll realize this is how they wanted me to honor their name.  Brian: Nice meeting you, Ricky. Ricky: Nice to meet you too. I love your story! Stephanie: Would you be satisfied being in another profession?  Ricky: Will I be satisfied in a different profession or career? No, not now that I've done this. I was in many different professions prior to being Spider-Man so, I've known a lot before this and it's like once I started doing this... I just don't-I don't know how to- and that's that's part of the struggle. At some point I have to retire, right? And that just means hanging up the Spider-Man suit myself. But what I want to expand our organization to have other folks suit up. I want to get a a program together outside of just a background check and make sure everyone safe to visit, kids and all of that. I wanna put together like a very comprehensive program and like that people can actually go to like a schooling that I can teach the process and the science of visiting children as a suited character of whatever they choose, and teach, you know folks how to do that, who want to do the same thing. And I think it's important to know that you know, what I do and what my organization does is not from an entertainment standpoint. So, we don't visit-to do like-we don't do birthday parties or things like that. We only visit children who are children in need or even young adults or even. We've even visited adults and so I cannot think of another profession that's actually-that's actually something after seven years and being 38 years old I now think to myself like how hard and how hard it is, like emotionally and mentally at this point, I think myself, you know. From me, from you know, a wellness standpoint and energy standpoint and just how much I how much do I think I have to give personally out there to children. How? How long can I do this? And so it it's kind of daunting to think about. Like what would I do after this? Because I'm like shoot, this was everything. This is everything it takes. It really is my passion. So, I have not said this on social media. I have not like, told my parents even so, this is like-I'm sharing this with you guys. My wife and I have been talking about-I didn't go to college at all. I have a high school diploma and just a lot of life experience. My wife, you know, was saying she's going for her masters and she said, “Hey, maybe you should go for your masters and get and get it in child psych- I mean, child counseling”. And I think I really wanna do that because when the day comes to hang up the Spiderman suit, I don't wanna have to stop. You know, I already now have seven years of experience if you add six years of experience while I'm going to school out and hang up the Spider-Man suit and actually having degree. And be like approved as an actual, you know, therapist. I think that I would have so much to offer. At that point, you know, and I think that's what I wanna do. So, I'm kind of telling you guys here today that I'm kind of searching for a college that I'm gonna, then I'm gonna go to. And that's going to be what I'm going to do. So, it's not really like. I guess I'm not stopping this profession, so I can't see myself doing anything else. I just kind of want to elaborate on it because that's how special it is to me.  Stephanie: Awesome. Thanks for coming, Ricky! Ricky: No problem. Thanks for having me. Stephanie: Bye Ricky!  Brian: Bye, Ricky!  *Instrumental Spider-Man theme resumes* *Outro music by Artbeat Radio staff*  We hope you enjoyed this episode of Artbeat Radio. For more information, please go to our website. Ableartswork.org. Thanks for listening and tune in next time!  

Welcome back to Artbeat Radio! You're listening to our 100th episode! We started in 2012, posting about one episode a year. In September of 2020, quarantine inspired us to find a way to interact more with our greater community. Unable to go on community outings or leave our homes, we decided it was time to post on a weekly basis to maintain our connection. Listen in as we share our favorite moments, our hopes for the future, and interview one another on our accomplishments!  Thanks for listening and tune in next time! For more information about our organization, please visit our website www.ableartswork.org  Audio Transcription: (Please listen on Podomatic or Spotify to view the full transcript) *Intro music by Artbeat Radio staff*  Music, stories, and more! You're listening to Artbeat Radio, a program of Able ARTS Work. Stephanie: Hello and welcome to Artbeat Radio! My name is Stephanie! This is our 100th podcast episode. Wow, that is crazy. Our 100th episode! Looks like we made it! Thank you for listening to our podcast. Hope you like the episode. Alison: Okay, now I remember there was one time when we were doing something and it didn't turn out right and somebody dropped a box. I don't know what was in the box but somebody accidentally dropped a box and then in class somebody got the words backwards. Like they accidentally screwed up the words and that was my favorite part. Brian: Well, I loved Katie Jo also. Interviewed her about her country music and she actually performed for us live. My favorite was interviewing the guy who played Spiderman. He was really interesting. Eric: Guess what folx, the interview with spiderman will be available as of next week! Brian: Stephanie. Stephanie: Yes? Brian: What podcast did you enjoy? Stephanie: I liked “Summer Sounds” because it was really upbeat and it was really nice and I also like that I have my professional headphones. I would like, in the future, to meet my goal, which is to be a person on the radio but talk about my play, which is going to be awesome. Hey Renee. Renee: Yes? Stephanie: What's your favorite part of the podcast? Renee: I loved interviewing Spider-man, Ricky because we have a lot in common and are the same age. Brian: Yeah, I really enjoyed the interview with Ricky Mena, who played Spiderman. Stephanie: I think the interview with Julianna and Matthew was my favorite. And I just like podcast because I just like it. I like it because I get to produce the episode about my play. That's why. My goal is to be on a radio station and be the head podcast talker and to talk about my musical and my jewelry business. And that's going to be fun. Go podcast class! Brian: What I love about working with KLBP a lot is getting my voice heard. Getting my thoughts across. To have some of my thoughts that I have not illustrated before and that's very important to me. It's a terrific radio station to air what we've learned. Tim: Well, I like the guests that we have and then talking about our program and sharing all our details. I enjoyed interviewing our staff and then others from- different staff from different sites and music instructors. I like the most about it how we come together as one. Alison: This is our 100th episode! Well, what do you think of it? Stephanie: I think that it's amazing so far. Alison: I didn't think we'd go this far. Stephanie: I know right? Brian: Aaron, what do you think about the 100th podcast episode? Aaron: I like it. Brian: Did you think that we would make it this far? Aaron: Yes. Brian: It's a real honor to interview you, Aaron. Stephanie? Stephanie: Yes, Brian? Brian: What do you think of the 100th episode? Stephanie: I think it's cool. Brian: Did you think that we would make it this far? Stephanie: No! That's crazy, Brian! Brian: Yeah! Stephanie: Wow. Brian: I'm-I'm with you. I can't imagine that we're up to the 100th. Stephanie: We gotta' keep going. It'll be 101! Brian: Yeah! *laughs* and maybe 102, 3, 4, 5 and so on. *laughter* Stephanie: How do you like this class? Brian: I love it. So much so that I took it last semester and I'm taking it this semester. I can't remember if I took it the semester before. Stephanie: Yeah. Brian: How do you like this podcast? Stephanie: I think it's great! I like- I like my first- I like my classes this year. They're fun! Renee: How long have you been on the podcast, Stephanie? Stephanie: Um...not very long but I think I like it. How long have you been in podcast? Renee: I'm not sure. I just started *laughs* Stephanie: Just started? Renee: Yeah. Stephanie: I wanna keep working on podcast! Renee: Me too! Stephanie: Sorry, I'm just stoked! I'm so sorry *laughter* Artbeat Radio was created in 2012 at the TAP II location in Gardena California. Brian: Here's a clip of our first podcast!  *Dead Man's Bones cover plays softly behind voices* Alison: This was made in 2012. This was the first podcast of Artbeat Radio. it was posted on October 18th 2012. *Dead Man's Bones cover plays louder* *Song fades out* Stephanie: I thought it was awesome. The way that it was presented and the way that they were singing. Brian: I liked it! Alison: It was beautiful. I think the song was great considering it was our first one. Brian: Hope you enjoyed our 100th episode! Have a wonderful day and thank you for listening to our podcast.  Stephanie: Thank you! Renee: Thank you for listening and thank you for coming. Have a beautiful and wonderful day. Brian: Here's to 100 more episodes! Thank you very much ladies and germs. *laughter* Renee: Gentlemen! Stephanie: That's so funny, Brian! Renee: I like that Brian: Thank you! Renee: “germs” that's so funny! I like that *laughter* *Outro music by Artbeat Radio staff*  We hope you enjoyed this episode of Artbeat Radio. For more information, please go to our website. Ableartswork.org. Thanks for listening and tune in next time!  

Jim White is the creator of Fishnure, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fishnure manufactures and markets organic fertilizer including both solid fertilizer and liquid. Checkout more about Fishnure's quality products and daily updates, please checkout their website and active twitter account, as listed below! Website - https://www.fishnure.com/ Twitter - @fishnure Show Notes Agricultural Background: Beginning of Fishnure Finding Our First Customers Natural vs. Chemical Fertilizer Different Types of Products We Offer Solid vs. Liquid Fertilizer How COVID Impacted Our Business Importance of Sustainability Why Just Labeling Fertilizer As “Organic” Doesn't Mean It's Good Fishnure's Future: Heading In The Right Direction Jim's Business Advice to Those Starting A Business Full Transcription Jim: We had a pepper grower up in Minnesota who grew his entire crop with Fishnure. And then he set up a control between one of the biggest sellers, Miracle-Gro and Fishnure. So we had one batch of plants that were fed Miracle-Gro the other batch was Fishnure. Miracle-Gro got two treatments during the year, Fishnure only one. Fishnure came out with 8% production. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Jim White is the creator of Fishnure, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fishnure manufactures and markets organic fertilizer including both solid fertilizer and liquid. Fishnure is made by composting solid fish manure is filtered to get solid manure free from unwanted materials and combined with the carbon source clay inoculants and then decomposed to form a humus compost. Jim is a serial entrepreneur who has created numerous computer software production management businesses. He also has a significant background in statistics and agriculture. Jim White, welcome to The Off-the-Grid Biz Podcast. Jim: Hey, thank you. Brian: So how did you get into Fishnure, tell us that story? Jim: Well, I created a company that monitors agricultural production. In other words, in the delta, catfish production is big and a farmer may have 100 ponds. And we developed a wireless solar power monitoring and control system that will control the environment and every pond. So that's how Fishnure came because I was interested in some of the customers were using the connection from the fish production to growing plants, which is what aquaponics is, and that's what started it. Brian: Oh, wow. So how did you find your first customers? Jim: We advertised I think it was on Craigslist. And that started then we sold a lot on our website, and then move to Amazon, which is the main seller right now. Brian: How long ago was that, when did you first start the whole process? Jim: It's been seven years. Brian: Excellent. Where are you finding most of your customers right now or via Amazon? Jim: Right. Brian: Great. Do you do any other sort of outreach or marketing to bring in? Jim: Oh, yeah. Yeah, we use Twitter. We tweet several 100 tweets a day. The website, I write a lot of articles and publish those and email marketing the whole bit.

The Life of Brian How about the Public's money goes to the Public instead of the pampered princes of privilege? Brian suffered a spinal cord injury in a 1983 car... The post The Life of Brian – No BS Newshour – October 8, 2021 appeared first on No BS News Hour with Charlie LeDuff.

The Life of Brian How about the Public's money goes to the Public instead of the pampered princes of privilege? Brian suffered a spinal cord injury in a 1983 car accident. Michigan's No Fault covered it until the insurance companies bought the Governor, Legislators and Mayor.  Now he's wasting away in a nursing home. Why? […]

On this episode of Q&A Tuesday I answer the following questions:⚙️  I've been really impressed with the latest AP Code 11.59 two tone chronographs with the ceramic case.  I think the contrast really highlights the design of the 11.59 line.  I tried on the WG model at the AP House boutique in HK and then put my name on the list.  They didn't say how long the wait is, but I assume it should be a reasonable time.  I remember in your Q&A episode 89 you mentioned you were buying 11.59s at around 25% off and then selling them at 18-20% discount off retail, but this was over a year ago.  The retail in HK for the ceramic is HKD 332K, which is about $43K US.  Is it possible to get this watch for a discount? Or should I just be happy paying retail for one of the newest models? ED⚙️  As a stock trader I'm curious which currently produced watches (i.e. you could hypothetically buy from an AD at retail) trade the most above their retail price on a % basis?  As a $ amount?  I'd imagine the AP Royal Oak Jumbo and Patek Nautilus are up there, that's not even too mention Richard Mille.  – Brian⚙️ How do think future generations will look back on the creations of Artisans de Genève, will they retain their value and what makes them different from other watch “customizers”? - Collin ⚙️  Where do you see the Rolex Milgauss Z Blue in the next 5 years? Increase in value, unchanged, possibly discontinued? Chris  Have a watch or industry-related question? Email me at RomanSharf@LuxuryBazaar.com and you might be featured on the next Q&A Tuesday!➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖Q&A Tuesday is where I answer fan questions that I receive on my YouTube, Instagram, or those emailed to me at RomanSharf@LuxuryBazaar.com. Submit your question and I'll answer it on the next Q&A Tuesday!If you have a question or are looking for a watch, you can text me at 215.731.0107. 

Click here to download the full transcription as a formatted PDF. Episode Summary: Welcome to The No Cap Health Show, a podcast inspired by Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler's extremely popular TikTok channel with over 2.5 million followers. Every week, Dr. Brian uses a light-hearted approach and shares health trends popular on the app. Using his decades of experience in medicine and ability as an expert researcher he confirms (No Cap) or debunks (Cap) the topic and shares best practices with listeners. New episodes will be released every Wednesday. In this episode, Dr. Brian continues his discussion with Part Two of How to Sleep Better. Dr. Brian breaks down the many supplements that can aid in improving sleep, including melatonin and tryptophan. He details a number of factors that have been proven to effect sleep. Finally, Dr. Brian speaks to how our diet can impact sleep and provides tips on sleep preparation that can help lead to healthier sleep. If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you leave the show a Rating & Review at RateThisPodcast.com/NoCap. Episode Sponsor RevitalVision - https://www.revitalvision.com/ Key Takeaways 01:21 – Dr. Brian opens the show by reading a listener review and thanking today's sponsor, RevitalVision 03:29 – Dr. Brian recaps last week's episode, How to Sleep Better, Part One and introduces Part Two 05:12 – Dr. Brian discusses the impact lettuce water can have on sleep 06:21 – Dr. Brian lists supplements that can help improve sleep, including melatonin magnesium and tryptophan 09:42 – Dr. Brian provides a list of sleep techniques that can effect sleep 11:54 – Dr. Brian shares with the audience a reason not to make your bed 13:16 – Dr. Brian speaks to how dinner can help or hinder your sleep 14:22 – Dr. Brian lists a number of sleep preparation steps that can be beneficial to getting a good night's sleep 20:19 – Dr. Brian provides the No Cap Recap for today's episode and encourages listeners to reach out and Rate and Review this podcast on RateThisPodcast.com/NoCap.   Tweetable Quotes “Another one is tryptophan. Now, you may not be thinking tryptophan and you have any relationship, but I guarantee you probably do because tryptophan is in turkey. And there's a reason people get into a ‘food coma' at Thanksgiving, because turkey has a lot of tryptophan.” (09:02) (Dr. Brian) “So, I'm gonna tell you something that's a very sobering reason to not make your bed. Do I have your attention now? There are these little critters called dust mites and they live better when your sheets are on your bed than when they are off. And the reason is because when your bed sheets are on it locks in moisture.” (12:03) (Dr. Brian) “How can dinner help you sleep or actually even hinder your sleep? Well, studies have shown that a high carb and low fat meal can actually worsen sleep versus a low carb, high fat meal.” (13:20) (Dr. Brian) “A warm bedroom is nice and cozy, I admit. But the heat is not neat for your sleep. I like the bedroom around sixty-eight degrees, which is about twenty degrees Celsius. And studies show that people tend to sleep better when it's cooler.” (16:07) (Dr. Brian) Links Mentioned Dr. Brian's Website Dr. Brian's TikTok Dr. Brian's Instagram   Please remember, Dr. Brian is a doctor, but he is not your doctor. He is here to provide general information, not medical advice, so you should always check with your doctor before relying on any information.   Podcast Production & Marketing provided by FullCast Copyright. Advanced Vision Education, LLC See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recap of my Spring 2021 - Including a failed relationship experiment, another failed Bar Exam, and some good times. A look into my friendship with Brian - How we met, when I considered us to be best friends, and gratitude for standing by me. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lance-gunner-wines-dmb36/support

Today's episode is a celebration and looks back at the 10-year-anniversary of the film, Forks over Knives with Brian Wendel, founder and president of Forks Over Knives and creator and executive producer of the Forks Over Knives feature film. This film examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the chronic diseases that afflict us can be controlled or even reversed by rejecting animal-based and processed foods, has gone on to become one of the most popular and longest-running independent films ever on Netflix. Plus, it is still available to stream for free at www.Forksoverknives.com. For a decade now, this film has been one of the most popular “entry points” for those who are plant-curious. Why? Because it’s approachable, friendly, and attainable. Today, we relive the making of this film with Brian - How and why did he develop the story? When did he even know he was really onto something? We think you’ll appreciate that so much of the success of Forks over Knives is a result of “happy accidents” and the universe doing its thing -- putting the right people together at just the right time. The lives of all of these people, including the entire Esselstyn family, have been changed for the better and it was an honor being a part of such a powerful film that created a tidal wave of change and acceptance for living PlantStrong. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary to Forks over Knives. About Brian Wendel In 2001, Brian Wendel attended a conference on nutrition. There, a plant-based expert made a compelling enough argument that a Staten Island boy raised on pizza and roast beef decided to go all in on plant foods. He had no idea it would forever alter the course of his life. Over the next eight years, Brian immersed himself in the lifestyle, learning about the disease-reversing power of a plant-based diet. The evidence was strong, yet the overwhelming majority of the population had no idea that this simple change could have such a drastic impact. Brian wanted to reach as many people as possible with this information, so in 2009, he began work on a documentary film. Forks Over Knives became a spark for national change. The film was a hit. The accompanying book became a New York Times No. 1 bestseller. And most importantly, Brian saw legions of people—including his own father and members of the film’s cast and crew—adopting a plant-based diet and regaining control of their health and their lives. It was obvious that Forks Over Knives was no longer just a side project, so Brian quit his day job in real estate and took on the movement full time. Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources: Enjoy our New Limited Edition PLANTSTRONG Spring Culinary Experience boxes! This is the second in a series of at-home cooking classes in partnership with our friends at The Chef’s Garden, a regenerative farm near the shores of Lake Erie. You can sign up today and then make a date with mom - or with anyone who will appreciate this fun activity - to come together to make a four-course spring dinner that is out of sight. Boxes will begin to ship on May 17th and they include premium hand-picked produce, a full library of videos, and beautifully printed recipe cards. Visit plantstrong.com/garden today for more details. PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - https://mealplanner.plantstrong.com - use code: STARTFRESH for a 14-Day Free Trial. Yes, you have to enter a credit card - but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial ends and that’s a click of a button. Enjoy the test drive and get cooking! Links to Episode Music: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/10845 - theme music https://youtu.be/rhV_DIoebm - promo theme music

Supply Chain Careers podcast hosts: Rodney Apple and Mike Ogle, had the pleasure to dive into conversation with Brian Fugate - Department Chair for the University of Arkansas Supply Chain Management Program. (#1 Ranked Supply Chain Management Undergraduate Program - Gartner) Topics that are covered with Brian:- How he got started in supply chain- How collaboration with industry helped the University of Arkansas achieve its #1 ranking- The value of internships and student clubs- Hard skills and soft skills they are emphasizing for their supply chain students,This podcast is brought to you by SCM Talent Group - the industry-leading supply chain recruiters.Want to learn more about advancing your supply chain career? Check out:Supply Chain Careers and apply to Supply Chain Jobs at our Job Board!info@supplychaincareers.com

Brian Phillips is Co-founder and CEO of The Basement, an integrated (technology + creativity + measurement) B2C and B2B marketing agency with its roots in production. Brian dabbled in art and worked in architecture before he took the artistic principles of rendering positive and negative space to marketing. He explains, “The positive space, the consumer journey, is one we can see and everything works.” He believes marketers can get a lot of understanding out of identifying and analyzing negative space – the things that don't work – and that these, too, can help define the client journey. He believes “Negative space helps define and form the positive space.” His interests today remain diverse. For the past year, he has avidly read scientific books, pursuing ideas related to how genetics might impact buying and selling. The agency manages all media and destinations (the social channels and websites where consumers engage), extracting and analyzing as much data as possible and using multivariate testing. As an example, the agency may “cross-reference data out of Amazon” with data from its analytics platform on the ecommerce side.” The Basement markets its clients through an often complex, multi-touch, multi-channel approach. Larger companies may have as many as 150 datapoints across their consumer journey from “high level impressions down to ecommerce platform conversions.”  Brian has found that insights gained by analyzing data about consumers in the lower funnel can provide information on how the consumer got there and what the consumer will do next. The agency measures its success through outcomes, which, Brain explains, ensures accountability. Brian says his agency's focus has always been on growth, but growth “has to be calculated.” When asked about his agency's culture, he says simply, “Stay fascinated,” and then expands on the thought, adding, “Stay curious, stay ambitious, stay competitive, stay genuine, and stay fascinated.” Brian can be reached on his agency's website at: thebsmnt.com. Transcript Follows: ROB: Welcome to the Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast. I am your host, Rob Kischuk, and I am joined today by Brian Phillips, Co-founder and CEO of The Basement based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Welcome to the podcast. BRIAN: Thank you. Thanks for having me. ROB: Excellent to have you here, Brian. Why don't you start off by telling us about The Basement and where the firm excels? BRIAN: The Basement is an integrated agency, and there's probably some backstory there of how we got to be an integrated agency with roots in a production company. It's sad but true, but one of our greatest strengths is being able to deliver on what we say we can do. I've sat at many tables with brands that are unsatisfied with whoever their partners are, and sometimes it's as simple as just being able to deliver. I think as a production company, at the beginning that was what we prided ourselves on, and over time we've evolved to include that same delivery mentality against the consumer journey and a fully integrated offering of technology and creativity and measurements with the consumer journey in mind. We've had a lot of success with brands. We're not afraid to talk about outcomes. Actually, we prefer talking about outcomes, and we prefer the accountability that comes with that. We've been very fortunate to align with some great brands, and they acknowledge and accept our approach. It's turned out to be very impactful for both their business and mine. ROB: Are those brands typically more consumer-facing, or is there some B2B in there as well? BRIAN: Mostly consumer-facing, but we do have some B2B. Certainly there are major differences there. But we really approach our work systematically and through a proprietary framework that we've developed. Technologies roll in, audiences roll into it, but at the end of the day we're still performing the same services against that framework for B2B and B2C. ROB: Interesting. Tell me a little bit more about that framework. I think you have some brands that are of a pretty big size, and their go-to-market with customers is probably very multi-touch in a way that would often be hard to measure and hard to be accountable for, but that very much seems to be what you've leaned into. BRIAN: Yeah, there's no question. It seems like the majority of our clients are that way with the multi-touch and the omnichannel approach. I think it's important when we start talking with a brand that we're all aligned on accountability, and where we're going to hold ourselves accountable and where the brands are going to be accountable. Throughout that initial phase where we're working on strategy, we have to come to consensus on how we're going to measure success. Measuring that success along the consumer journey is something that we work together on and then we measure against. So that becomes, in my opinion, a lot easier to have dialogue and to have fruitful conversations and collaborations if you're aligning at the beginning. And that approach has been the core of what we do and how we build our integrated offerings. ROB: What sorts of things are you measuring for brands? BRIAN: Oh, man. [laughs] One of our larger brands that we work with that is a consumer brand, we're measuring 150 datapoints across their consumer journey, and that's everything from high level impressions down to conversions through their ecommerce platform and everything in between. At that point we're managing all media, all what we call destinations – places where consumers engage, whether that be social channels, whether that be their enterprise websites. We're going to build that infrastructure inside of that journey so that we can extract as much data as possible. Then we want to analyze it. We want to understand if there's any insights we can gain in the lower funnel that can impact how the consumer's getting there and what the consumer's doing next. And we've got case studies where we've seen and applied insights that were upper funnel, that were on the advertising layer, where we were able to test what type of product mix through display ads – we would run multivariate testing and we noticed that these certain product mixes with color combinations and words were effective. That then translates all the way down to the way we communicate on our website and what products we show on the website, how we're driving conversions through the performance funnel online. That cross-analysis is very important to us. We use and leverage a lot of technology, don't get me wrong; technology is extremely important to our business. But at the end of the day, we want to make sure that our core teams that work with the brand are analyzing that data, and we're looking for those insights and we're trying to figure things out on behalf of the brand. Machine learning is helpful. Obviously, it's a trend and it's going to be here. It already has changed the business and it's going to continue to change the business. But at the end of the day, I think you still need to have humans involved in that analysis, and that's something that we do very diligently with our clients. ROB: It's fascinating because a lot of marketers think about knowing how to track marketing when they can track the individual user all the way around the internet, when they can get a hard link through to conversion, that sort of thing. Certainly, you will have that in cases on the ecommerce side. But it almost sounds like on the broader consumer/general market side – maybe they bought something on Home Depot's website or Costco's website or Amazon or someplace where you can't sink into the data – it sounds like maybe you're still pulling on the stages of the customer journey at a macro level to see what's pushing down the funnel. Is that how you're thinking about it? You know what the stages are, you know what people are doing; even if you can't link each person, you can still see the echoes of what you've done up-funnel. BRIAN: Exactly. That's exactly right. Amazon's a great example where we can get data out of Amazon and we can get data out of our analytics platform on the ecommerce, and we have to cross-reference those. We have to understand why this happened versus something else happened. My background is kind of an interesting background, but it certainly comes from the creative side. I often talk to my team and in general about the importance of the consumer journey and looking at it very similar to figure drawing. The way that I learned figure drawing is you have positive and negative space, and the positive space, the consumer journey, is one we can see and everything works. But with figure drawing, you need to leverage and use the negative space as templates to help you define and form your positive space. I relate that to marketing and the consumer journey in a way that says sometimes things don't work, but understanding why they don't work and having the measurements in place to understand and help define – that helps us define what's going to work and what didn't work. So we really want to look at the positive and the negative space. I think there's an idea or a wish for marketers and agencies to say, “We just want to find all the positive and that's it. That's what we want to base everything on.” We try to look more holistic than that, because we think we can get a lot of definition and a lot of insights out of the things that don't work. ROB: It's fascinating to hear such a – there's sort of a disciplined line of thinking around the creativity that probably frees you up to be creative in other ways. It's interesting how it echoes right into marketing. It almost sounds like we're talking about planetary physics or something while we're at it. BRIAN: Now you're really going to get me going. [laughs] ROB: Oh, how so? BRIAN: I study science. I don't read many business books; I never did. I mean, I've read marketing and business books, but I've found that the focus on our business and the focus on science, everything from natural order to epigenetics, is something that I've been really focused on over the past year and a half and applying that level of thinking. To your point, you mentioned the word discipline, and I think that's certainly a strength of the agency and it's something that my business partner and I have always strived for. If I were to analyze my career, I think a systematic, more scientific approach to creative is something that I've always done. The parallels of science and creativity are just so fascinating to me. ROB: I think you can't just drop epigenetics into the conversation without actually helping those of us who think we know what that is, but maybe we don't. [laughs] Can you give a definition of what that is and maybe how it ties into, if it does tie into, your work and marketing? BRIAN: Any of the scientists in your audience may say, “He's completely off,” so I'll use the caveat that this is how I've interpreted it. The genes that we have as humans are what I would consider more binary. They do simple on and off. They can't define the entire character of a person. They may define the way you look, they may define other parts of your genetic makeup, but epigenetics is a newer science that is the study of the chemicals that are how the genes are expressed. What's so fascinating to me and what really got me interested in the concept is that these chemicals, these imprints of chemicals can become part of your genetic makeup that you can pass down to your children. There may be a certain way that you move or the way that you stand that wouldn't necessarily be part of a gene. A gene doesn't have that in it, but epigenetics have put that imprint on you because of the way that things have happened through your environment. That is what I find so fascinating about it – that study of behavior and getting all the way down to that science to say these behaviors can actually be explored through genes. Tying that to marketing – I think this is way, way future-focused, but when that data becomes more readily available and people start mapping it, which they are now, how does that bring the science of genetics into the targeting of how people are buying and selling products? That is the stuff that I find fascinating and I read about. ROB: Is this something in the neighborhood of a gene drive or something like that? Is that what we're talking about here? Or am I completely out of the neighborhood? BRIAN: What did you call that? ROB: A gene drive, where they can take certain things and introduce them – like they can introduce sterilization into the mosquito population not by shooting a mosquito into a crisper or anything like that. It's called a gene drive. Basically, they can introduce this trait into the population in this external way. BRIAN: I'm not spending a lot of my time and energy on what they're going to do with that innovation. [laughs] I do think that the future of medicine is going to be more tailored based on the structural variations within people's genes. So I do think that's going to change medicine as a potential outcome. But right now, my fascination and interest has just been the data and what happens when that source, that mapping has been done, what you do with it. It's like Tesla having all the data of people driving their cars. ROB: I see. So, you're able to measure things you've never been able to measure before to get insight you've never been able to draw before, just by how deep you're able to look into the picture. BRIAN: Right. That's what we keep doing as society. We keep finding new ways to extract data, and that is a parallel to the way we look at our framework and the way that we work with our clients. How can we extract meaningful data from the journey? It's just going to get smarter and more robust, and the systems are going to be in place and the first party data is going to be there. It's an interesting time, for sure. ROB: You've alluded a couple of times to your own background and your own origin story. What is the origin story of The Basement? What made you decide to start the firm, and what have been some key inflection points along the way? BRIAN: How far do you want me to go back? I think there's some relevance to the first brush of creativity. For the record, I'm about 6'6” and I come from an athletic family, and I was a basketball player. There was a point in my life where I thought I was going to go play basketball. Certainly not professionally, but in college. And I was always an artist. When I was in high school – this was in the early to mid-'90s – I met a graffiti artist from Chicago. That culture didn't really exist in Indianapolis in a meaningful way. That culture really didn't exist in the common culture of society. Hip-hop culture was in its infancy, really, at that time. I became fascinated by that art form. I think one of the key powers or superpowers, if you will – and for the record, I think superpowers change over time. At that time in my life, one of the things that defined me was defiance, and I think that carried through my career, from graffiti art to wanting to be an animator when I saw the movie Toy Story. That became my goal. My dream was to be a character animator. That's what my career set off into: how can I make animated films or shorts or whatever? I didn't really have a definition. I ended up in architecture, and I spent a number of years in architecture. It was at this period when the internet was becoming relevant. It was getting introduced to businesses. This was pre-broadband. Everyone was on dial-up. We were just at that point in society where the internet and how people engaged online was being defined. Then I became really interested in creating these very rich, high-end experiences that eventually became online, for lack of a better term, engagements. That's how my career started. I was doing that in architecture, and at one point my business partner and I met, and I was frustrated with my career and the ceiling that I saw for myself and the work I wanted to do. I wanted to work at Pixar. I left. I just quit my job. I convinced my business partner to start a business. He was certainly more of a marketing business mind than me at the time. I was very much an artist and a producer. The combination of the two of us has worked out really well. And we left. He left McDonald's Corporation, where he was a very successful regional marketing director, and I was this young, probably cocky kid who was doing 3D animation and interactive 3D online and virtual worlds, and we took off. We ended up becoming one of the first digital agencies in Indiana, and from there we started The Basement because we saw a void with traditional agencies that didn't have an understanding of digital. We saw that as an opportunity and a void in the market and serviced agencies for the first 5 or 6 years of our business as a high-end interactive studio, doing animated TV spots, doing Flash games. We made a number of video games, we made a number of TV spots, we did a number of very high-end, rich websites for consumer brands and national product launches, until we saw an opportunity. We were really good at building the destinations and the engagement points with consumers, and we would always ask the agencies and the people we were working with, “How are we getting people here? What's the narrative? What's that consumer narrative and how do we extend it?” That's where we started to take on more direct clients. We had clients that were at agencies that went to the brand side and wanted to hire us directly. It really started to snowball, and then we built a media business, and now we have a full national internal media business and analytics business, and obviously creative is still there, still a studio. We still produce a lot of work in-house. There's a ton of content that gets produced along with consumer journey. Being able to build that content against a very robust media strategy that's looking at data, looking for data, that's the kind of integration that we've built. In a very, very short, run-on sentence, that's how we got to where we are. ROB: Brian, you mentioned something that I think is very common, which is that a creative firm starts up to work on a particular practice area that other agencies aren't focused on, and you'll either take a referral or you'll get white-labeled under them on the engagement – and then there's this jumping off point that has to come around to grow more. That's that graduation from taking other people's subprojects and leftovers and engaging the clients directly. How did you change the mindset and make that jump in the business? Because a lot of people get stuck there. BRIAN: I really give a lot of that credit to my business partner. We also have one of our vice presidents who took the client services part of the business. We all worked really hard together, and my business partner's background in the agency was account service. He knew that business. He knew it very well. He's very disciplined, and he understands how to build systems, and again, echoing the points that we made, we think systematically. So we built systems that will hold ourselves accountable, and we made sure that we were honest with each other and collaborated. We're transparent. I think that transparency was a very important key for us with our clients throughout. If we can do something, we'll tell you we can do it. If we can't do it at that time, we're going to be honest with you and we'll tell you when we can do it. That formula worked really well for us. I've always been an advocate for hiring people that are better than you, and that is what we did. At that time we had to build a culture, and we built a culture around growth not only for our clients, but for ourselves and for the individuals that are within the company. We fostered the culture, and that culture helped organically make us better. That is I think equal weight in the success of that adoption and being able to change and being able to recognize how something needs to improve. That's, again, been a big part of who we are. We have a tagline, which really is the definition of our culture, and that's “Stay fascinated.” Our culture is defined by stay curious, stay ambitious, stay competitive, stay genuine, and stay fascinated. That idea of staying fascinated is see something bigger than yourself, see something that we can become collectively. When you see something and you strive for something and you strive for growth, things need to change and things get better. That's how we define our culture, and that's how we were able to improve. Because I'll tell you right now, our account service business was not great when we started. It was good. We've made it great. ROB: It sounds like by being honest with yourself and with your clients – both of which takes discipline, which we said before – you were able to avoid getting yourself in the deep end in some areas and say no to the things that were too big while also growing into bigger and bigger capabilities along the way. BRIAN: Yeah. We expanded our services along the way. Again, very, very proud today. We've had tremendous growth over the life of the agency, and we still plan to grow. We are going to continue to grow. Thinking of it from a biological standpoint, organisms grow to the point where they peak and they start to decay. We feel that we're not even close to decaying. Growth has always been a part of our strategy, but it has to be calculated. We've said no to things that we knew we weren't going to be able to deliver against, and that I think is very important and has defined us by saying no to things versus saying yes to everything. That was a really good business lesson that we've learned along the way. And preservation of culture, because you can say yes to things and short term you can grow revenue, you can make more money – but at the peril of what? That was something we've always been very protective of: the culture, the people, the dynamics within the team. Because as we recruit and we want to hire the most talented people, then you have to protect them and you have to make sure that they are in a position to do what they're great at. The point I made about superpowers evolving – as I got further in my career and further into the growth of business, that became part of my role and what I strive to be good at. ROB: It's quite a journey, Brian. Thank you for sharing. I feel like there's a lot more we could pull on; I want to be respectful of everybody's time. Brian, when people want to get in touch with you and with The Basement, how should they connect with you? BRIAN: Certainly the website for The Basement, and that is thebsmnt.com. That's the easiest way to get a hold of us. We love challenges, and we love brands that want to swing above their weight class. We're actively looking for new partnerships. I really appreciate you taking a moment to have me on and talk about this business that we've built out of Indianapolis, which is not typically known for advertising. ROB: If people don't know, there's a lot there. ExactTarget didn't get as long in the sun as people might've wanted it to, but that was a big deal out of Indy, right? BRIAN: Oh my goodness, yes. ExactTarget has been a fantastic story, and Salesforce is there. Yeah, things are changing. There's no doubt. Things have definitely changed and momentum is with our city right now. ROB: Got that Atlanta to Indy connection with Pardot and Salesforce and all that. We appreciated ExactTarget as well. It was good for our ecosystem. BRIAN: Good. ROB: Thanks so much, Brian. Good to have you on. Be well. BRIAN: Likewise. Thank you again. ROB: Bye. Thank you for listening. The Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast is presented by Converge. Converge helps digital marketing agencies and brands automate their reporting so they can be more profitable, accurate, and responsive. To learn more about how Converge can automate your marketing reporting, email info@convergehq.com, or visit us on the web at convergehq.com.

Welcome to Episode 60 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Tomorrowland '94" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows!  While you are listening, please browse through our entire album of ephemera. We have tons in there and if you click this link, be ready for an adventure that could take up an entire evening. Also, let us know if you have any images you would like to add to this collection, as we are working to make it very comprehensive.  Comments & Corrections Last month we had the great food and menu episode and the response was great. Thanks for all the feedback and items shared relating to food stories, menus, and anything else. It sure was fun to sift through and see how much everybody enjoyed it! Huge thank you for all the ephemera that was sent in. We got tons of great items and this will all be added to the site soon. Your time and effort is appreciated! Our good friend @bioreconstruct let us know about an add-on for a 43" monitor he found on Amazon that has the old school infrared beams. He also found it being used in Imageworks inside Epcot. A friend of the show, Joe called in to discuss Disney Dollars - this is a great story! Thanks Joe! Turnstiles came up during the last episode and where they are still located. Joe Barlow wrote in with instructions on how to lock them and he also issues an apology.  Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Carla wrote in regarding the turnstiles and where they are still located - thanks Carla! Miranda, AJ, and Joe - You three are featured in the listener mail section with some solid ephemera. We discuss this during the show and they are super cool so I had to put them up high for everybody to see. Thank you and enjoy! Eric wrote in the same day as the show and his librarian and archival skills are insane! We are all super jealous and need you to come to organize ours! Take a look.. We had a favor to ask for this episode regarding Birnbaum's - Joe Siler was among many others that reached out to us with some solid scans.  Thanks Joe, we appreciate your help!   Listener Ephemera Gallery [ngg src="tags" ids="ep60ephemera" display="pro_sidescroll"]   [listenerfeedback] Audio Rewind Our audio rewind this month is from Muppet Vision 3D - Thank you for all the guesses and emails! How gives us a little bonus, telling you all about the extended queue at muppet Vision. We have a winner! Congratulations Natalie B!  - you will be getting a bunch of great Ephemera! - hope you enjoy! If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com - This month, the winner will be getting a party package! All entries are due 9/7/2020 and a random winner will be selected. Main Topic For this month, we are discussing a major overhaul of a land at the Magic Kingdom. Many of the lands have slowly evolved and changed, but Tomorrowland had a major change with nearly everything being touched in 1994. Brian & How start us off at Disneyland in 1983 with the expansion of Fantasyland - bringing comparisons to our main topic. All of these major refurbs work towards making the park appealing to a new audience - which is why the funds were sent to the Magic Kingdom and Tomorrowland. We are basing this episode off a major press release which we just acquired.  As we work through our initial discussions about Tomorrowland, our FIRST podcast episode is brought up, and I guess way back when we discuss early Tomorrowland - if you are brave and want to hear our early stuff, here you go: Episode One-Planning for Tomorrow. 1994-95 Disney Press Release - New Tomorrowland Featuring... Alien Encounter So we basically learn that in the late 80s and early 90s, Disney learns that you can't build a land that needs to be updated every other year, especially when you call it Tomorrowland. EPCOT ran into this problem a bit and the original Tomorrowland just had so much trouble keeping up with technology. This overview episode of the entire land covers nearly everything from design and lighting to ride updates and add-ons. The signage is discussed, as this was one highlight for some of the guests. We also get into sponsorship changes and how this land impacted each of us, as I'm sure you will pick a side on if you really liked this update or not. At one point in this episode, we discuss The Timekeeper, which we did an entire episode on - click here. The new arcade that was installed right next to Space Mountain was massive. It has many games, prizes, and just a fun, Tomorrowland arcade feel. We hit a bit on the Penny Arcade, which we discuss in Episode 47 of the podcast - check it out. We spend considerable time discussing the infamous Kugel Ball, or germ ball as Todd calls it. These are more common than you think and this one has gone through some changes. It seems like there wasn't a ride or attraction that was left alone and this includes The Carousel of Progress. We go through some of the changes that made this what it is today. Throughout the episode, we have some great sound drops and audio clips. That 90s Tomorrowland background loop makes this one fun to listen to overall. We hope you have fun going back to the mid-90s and we want to know - what is your favorite memory of this 'new' land at Magic Kingdom? Send us a message and tell us!  Enjoy! 2020: The Year of Film To make sure you are the first to know when items are released, subscribe to us on YouTube. Be sure to click the notification bell too, that way you are alerted when we post.  Finally, be sure to check out Vimeo if that is your thing, as we will post there as well.   Next Month Join us next time for Episode 61, we are staying in Tomorrowland but taking you into Alien Encounter. It will be ExtraTERRORestrial! We have another movie night coming soon too...  Subscribe on YouTube so you are ready. 

Will a homeschool year make it more difficult for your student to get into college? And how do the nation’s finest STEM universities evaluate students with a non-traditional academic background? In this episode of Emergency Homeschool, we talk with Chris Peterson, Assistant Director of Admissions at MIT, and Dr. Brian Ray, President of the National Home Education Research Institute about how this pandemic will affect future college admission decisions. Here's what we discuss with Chris and Brian: How do top universities evaluate homeschooled applicants for admission? Are standardized tests even more important for homeschooled applicants? How tough is the transition from homeschooling to college?

In today’s episode, we discuss David Harding's interview from 2013 with the SEC Historical Society, possible mistakes to avoid in Systematic Investing, if there are any differences between market confidence and the strength of a Trend, thoughts on Excel vs Python, and the importance of preserving capital during bad periods.  We also answer your questions, including: Does the rise of Volatility trading have any effect on the effectiveness of Trend Following strategies?  How is trend strength calculated? If you would like to leave us a voicemail to play on the show, you can do so here. Learn more about the Trend Barometer here. IT's TRUE - most CIO's read 50+ books each year - get your copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here. And you can get a free copy of my latest book "The Many Flavors of Trend Following" here. Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com Follow Niels & Moritz on Twitter: @TopTradersLive, and @MoritzSeibert, And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes so more people can discover the podcast. Episode Summary 0:00 - Intro 1:27 - Weekly review of returns 7:38 - David Harding interview with the SEC 14:44 - Richard Dennis quotes 15:57 - Hedge Nordic magazine article featuring Niels & Rob Carver 18:44 - Question One; Brian: Does the rise of Volatility Trading affect Trend Following strategies? 33:48 - Question Two; Brian: How is Trend Strength calculated? 41:37 - Performance recap Subscribe on:

Welcome to Episode 58 of the RetroWDW Podcast: “Retro Menus” – We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows! Listener Mail Right to the mailbag this month! The bag is full and we love that! Every month, you can possibly get on the show, so be sure to write to us at podcast@retrowdw.com. Mark is our first listener who wrote in, saying he found our podcast and is slowly working to catch up. His question is all about the WedWay Peoplemover and where it is stored. We kick you off with a super deep dive on this and give you our thoughts. Holly writes us next from Missouri – She just found us and listens to us while sewing masks for a local hospital. Holly is a former Disneyland employee and her first visit to WDW was in 2007. William Walker wants to know about Mickey’s Retreat on Little Lake Bryan. Brian & How get into this one to discuss and explain what this is.  Art has been contacting us about Teen Magazine from 1972. There is a great set of photos in this magazine, including the Bob-A-Round Boat. We discuss this magazine and look through it a bit together. Jason wrote in about his latest fireworks & backstage tour. He tells us a great Bob Gurr story, which sounds so crazy it almost has to be true. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know if you find out from Bob… Questions, Comments & Concerns We love feedback and hearing your memories! Drop us a line at podcast@retrowdw.com or call us and leave a voice mail at 978-71-RETRO. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Audio Rewind Our audio rewind this month is The Blob from the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater – Thank you for all the guesses and emails! We have a winner! Congratulations Geoffrey Nease!  – you will be getting a bunch of great Ephemera – hope you enjoy! If you think you know the answer to this month’s audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com – This month, the winner will be getting a mystery prize! All entries are due 6/23/2020 and a random winner will be selected. Main Topic This month we aren’t taking you to a specific ride, resort or theme park. When looking back our first ephemera episode was a huge hit! We also did one on dining, Retro Food. So today, we are going to have Brian lead us through some really neat menus, food options, and dining. The former dining locations are a great way to look back and experience how the resort used to be. Dining was huge back in the 1970s and Disney made sure the dining was just as special as the trip itself. Brian has a whole pile of menus and we all follow along as we dissect and discuss what people were eating many years ago. We start off at the Contemporary Resort Top of the World restaurant. This was an amazing space with entertainment, food and just an insanely great decor. This is great because we compare the pricing over the years and changes. Another amazing location we take you to is The Outer Rim. Most of you know this as the current bar/lounge in the Contemporary. Well, it existed in a different format many years ago and they were actually able to keep the name. The menu doesn’t miss and it sounds like a great place to enjoy a meal. We round this all out with some room service menus, The Magnolia Dining Room and of course the Pueblo Room. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the old menus and food selections from WDW History. Articles on The Grand Canyon Concourse from Passport to Dreams Old and New: The Contemporary Resort in the 1970s The Contemporary Resort Through the 1990s

Deals, Deals, Deals! Brian How many margaritas can Brian and Jake drink in 30 minutes? We put them to the test.  Follow us on instagram:  Brian @dayography Jake @ssponyboy Artwork by @juliannie8 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jacob-williams0/support

更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号:VOA英语每日一听Brian: Hey Fanny.Fanny: Hey, Brian.Brian: How's it going?Fanny: Not bad.Brian: Alright, so we're asking each other questions about our countries, and last question that I asked was "when is the best time to visit?" but I have another question to ask if you don't mind.Fanny: Yeah, sure go ahead.Brian: As you might have noticedI'm not Chinese, and I don't speak any Chinese.Fanny: OK.Brian: Is it going to be hard for someone who only speaks English to travel in your country?Fanny: Yeah, that's a good question. You know, I mean if you go to China and now if you cannot speak Chinese, of course, it will be a little bit difficult for you because you know there will be 2008 Olympic games, in Beijing right, 2008 so there are a lot of Chinese people who can speak English right there so I think they can help you.Brian: See, I don't know if I would be going during the Olympic Games because, like, maybe it's really crowded and really kind of busy. I'm thinking to go like maybe before that when it may be a bit quieter.Fanny: Hmmm ... sorry. I think maybe I made you confused, I mean because people are getting ready for the Olympic Games,so people are just, you know, learn English to communicate with foreigners to help them and to guide them ... I mean, what I meant, you can find a lot of people who can speak English there.Brian: Oh, so because of the games many people are learning English ... but I could still ... even if I didn't go during that time, English people are stillaround.Fanny: Right, right exactly. If you go to the shops most people there can already speak English, Japanese or Korean.Brian: Oh really?Fanny: Yeah, so ...Brian: Very talented people in your country.Fanny: Yeah, we can say that.

更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号:VOA英语每日一听Brian: Hey Fanny.Fanny: Hey, Brian.Brian: How's it going?Fanny: Not bad.Brian: Alright, so we're asking each other questions about our countries, and last question that I asked was "when is the best time to visit?" but I have another question to ask if you don't mind.Fanny: Yeah, sure go ahead.Brian: As you might have noticedI'm not Chinese, and I don't speak any Chinese.Fanny: OK.Brian: Is it going to be hard for someone who only speaks English to travel in your country?Fanny: Yeah, that's a good question. You know, I mean if you go to China and now if you cannot speak Chinese, of course, it will be a little bit difficult for you because you know there will be 2008 Olympic games, in Beijing right, 2008 so there are a lot of Chinese people who can speak English right there so I think they can help you.Brian: See, I don't know if I would be going during the Olympic Games because, like, maybe it's really crowded and really kind of busy. I'm thinking to go like maybe before that when it may be a bit quieter.Fanny: Hmmm ... sorry. I think maybe I made you confused, I mean because people are getting ready for the Olympic Games,so people are just, you know, learn English to communicate with foreigners to help them and to guide them ... I mean, what I meant, you can find a lot of people who can speak English there.Brian: Oh, so because of the games many people are learning English ... but I could still ... even if I didn't go during that time, English people are stillaround.Fanny: Right, right exactly. If you go to the shops most people there can already speak English, Japanese or Korean.Brian: Oh really?Fanny: Yeah, so ...Brian: Very talented people in your country.Fanny: Yeah, we can say that.

更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号:VOA英语每日一听Fanny: Brian, my last question seems too serious.Brian: It was. It was a very academic kind of question.Fanny: Yeah.Brian: You're testing me,Fanny.Fanny: Sorry for that. I would also like to ask you some funny questions.Brian: OK, hit me.Fanny: Have you ever seen a polar bear?Brian: Have I seen a polar bear? Unfortunately, I have not.Fanny: No, really?Brian: I think you need to go really far to the north.Fanny: North. Yeah.Brian: Like, up around, like the North Pole maybe because I think the polar bears live like only on the ice, and this is like really far from any kind of like, you know, city or civilization, and I've never been up to like such a remote kind of place.Fanny: OK, I see.Brian: Unfortunately no polar bears. I've seen other bears, but no polar bears.Fanny: OK, me either.Brian: No polar bears in China?Fanny: I don't think so.Brian: No.Fanny: I don't think it's cold enough to have polar-bear there.Brian: How about Panda? I've heard there are some Pandas in China.Fanny: Yeah, I saw Panda for several times.Brian: In the wild or in a zoo?Fanny: In the zoo.Brian: Oh, OK.Fanny: And on TV. I just joking. I just saw some pandas by myself in the zoos, but I don't think they are the, you know, how do you say, because I think in the wild we can see the Pandas. We can see their activities more.Brian: Right.Fanny: How should I put that?Brian: It's more natural maybe.Fanny: Natural, yeah. It's very natural, but in the, you know, in the zoos the pandas are always sleeping. They're... or they're just eating something.Brian: Lazy animals.Fanny: No, the cannot do some, you know, outdoor activities.Brian: Right.Fanny: Poor pandas.Brian: It's a shame.Fanny: Yeah, it is.

更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号:VOA英语每日一听Fanny: Brian, my last question seems too serious.Brian: It was. It was a very academic kind of question.Fanny: Yeah.Brian: You're testing me,Fanny.Fanny: Sorry for that. I would also like to ask you some funny questions.Brian: OK, hit me.Fanny: Have you ever seen a polar bear?Brian: Have I seen a polar bear? Unfortunately, I have not.Fanny: No, really?Brian: I think you need to go really far to the north.Fanny: North. Yeah.Brian: Like, up around, like the North Pole maybe because I think the polar bears live like only on the ice, and this is like really far from any kind of like, you know, city or civilization, and I've never been up to like such a remote kind of place.Fanny: OK, I see.Brian: Unfortunately no polar bears. I've seen other bears, but no polar bears.Fanny: OK, me either.Brian: No polar bears in China?Fanny: I don't think so.Brian: No.Fanny: I don't think it's cold enough to have polar-bear there.Brian: How about Panda? I've heard there are some Pandas in China.Fanny: Yeah, I saw Panda for several times.Brian: In the wild or in a zoo?Fanny: In the zoo.Brian: Oh, OK.Fanny: And on TV. I just joking. I just saw some pandas by myself in the zoos, but I don't think they are the, you know, how do you say, because I think in the wild we can see the Pandas. We can see their activities more.Brian: Right.Fanny: How should I put that?Brian: It's more natural maybe.Fanny: Natural, yeah. It's very natural, but in the, you know, in the zoos the pandas are always sleeping. They're... or they're just eating something.Brian: Lazy animals.Fanny: No, the cannot do some, you know, outdoor activities.Brian: Right.Fanny: Poor pandas.Brian: It's a shame.Fanny: Yeah, it is.

Innovation. We love to talk about it, everyone wants it. Innovation is critical for people and organizations to grow. But we all mean different things when we say it. Today I have a conversation about how innovation is a conversation with Brian Ardinger. He's the director of Innovation at Nenet (which owns my student debt! Hi Nelnet!) and the host of InsideOutside.io, a community for innovators and entrepreneurs that produces a great podcast and a conference that brings together startup and enterprise organizations to talk innovation. There are three key conversations worth designing that we discuss and I want you to have your ears perked up for each as you listen to this episode. Each conversation can help you navigate the innovation process inside or outside your organization.  These three are the pre-conversation, the conversation about where to look for innovation and the conversation about patience. Brian specializes in a unique perspective on where to look for innovation. More on that in a moment. The Pre-Innovation Conversation Before you even start to talk about ideas or technology, it's essential to start with the end in mind. What kind of innovation is the company really looking for? Skip the pre-conversation and you have no idea of where you're heading. As Brian points out “without having that definition, then it's sometimes hard to know if you're playing the right game to begin with...the process itself of level setting... I don't think it takes a long time.” Brian and I didn't dive into tools to help with that conversation, so I put a few into the show notes. Mapping the innovation conversation can be done in lots of ways. One is thinking about evolutionary vs revolutionary change, another is about tangible vs intangible change, like rethinking policies or business models vs remaking product or space design.  I *just* did a webinar on this topic with my partner in the Innovation Leadership Accelerator, Jay Melone, hosted by the amazing people at Mural. Templates of the two innovation leadership frameworks we outlined are there in Mural for you to download and use, along with the webinar video to help you along. Also check out Mapping Innovation, by Greg Satell. You can download his playbook free in the show notes.  Where to look for innovation Brian's Inside/outside perspective is that innovation can be a conversation between the inside of a company and the outside world. Some innovation will happen internally, and some innovation can be brought from the outside in: the exchange and acquisition of ideas and technology from outside your organization is an important conversation for enterprise organizations to be having. When you're trying to innovate, it can be tempting to look in familiar places. If you're a financial technology firm, it can be tempting to look to fintech startups for what's next and to try to innovate through acquisition. But you'll also be looking were your competitors will be looking. Try an innovation approach based on Horizontal Evolution - look to the sides and edges of the landscape. Brian describes this approach as “playing a different ball game”.  The conversation about patience Innovation does not happen overnight. Real change takes time and that takes real patience. Brian also points out that organizations need to be having a bigger conversation, about what else needs to change to make real innovation flourish inside the organization. Hint: it's generally more than you bargained for.  As he says “Corporations are doing exactly what they should be doing...They figured out a business model that works and they're executing and optimizing that particular business model...And to radically change that, the people, the resources, the compensation, all of that stuff has to kind of morph or change to play in a different environment. And so I think that's where the challenge really begins.” Often people think innovation is about the idea, but it's a much, much longer conversation. That is, in fact, the first “Myth of Innovation” from Scott Berkun's excellent book: The Myth that innovation is about an epiphany, not hard work. It was a real treat to have a conversation with Brian about some of these key issues...I hope you enjoy the episode and happy innovating! Brian on the Web: https://insideoutside.io/ https://twitter.com/ardinger https://www.nxxt.co/ Innovation Leadership Models from the Mural Webinar https://blog.mural.co/innovation-leadership Mapping Innovation by Greg Satell https://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Innovation-Playbook-Navigating-Disruptive/dp/1259862259 Download the Playbook for Free: https://www.gregsatell.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Mapping-Innovation-Playbook.pdf Horizontal Evolution https://evolutionnews.org/2015/08/horizontal_gene/ An amazing summary from Scott Berkun about his solid book, Myths of Innovation: https://scottberkun.com/2013/ten-myths-of-innnovation/ A few more gems from Greg Satell on the Rules and questions central to innovation: https://medium.com/@digitaltonto/on-december-9th-1968-a-research-project-funded-by-the-us-department-of-defense-launched-a-ee063b7585f0 https://hbr.org/2013/02/before-you-innovate-ask-the-ri Transcription: Daniel: Welcome to the conversation factory. Brian, I'm glad we made the time to make this happen. Um, the reason I'm excited to talk to you is, is that not everybody is, is open or interested in the, the analogy that a company has to have a conversation with the outside world that they can't just, you know, put up some walls and just figure everything out inside those four walls that they have to go outside and have a dialogue with the world in lots of different ways. And the way you do that is, is through helping companies think about inside innovation versus outside innovation, which is my way of like teeing up the how you, how do you talk about what you do with people when you, when you meet people, like how do you contextualize what it is that you do? Brian: Well, I think a lot of things, uh, Daniel around this particular topic, it's this whole inside/ outside innovation. It's kind of come to us over the years of working first on the outside with startups and trying to understand how do they develop new ideas and, and build things. And then, uh, you know, as I was having conversations with startups and helping them navigate that, I kept having conversations with corporations and bigger companies saying, you know, how are you doing this? How are you taking these early stage companies and through an accelerator program and that, and, and kind of getting them traction in that faster than we can do in our own walls. And so that started to have conversations with the corporations and the people inside organizations and saying, hey, how can we interact with the outside world and, and think and move and act more like a startup or, uh, become a little bit more adaptive in how we do that. So I think it was an evolution of just having conversations and figuring out what's working, what's not working in this world of change and disruption that we're living in. Daniel: Yeah. So like there's two layers here, which I think are interesting to unpack. I've learned this new term, the idea of an accelerated work environment and this idea of like, let's speed up the conversation about innovation and let's not just put our feet up and look into space and hope a great idea comes to us. Like, let's structure it and let's do it faster. And so can you talk a little bit about like how you structure an accelerator? Like what does it mean to accelerate people through the innovation process from your approach? Brian: Yeah, so I think a lot of it, like when I go in and talk to bigger companies, first thing I like to do is kind of do a level set of what does innovation even mean to the people in the room. Uh, because innovation has become such a word that's, you know, so limp, so to speak. It can mean anything to anybody. Uh, and so kind of understanding that level set of what does innovation mean to the company? How do they define it? Um, is it transformational innovation where it's, you know, we've got to become the next Uber and disrupt our industry? Or is it a innovation from the standpoint of value creation where we're looking at ways to optimize and incrementally improve what we're building? And so from that perspective, you know, it's, once you have that level set, then you can start thinking about, well, how, what are the particular tactics that you can work through depending on what kind of objectives you want to have and, and what you're trying to accomplish. Brian: So I think that's the first place we start. And then how we do that. Um, again, I think a lot of is trying to help them understand that you've got to place a lot of bets on innovation and innovation is not, um, you know, it's by default working in the new, it's working in this area of gray and this area of uncertainty, Daniel: which means there's got to be failure, right? Like there's going to have to be failure. Brian: Yeah. So, yeah, this uncertainty by default, requires you to figure out and make assumptions and, work through this... Areas of the unknown. And that's very difficult for, a lot of folks to work through. You know, especially at companies and people who are used to having a plan or having an execution model that, that they just execute on. Corporations are doing exactly what they should be doing...They figured out a business model that works and they're executing and optimizing that particular business model… Brian: And to radically change that, the people, the resources, the compensation, all of that stuff has to kind of morph or change to play in a different environment. And so I think that's where the challenge really begins. Daniel: So...I'm comfortable with taking this seemingly simple question of like, we want to innovate more and turning it into this, really stretching it out into a much more complicated conversation. Like I'm wondering if people you deal with ever get frustrated with, (you): "well, Brian, you're just making this complicated. Like, we just want to innovate. Just teach us how to innovate. Let's get started." Versus like, let's talk about your strategic goals. Like I can see how some people might get a little impatient with the, with the bigger picture, with the strategic thinking approach. Brian: Sure. Yeah. And I think, and I think it doesn't have to take a long time on to go through that particular process, but I think if you don't start off on that common definition, then you run the risk later on. And you know, why are we doing this? Why is it not working? You know, we said that, uh, you know, we need to have x, Y, z outcome and these brand new bets that you're putting on the table are not getting us an outcome that we want. Um, but you know, without having that definition, then it's sometimes hard to know if you're playing the right game to begin with. So I think, so the, the process itself of level setting I don't think takes a long time to, to make that happen. And I think, but I do think in general, to change a culture or to move the company towards having that innovation mindset set or innovation as a competency to so to speak, does take a long time. Um, but you can do that through a variety of tactics and in ways that doesn't, um, change, change it all overnight. You know, it doesn't have to be something where, um, you know, you're basically creating something brand new and, and throwing out everything that you've done in the past and, and hoping that the new thing works. Uh, it's really a series of iterative bets that you kind of de-risked these new ideas as you're, as you're approaching them into the world and seeing what happens. Daniel: Yeah. Now, now here's the, the piece that I think that, that we were talking about that's interesting is that companies can innovate through outside acquisitions or through outside collaborations, like through working with startups. And maybe that makes it seem "like, wow, that's neat, there is an easier way to do this". we don't have to do it all ourselves. We can, we can turn outwards and see, uh, not just learn from other people, but actually like bring that outside innovation inside. Like, and that seems to me like, uh, a complicated process to navigate. Like how do you facilitate, how do you facilitate that conversation and make it smooth for people? Brian: Yeah. So I think, at least for a lot of folks, you know, the idea of looking outside is not become, it's not a novel concept anymore. You know, maybe five or six years ago it was like, oh, what's one of these things called startups out there? And you know, we're, we're seeing more and more hearing more and more about it. So it's, it's not a novel concept that, hey, the ability for two women in the garage or in a dorm room to spin up something and get some traction and create something of huge value in the world...that's, that's there and that's not going away. And that's speeding up. And so I think, uh, that, uh, first part of the conversation happening, having people understand that, people have the power and tools and capabilities and access to markets and cheap technology, et Cetera, to really disrupt things is there. Brian: So if we understand that, then what can we do to kind of help navigate that? And, and I think the first thing is just, you know, raise your hand and say, Hey, there are things going on outside. Let's, uh, let's take an inventory or a map on discover what's going on...and one of the, pitfalls I see a lot of companies jump into is let's look in our industry. You know, what's happening in our industry. And that's great, and that you should do that of course. But, um, that's also probably where 99% of your competitors are also playing in that same field. And so I find a lot of times it helps to look at adjacent industries or industries far and away, uh, different from your own to see what's going on, and look for clues or models or technologies or, or talent that may give you a different advantage, if you put those pieces together differently than playing, in the same ball game as your competitors are playing. So, you know, I, I see a lot of people going to these conferences and looking for startups in the fintech space and all you have are corporations in the Fintech area looking at Fintech startups where a lot of times I think, it's better to maybe go to a more of a horizontal conference and looking at AI or uh, you know, different types of data conferences and that would give you a different perspective on how those technologies could be used in your industry or in somebody else's, industry, for example. Daniel: Do you have a story like, cause it's funny as you're telling me the story, like I'm realizing this is, this is the classic innovators trick, right? Which is, yeah, it's, and it's a classic trick from nature, right? Which is, people don't realize that evolution isn't just, um, vertical where you adapt and survive. But there's horizontal transfer of, of genes in nature. Like literally the reason we have mitochondria is because we ate them, you know, a billion years ago. And all of the energy in our bodies is made by an alien organism that has its own DNA, which I find a very, it's always just like an extraordinary fact. Um, but you know, and I've been telling my clients this for a long time too. Like what do you, do you have, uh, a story to share of a surprising transfer of, of innovation from industry to industry in case there's any doubters in the world. Brian: Yeah, it's, let, I'm trying to think of one off the top of my head, but I know I've seen it on the reverse side. For example, we've seen, because I run a conference called inside, outside/innovation. And, one of the things we do is we, uh, go out and find startups in a variety of different markets, bring them to a showcase and then bring corporations around to kind of see what they're building and why and hopefully make some connections for that. And where I've seen it happen is a lot of times where, a startup will be working in a particular vertical market, early stage, uh, and they think they've got a solution in, you know, retail or whatever, and a corporation conversation will come around and they'll say, hey, I love your technology, but you're looking in the retail space. Did you know that you could apply this to insurance? Brian: And the light bulb will kind of go off in the entrepreneur's mind. It's like, oh, this is an opportunity for me to potentially go into a different market or get traction with an early customer that I didn't have before. And so I need to happen that way. Um, and I'm sure the reverse could happen as well where a corporation, uh, is, you know, looking at a variety of startups out there and say, hey, that startup's, not in our industry, but we could definitely apply that technology to what we're doing and leverage it in some way. Daniel: So that actually sparks, I mean, I definitely, I want to make sure we talk about the conference before we, before we leave, but in a way, like you said, this thing that was really interesting about startups, you know, they're, they're trying to, uh, you know, iterate and build their own, um, you know, their own growth engine. Right? Um, I would imagine that some of them are not necessarily open to this idea of like, well look, we're, we've got our roadmap and we're trying to build our own flywheel and move it, get that moving. This, they may not be open to this, this pivot or this expansion. Uh, there's like, oh, you know, well, we're just focusing on market X and like, do you want me to also like expand our, our code base so that we can also take advantage of, of why and collaborate with these guys. Like I how do you sort of, I know you've done a lot of work on building community through, through the conference. Like how do you find startups are expanding their perspectives to being open to this collaborative conversation versus like, nope, we're just doing our thing. Brian: Yeah. And I think a lot of it depends on where the startup is in their lifecycle. A lot of the folks that we bring in are probably seed stage and so they, they haven't figured out their business model. They haven't figured out the exact markets sometimes. Uh, and they're looking for that early traction. And you know, one of the reasons we hold this in the Midwest is because, you know, venture capital and the traditional ways of kind of scaling a business in Silicon Valley don't exist out here. And so you've got to find customers. You've got to find ways to, um, to, to get that early traction. And a lot of that means, you know, getting out and finding those early customers. And so having conversations with customers, uh, real people out there and trying to define what problems are out there in the marketplace and then create a solution, uh, to meet those problems and then meet the market where it's at, I think is more effective way a lot of times in the Midwest here or in places outside of your core tech hubs that don't have the, the against the, um, the advantage of getting a venture capital and being able to have a year or two young, two year runway to figure out, uh, how, where that market is. Brian: So I think, I think so part of that is that, um, I think when I'm talking to start ups, you know, I put my "accelerate" hat on and working as a person who is helping startups through that process, a lot of times I'll quite frankly tell them to stay away from corporates until they, until they figured out some of that stuff. Cause it's very easy to go down the rabbit hole of um, hey, if we just get this one big customer on our plate, we'll be good to go. But a lot of times you know that the timing of the two types of organizations don't match up and it can very, very easily kill start up really pretty quickly. Daniel: Yeah. And it can kill them in that what they're, they're focusing, they'd lose their focus or their, they spread themselves too thin. You know, so like what, what sort of, I think beautiful about what you do is that there's this symmetry in a way you have a community driven approach to innovation through the conference you do building community, but building community so that you have a group of startups who are interested in this type of thinking so that companies can have an innovation community. So they're not just going it alone, that they have a view to what's, what's open in the world for them. I mean, I guess my question is like, have you always been so community driven? Like how did you come to value community as an approach, as in a solution to, to these challenges that you're seeing? Brian: So, I mean, I guess I've always felt community is, is a way to accelerate your learning. Uh, and I think early stage ideas, no matter what they are, whether they're inside a startup or inside a corporation, the key to a lot of those taking place in actually taking hold is that the speed of learning. How fast can you, um, take your assumptions and navigate those and understand where you're on the right track or not, and, um, get to that next stage that you need to get to. So, um, community's always been away from me, uh, personally and otherwise to help accelerate those learnings, whether it's, you know, again, connecting somebody to somebody else who can, uh, an expert in a different field or, um, someone who can help me navigate to something else that I didn't know I needed. Um, and so I think it started from that perspective and it started because, uh, you know, quite frankly, when I started a lot of this stuff seven, eight years ago, uh, the, you know, entrepreneurship and startups were, were smaller, uh, both, you know, nationally as well as in our own backyard. Brian: And so part of it was like, well, if we're going to do this, we're going to, we can't do it all are ourselves. So how do we create a community that allows startups to raise their hand and first say, Hey, I want to be entrepreneurial. I want to try some things. I want to build something. In my backyard. Yeah. And then what do I need and what am I missing and how do I then can be that catalyst to help, um, folks figure that out. Uh, and so it was an evolution of just having conversations, going to different cities, uh, meeting different people, starting a podcast, you know, telling stories, um, you know, starting a new newsletter and then, uh, eventually a conference and everything else around it. Um, and then all the while, you know, consulting and helping companies kind of figure it out on both sides. Brian: And, um, it's been fun. It's been fun to see that journey and continue to figure out what the, what the next phase is as we build it out. Daniel: Yeah. Well, I mean, I guess I'd begs the question, what is, what's the next phase? Can you talk about it? Is it Secret? Brian: Yeah, no! Um, so yeah, so inside, outside innovation, you know, we started four years ago actually with the podcast and the original idea was it was called inside, outside, and it was an inside look at startups outside the valley with the idea that their stories, outside the tech hubs that need to be told and how can we help our entrepreneurs, uh, figure that stuff out. And so that's where it started. And again, it'll happen with further conversations as, as we built that particular audience and had conversations around those particular topics, we kept getting asked by innovators in bigger companies, you know, it's like, how are we doing this? Brian: How, how's this working? We want to be connected to startups. We want to understand this new way of innovating things like design thinking and lean startup in that work, uh, becoming methodologies and tactics that could apply to, you know, start ups outside of a big corporation or, or startups within a corporation that were trying to spin up new ideas. So through that we started the inside outside innovation podcast as the, as the way to have those conversations and talk about corporate innovation and how we're corporate matching with startups and how corporate venture play out differently and how we're internal innovation accelerators popping up all around. And what were the different tactics that folks were using through that. We've kind of created this weird community. It's almost like two communities, but the, the advantages by bringing them together, they both learned from each other. So that's kind of how, that's how it's kind of evolved. What's next? We're trying to figure out the third year of the insight off the innovation summit. Uh, we haven't got the dates and, and that solidify, but it's looking like we're probably going to do it sometime in the end of October. I'm in the process, I'm looking at writing a book around this concept of collaborative and innovation and this innovation as a competency. And then, um, we'll just continue with the podcast and the newsletter and keep growing our conversations with great people out there. Daniel: You know, Brian, it's really, it's, I mean it's, it's lovely to talk to you about this stuff because, you know, the, the ecological approach you have to this, to this processes, you know, it's, it's clearly organic. Like, like anything else, it's starting a conversation and then you've gotten feedback from the world and over time you've, you've built more than you've added to it. Like it's, it's a, it's just guy. It's a wave that is sort of, it has its ups and downs clearly. But you're just continuing to, to ride that wave, which was really awesome. Brian: What the, it comes back to, you know, my feeling is that obviously with the world changing in the, in the speed of change that's happening out there, everybody is going to have to take on some of the skillsets of, of the early innovator. You know, again, a startup entrepreneur or, um, or innovator are going to have to have kind of core capabilities or characteristics that allow you to adapt and be nimble and, and, uh, execute. Daniel: Unless you want a robot to do your job! Brian: Yeah. That's executing different ways that, that you didn't have or that were different in the way that you could execute in the past. So things like, you know, curiosity having a bias towards learning characteristics like having a, an a customer focus and this bias towards problem solving for that customer. You know, the, the skill of collaboration and you know, knowing that you can't build everything yourself. Brian: There's bias towards team, um, you know, some of the characteristics of just speed, you know, how can you have this bias towards action and experimentation. And then finally having kind of the reverse of that you are having patience and that bias towards that long term value creation. You know, I think those are some of the core concepts that make up, um, this new world that we're living in. And the more individuals, whether you're, you know, a traditional manager or a entrepreneurial founder, those are the skillsets that are going to take you to the next level in the world that we're living in. Daniel: It sounds like a good book already, Brian. I don't know. I like it. Brian: I'm still outlining. Daniel: It sounds like a pretty good proposal to me. Um, so listen, I, I, we're, we're up against our, our, our time together. Uh, is there anything I haven't asked you about that I should, that we should talk about? Any, any, any final thoughts? Brian: Yeah, I'm curious for, you've obviously been in the space of helping people have conversations and that I'm always curious to understand what have you learned from helping companies and people kind of navigate a, this world of change, uh, and in this world of innovation, what are some of the things that are obstacles or things that stand out that, uh, I could take back to my audience as well? Well, Daniel: I mean, do you have a hard stop in the next three minutes because, no, go ahead. We can go over a little bit. Well, I mean, for me, what really resonated in what you were talking about is the necessity for patients. And I think this is one thing that's really, really hard, um, for people because we want to go fast and we want to have results. Um, but we also need to slow things down. So one of the things that like I'm becoming more aware of in my own work is psychological safety, which people, you know, Google identified as like the main characteristic of effective teams. The ability, the willingness, the openness to saying what's happening, to be able to speak your mind, to say what's right or to say what's wrong. And that, I don't know, that stuff doesn't really come for free. Uh, it's a really, you have to cultivate that environment. Daniel: And so for me, you know, my angle and entry point is always that somebody, somebody has to design that conversation. Um, if a group of, you know, if a group of people is gonna talk about what we're going to do next and how to innovate, we can either contribute content or we can contribute process. Um, if the, to me, the most important and precious conversation is when a group of people is coming together, the fact that you're willing to, that you have a framework, I'm guessing, to stretch out the conversation about what's our innovation roadmap and where are we placing our bets allows people to say like, okay, what's my holistic view of this? It creates, it creates safety, right? It creates a moment where, where we can have the conversation about innovation, we can have the conversation about how we're gonna brainstorm. Daniel: We can have the conversation about how we're going to, uh, evaluate ideas and how we know if they're good or not. Um, and so for me, I think, um, I feel like I'm ranting now, but I was at a problem framing workshop, uh, with my, my friend Jay Malone, who has a company called new haircut. They do a lot of design sprint training and he was teaching a problem framing workshop. And at the end of the workshop, he presented, uh, you know, on one hand, a very straightforward, like, here, this is what problem framing is in the essence. Like, uh, who has the problem, uh, why does it matter? Um, when does it happen? Uh, like, you know, think about like, where to play and how to win. And this one woman said like, well, yeah, what about, uh, uh, how do we know when it's been solved? You know, how do we know if it's working? And this is, I think one of the biggest challenges with, with companies is we don't know like what good looks like. We don't know when to start. We don't know how to stop working and grinding it out. Um, well, and the metrics Brian: are so different from existing business model versus a new business model that you don't even know who the customers are and the value proposition you're creating at the beginning. Daniel: Yeah. So I mean, for me, like I find the, one of the biggest challenges of innovation is that people bring me in to say like, okay, let's help this team coach through this process. Meanwhile, they've already got a job that takes 100% of their time. Um, and they look at me and they're like, this guy has just given us extra work to do. You know, the workshop that I come in is taking them away from their quote unquote real job. The, the work that I asked them to do to go out and do the interviews and to, to get customer contact looks like it's taking away time for them. And so this idea that that innovation's like something you can buy or pay someone else to do. To me, I want people to be earning their own innovation. But the problem is that most people are at 110% capacity. Daniel: And You bring in somebody like me who says, okay, let's do some design thinking stuff. Let's do a, you know, even if it's a week long sprint, which doesn't give you everything you need, you know, if it's a six week process, it's people are like, Oh man, that was great, but oh, that was hard and I never want to do that again. It's like, it's really, really challenging to get people to find time to innovate. And that's frustrating to me. Brian: Absolutely. Daniel: As a person who just really wants people to get their hands dirty with it so that they value it and, and participated in it. So, I don't know. I don't know what the balance is there. That's... I don't know. I don't know if that's a question with an answer, but Brian: I don't know if there's a clear answer for that one. No, no. Daniel: that, oh, so, yeah, I mean that, that's, that's, that's my perspective. I don't know if that, if that's helpful to you at all, but that's, that's… Brian: Very much so, very much so. Daniel: Is there, is there anything else we should I this, this is definitely the shortest episode. You know, I'm, I'm sort of enjoying or slash you know, floundering in the, in the 30 minute time zone. So I just want to make sure that we've covered everything that you want to cover … Brian: No, it's been great, thanks for having me on the show and the opportunity to talk about insideoutside.io and everything we're doing. Daniel: Yeah. So like that's the, that's the final question. Like where, uh, where can people find all things insideoutside and Brian Ardinger on the Internet. Brian: Yeah. Thanks Daniel. Yeah. So, uh, obviously you can go to the website insideoutside.io that has our podcast, our newsletters sign up for that. Um, and obviously I'm very, um, out there on Twitter and Linkedin in that happy to have conversations. So reach out and say hi. Daniel: Well we will do that. Um, Brian, I really appreciate you taking the time. It's really, it's always interesting to have some patience and just slow down and have some of these conversations about this stuff, that's I think really, really important. Like you said, the future is unwritten and uncertain and all of us need to have skills of adaptability, the inside and I think both sides of the ecosystem that you're a co-creating - the innovator, the startups need to learn from big companies how to scale and big companies need to learn from startups, how to be more nimble. So I think it's really a really important dialogue that you're facilitating. It's really cool. Brian: Thanks for having me on the show!

My guest today is Gadi Oren, the VP of Product for LogicMonitor. Gadi is responsible for the company’s strategic vision and product initiatives. Previously, Gadi was the CEO and Co-Founder of ITculate, where he was responsible for developing world-class technology and product that created contextual monitoring by discovering and leveraging application topology. Gadi previously served as the CTO and Co-founder of Cloudscope and he has a management degree from Sloan MIT. Today we are going to talk with Gadi about analytics in the context of monitoring applications. This was a fun chat as Gadi and I have both worked on several applications in this space, and it was great to hear how Gadi is habitually integrating customers into his product development process. You’re also going to hear Gadi’s interesting way of framing declarative analytics as casting “opinions,” which I thought was really interesting from a UX standpoint. We also discussed: How to define what is “normal” for an environment being monitored and when to be concerned about variations. Gadi’s KPI for his team regarding customer interaction and why it is important. What kind of data is needed for effective prototypes How to approach design/prototyping for new vs. existing products Mistakes that product owners make falling in love with early prototypes Interpreting common customer signals that may identify a latent problem needing to be solved in the application Resources and Links: LogicMonitor Twitter: @gadioren LinkedIn: Gadi Oren Quotes from Today’s Episode “The barrier of replacing software goes down. Bad software will go out and better software will come in. If it’s easier to use, you will actually win in the marketplace because of that. It’s not a secondary aspect.” – Gadi Oren “…ultimately, [not talking to customers] is going to take you away from understanding what’s going on and you’ll be operating on interpolating from information you know instead of listening to the customer.” – Gadi Oren “Providing the data or the evidence for the conclusion is a way not to black box everything. You’re providing the human with the relevant analysis and evidence that went into the conclusion and hope if that was modeled on their behavior, then you’re modeling the system around what they would have done. You’re basically just replacing human work with computer work.” — Brian O’Neill “What I found in my career and experience with clients is that sometimes if they can’t get it perfect, they’re worried about doing anything at all. I like this idea of [software analytics] casting an opinion.” — Brian O’Neill “LogicMonitor’s mission is to provide a monitoring solution that just works, that’s simple enough to just go in, install it quickly, and get coverage on everything you need so that you as a company can focus on what you really care about, which is your business.” — Gadi Oren Episode Transcript Brian: Alright, welcome back to Experiencing Data. I’m excited to have Gadi Oren on the line from LogicMonitor. How is it going Gadi? Gadi: It’s going great. Thank you for having me. Brian: Yeah. I’m happy to have you on the show to talk about not just monitoring, but you’ve done a lot of work on SaaS, analytics products in the monitoring space, software for IT departments in particular. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what you’re doing at LogicMonitor these days? Gadi: Too many years in different industries, I actually spent multiple industries starting from medical imaging. Let’s say in the recent 18 years mostly, some sort of monitoring solutions. I dabbled also a little bit with marketing data analytics. That was not a successful company but I might draw some examples from there. Right now, I’ve recently joined LogicMonitor for an acquisition. I was the founder and CEO of a company called ITculate here in Boston. That company was acquired in April by LogicMonitor and I’m now the VP of Product Management. What LogicMonitor is doing is solving a fairly old problem that still remains, which is monitoring is really difficult. Many companies, as they go, they reach the point where they realize how important it is for them to monitor what’s going on in order to be successful. Then they realize that it’s such a complex domain that they need to develop expertise. It’s just all around difficult. LogicMonitor’s mission is to provide a monitoring solution that just works, that’s simple enough to just go in, install it quickly, and get coverage on everything you need, so that you as a company can focus on what you really care about, which is your business. Brian: Obviously that’s a hard problem to solve and I’m curious for people that are listening to the show. I imagine a lot what this product is doing is looking for exceptions, looking for things that are out of bounds from what some assemblance of normal is, and then providing that insight back to the customer. Is that a fair evaluation? Gadi: It’s a fair evaluation. There is obviously the question of what is normal, but in general, providing that there’s many ways to define what normal is, then the answer is yes. It’s the ability to give you visibility into what’s going on, first of all, to just see that things work in general and work okay, and then when something goes out of what you define normal, to notify you on that and help you with getting things better. Brian: From your experience in this space, since in a lot of companies that are doing analytics, it may be difficult to define the boundaries of what normal is, such that you could do something like, “Oh, we’ve detected an abnormal trend in sales.” I can’t think of something off the top of my head but I like the idea that the focus of the product is on declaring a conclusion or driving an insight that’s probably derived from analytics that are happening in the background. I would put that in the camp of declarative analytics as opposed to exploratory where it’s like, “Here’s all these data. Now you go and find out some interesting signal in it.” Most customers and users don’t want the latter, they want the tool to go do that job. Do you have any suggestions for how companies that maybe aren’t quite in a domain where it’s black and white, like a binary thing, like this core is either connected or not—if it’s not connected, that’s bad and if it is, it’s good—is there a way, a kind of approach putting guard rails on things or what normalcy is? Do you follow what I’m saying? How do you move into that declarative space? Gadi: The answer is obviously, it depends. The problem is so difficult that you are even having a hard time defining the question. It is very, very difficult. By the way, you called it declarative, I like that. I actually call it in a different way that usually creates a lively discussion. I call it opinionated. Opinionated system. The reason is there’s some evolution, especially with regards to monitoring. But I think it’s the same for other type of systems that are analytic-based. Ten, fifteen years ago, it was so difficult to just gather all the data, that being non-opinionated or nondeclarative for your definition, was pretty good, because people just needed the data and they bought the context themselves. But there’s been a lot of changes since that time. First is the availability of computing. But the other is also the need is much greater now for giving the opinion, giving the bottom line. The system needs to be opinionated and then it can be a variety of things. It’s really multiple types of algorithms that can be used here. A small set of that is what people define today as machine learning and AI. But actually the domain is much larger than just AI. It’s the ability to look at multiple signals and develop in a certain degree of confidence, a conclusion that is derived from those multiple signals. To put it in the most generic way that I can, some of them can be discreet or binary, and some of them can be continuous. How do you look at all that stuff and say, “I think that this is what’s going on”? And even more than that, here is what we think is going on, here’s what you can do about it, or here are a few options for you to act on it. That is the ideal solution that we would like to have. Obviously, we have very, very little of that right now. I think it’s a journey that will take us years to get. Brian: I love that idea of opinionated because I think it softens the expectation around the technology and it also reminds people that it’s never different than when your plumber comes to house and you’re like, “Well, the shower hot water isn’t quite as hot as the sink water.” Maybe he tighten some things, he turns on some faucets, and he gives you an opinion about what might be wrong without actually tearing apart the whole system. We would tend to trust that. He might say, “Well, what I really need to do is X.” Then you make a decision whether you want to pay for that or not. But it’s not like, “If you can’t give me a 100% decision, then I’m unsatisfied.” We accept that opinion. What I found in my career and experience with clients is that sometimes if they can’t get it perfect, they’re worried about doing anything at all. I like this idea of casting an opinion. On that thought then, especially for example, you’re putting a data model in place or something like this is which is going to learn from the information, there may be insights gleaned from some type of computer-based analysis which may be unseen or unexpected by the business. That could be positive or negative. But there also might be some context of what normal or expected is from the end-users. For example, I expect the range to be between 32 and 41 most of the time. I know sometimes it goes up and I have this feeling about X, Y and Z. They have something in their head, you go and do all these technology and it says, “Well, the normal range should be 14 and so we flag the 16 here,” and he’s like, “I don’t care about that. It’s not high enough for me to care.” How do you balance that sense that maybe an end-user has, like, “I track sales,” or, “I’m doing forecasting,” and they have all these experience in their head? Gadi: A couple of things. It depends a little bit about the domain. In some situations where the end result is what’s really important, you can use black box-y type of things like newer networks or things like that, not always but most cases, they tend to be more like black box. It’s like, “Here’s the result. I can tell you why that happen. It’s based on all these training I did before.” In some situations, the result cannot be a black box. It needs to be explained. In those situations, you really need to give people an explanation on why things happen like they are. Monitoring, in many cases, tends to be the latter which is, I want to see the signal and the signal core strength on what was the shape and I want to see how it looked yesterday. If it looks the same, maybe it’s okay. In certain situations, maybe if you have a database and it has a latency of half millisecond which is very small, and then this morning it moved to one millisecond, is that normal? It’s not normal but I don’t care about it because before it gets to five milliseconds, I don’t need to know about it. In those situations, I don’t know if that’s what you refer to by cobwebs or things like that. While the system is learning and can automatically detect what’s abnormal, there is a range to what I care about. I’m going to put a threshold and say, “Only if you cause five millisecond and this is not normal behavior, then I want to see an alert.” Normal could be defined like the signal is two sigmas away from the same day last week. Something like that. There is a different level of approaches, both in terms of how consistent the data processing is and in what type of knobs you should provide to the user in order for the user to develop the right confidence level to use that solution. Brian: I would agree with that. I think there’s a balance there. Actually when we talk about our screening call, you made a comment. It was a good quote. It was something like, “The cutting edge UI is English,” if I recall. Gadi: Or any other language, yes. Brian: Exactly, whatever your interface is. But I would agree with that sentiment that I think the customers and from user experience standpoint, deriving that conclusion first or opinion as you said, then backing out from there, and providing the data or the evidence for the conclusion is a way not to black box everything. You’re providing the human with the relevant analysis and evidence that went into the conclusion and hope if that was modeled on their behavior, then you’re modeling the system around what they would have done. You’re basically just replacing human work with computer work. What I found over time was, some of these systems, with just watching customers, is they’re very curious about the beginning and if you can build that trust, they start to understand how to trust your opinions. They tend to not hold you responsible as much if an opinion is wrong because they know what went into the math and to the analytics and also what didn’t go into it, steps that they can fill the holes in themselves. Of course, this means you have to know your customer, you need to have some kind of interaction with them. Can you tell me about some of your customer interactions? You’d mention one of your KPIs for your team. Tell us about one of your KPIs for your team. Gadi: Over the years, obviously, you develop professionally and you change the way you approach to do what you do. I’ve been doing different ways of product management. I was a CTO at some point. But my basic attitude is doing product management and building the product from that understanding of what it is we want to build. What I’ve realized over the years is that there is a couple of really important points. One is the more you talk to customers, the more you understand the problem you’re trying to work on. A couple of years into working on a certain problem, you get to a point where you’re so familiar with it that you can pretty much, without talking to customers, generate a lot of really good product for some time. The problem is that this might diverge at some point or you’re going to miss something important. I think that talking to customers all the time is what grounds you to what’s going on. I’ve made my team of about 10 people. We are monitoring how many times they have interaction with customers. I’m going to chart it monthly. I started recently as one of the KPIs and I’m going to just check if certain part of the team is talking less to customers, then why is that okay or not. And then if you have a spike, some of these stopped talking to customers, then we’re going to have a discussion on why that happened because I think ultimately, it’s going to take you away from understanding what’s going on and you’ll be operating on interpolating from information you know instead of listening to the customer. Brian: Is it safe to say your team is comprised of primarily other product managers on certain portions of the product and then see up some design user experience reporting to you? Gadi: Yes. I have, let’s say, about 10 people. We’re hiring now all the time. The company’s growing very quickly. Let’s say around 10 people. Most of them are product managers and some are design people. We also have a variety of previous experience in the team, which is really something I liked. Some of them are from the industry and they have built-in knowledge. Some were in engineering before, which I think has also an interesting experience. One or two came from being sales engineers or sales, which has a different aspect of benefit to it. I don’t think I have someone that was a customer before, and if you can have that, that’s really advantageous. I might be able to do that at some point. Brian: I think that’s great. Do you involve your engineers or your technical people, data scientists, whatever with any of these interviews that you do and your customer outreach? Gadi: As much a possible, we will look at the multiple sides and a lot of engineers I work with right now are located in China. In terms of language, we might have sometimes barriers, but absolutely when possible, I know that when I transitioned from engineering to product management, the exposure to customers was very educational for me. Whenever I am able to expose people to customers, I take that opportunity. Brian: You have an interesting position. Maybe this is super common, I don’t know, but you’ve started out in a technical capacity, you have an engineering background, you were CTO, and now you’re in product. I’m curious. As someone that’s looking at holistic product both a business and also some kind of experience you need to do, you need to facilitate in order to have a relevant business. Are there biases that you need to keep in check from your technical background where the engineer in you says, “I want to do X,” and you’re like, “No, no, no”? What are some of those things to watch out for to make sure that you’re focused on that customer experience and not how it’s implemented? Gadi: The question of biases is a wide one. It’s not just about engineering. It’s bias in general. At some point, you obviously get excited about what you’re building and you see all the possibilities. “We can do something a little here, we could solve that problem or this problem,” and then you start developing a preference. It’s very natural. When you realize that this is the case, sometimes you try to just not have a bias, but you can’t. Everybody has one. The problem is, how do you make sure that this bias does not impact when you talk to a customer? It’s very easy to have a customer tell you what you want to hear. Probably the easiest person to deceive is you if you don’t pay attention. This is one of those things. With regards to engineering bias, it’s not very different than any other type of bias. Engineers and makers just really care about working on interesting things and new technologies. Sometimes, there’s a problem and I think the more advanced engineers start to think about, “How would I generalize that problem?” It might be a runaway process where they want to build more than required and that more may or may not be pointing at the right direction. That’s another type of bias. Again, definitely something to watch for. Brian: I want to move on to some other topics only because I can totally spend an hour talking about how important it is to do customer research. I love that you’re doing that and I think the theme here is you’ve actually turned that into a KPI for your particular reports and the product management division at your company, which says that it’s important to develop that habit. I would totally champion that. Gadi: It’s not that I would like it to be. I can tell you I would love it to be. Since you’re opening this, I’ll tell you what could be ideal. But it’s a lot to ask for so I’m not implementing that right now. I do check that people interact with customers and they have written down notes. Written down notes should not only be two lines. It should be telling something. Ideally, somebody can transcribe what the meeting was, but that’s almost impossible. I try but it’s very difficult. What I would have loved to do that we don’t do right now because it’s a lot to ask for, I’d love to have people repeat in their heads and in the notes the meeting and try and extract problem statements. In the past I’ve implemented that in some situations and it was successful. But you have to do it in a continuous fashion over a long time and then you see those problem statements. How many references do you have to every problem statement? It’s really giving you a good visibility into what’s going on. Now, asking that is difficult but clear notes is a good start. Brian: Just to tack onto that, it can be very hard to listen attentively and to draft notes. When I’m facilitating research sessions with a client, is you’ll have one person facilitating and one person taking notes, and then you debrief at the end. Sometimes, it does mean it’s a two-on-one instead of a one-on-one. It doesn’t need to be perfect. You can get better at this over time. That’s one way to get a little bit of a higher quality data. You can also just use something like an audio recorder on your phone instead of handwriting the notes. When that meeting’s over, you grab a phone booth or type room and just talk into a phone. Then you can just have the audio converted to text very simply and quickly with a machine. That way, you’ve got a nice dump of what the conclusions were from the sessions. Traditionally in the usability field and the human factors field, they came out of science background, so they would write these very long reports. Typically, what happens is, guess what, nobody reads the reports. So, you have to watch out for that. We’re doing all the stuff but we’re not taking any action on the information there. I like to highlight real concept, however you go about doing that, but that’s great. Can you talk to me a little bit about engagement with these data products? This is probably a little bit truer in companies that are deploying internal analytics, like non-digital native companies, non-product companies, but they’re having trouble with engagement. Customers aren’t using the services. Do you have any broad ideas on how we can increase engagement from your perspective? How do you make the tools more useful, more usable? What do you have to say about that? Gadi: How do you make the tools more useful? I think it’s a somewhat related question to how do you make your products successful to begin with? I’m going to talk about the new concept other than incremental. If you learn something incremental, I’m assuming you have enough data to place your bets successfully. If you learn a fairly new concept, what I would usually recommend is don’t code it. Try new simulations, Exceling, and modeling, whatever it is that you can to build it without building it. Prototype it and then have a few lead users. Those are users that are excited about this domain and they really care about solving that specific issue enough to work with you effectively. You need two, three, or four of those and you just start working with them. As much as possible, use their data. In the data domain, when we’re doing analytics-related product, part of the user experience in the entire cycle. It’s not just, “Oh, the user interface is the biggest expense.” No. It’s how the data is getting into the system, how is it being acquired, how is it being processed, and how is it being used on the other side when it’s producing meaningful insights. You can test a lot of that cycle without a product or with a very light sort of a product, prototype of the product. I recommend that as much as possible. If you’re going the right way, you will know very quickly and if you’re going the wrong way, also you will know quickly and you can either course-correct or eliminate completely the project and save a lot of time and money. That’s usually something that works really well for a new concept. Now, for incremental, it’s slightly different. Usually, you can use a similar type of approach but you can code something that’s kind of a prototype into your product, show capability, and then usually, you would have a lot more customers that are willing to work with you because it’s a small increment. You can validate early. I guess that’s the bottom line here. Experiment, iterate, validate early. Brian: How is it necessary to code? I don’t mean to use the word code, we’re talking about Excel or whatever it may be. It is necessary to get even into that level of technical implementation in order to do a prototype? I love the idea of working with customer data because that removes some of the classic example I’ve experienced like financial products where I was working on a trading system portfolio management. You’d have a bunch of stock positions in a table and you’re trying to test the design of the table. You have funny prices for, “Why is Apple stock trading at $12? Oh my God, what is going on?” That has nothing to do with the study but you’ve now taken the user out of the— Gadi: You will not get a meaningful […]. Brian: I love that but do you need to necessarily get into modeling and all this kind of stuff if, for example, the goal is to see, would that downstream user take action or not, based on what they’re seeing in the tool if you’re using a paper prototype or something like that? What would you do if it says it’s predicted to between 41 and 44, what would you do next? And you happen to know that that’s a sensitive range. Do you even need to have actual Excel or math happening behind the scenes? Gadi: I can see where this question is coming from. Nine-tenths is just putting a […] and mock-up might really give people a good feeling about where you’re going with this. But I do think that in many cases, not working with real data and even customer data—customer data is not a must—is not going to give you the right answer. I’ll explain when this can happen. There is the case that you mentioned, which I wasn’t even about to mention it, but it’s too late, is the data that you see doesn’t make sense, you’re emotionally detached. You’re not getting good responses from this person. Now, assuming the data is good and if it’s yours, you’ll even connect it much better to what you see. But certain type of problems, you cannot understand, you cannot get a meaningful answer if the data is not real. I’ll give an example. Right now, we’re facing a very specific situation where LogicMonitor is actually now in the process of redoing the UI and fixing usability. I’m told that this is the fourth time we’re doing it and there is a very specific problem of how to do search. We’ve been going back and forth on how does the search results should really show up because the search results are coming back in multiple levels. There’s data with dependency. Results are coming from multiple levels of dependency and need to show up on the same screen in a way that the user can use it. We’ve got to the conclusion that the problem is hard enough to answer and we need to prototype maybe one, or even two or three types of result presentation and just show it to customers. Obviously, we want to code as minimum as possible to do that, that this is something we’re going to do. We usually do it with just wireframes but in that specific situation, we are not only needing real data but we’re actually coding something very minimal, three times, to get the right answer. Brian: I think the theme here is, whether it’s code or whatever material you’re using, there’s a theme of prototyping. I would add that in the spirit of a minimum viable product or what I would call a minimum valuable product—I like that better—is figuring out what is the minimum amount of design, which could include some technical implementation like a prototype, what’s the minimum amount that you need to put out in front of a customer to learn something? To figure it out if it’s on the right track? That’s really what it’s about. In your case, maybe it does take actually building a light prototype, maybe you don’t actually query 30 data sources, and you just have one database with a bunch of seed data in it. You control the test, but at least it simulates the experience of pulling data from many places or something like that, then you can tweak the UI as you evaluate. Gadi: I think it’s a bit of going specific. I think that, again, in many cases you can do wireframes and you’d be fine. But remember, if you’re trying to test a complete flow, you’re testing a flow which may include 10–15 steps of the user for the user interface, and if you can do that with just wireframes where every step that they did produces result to makes sense, and you don’t have to model it at the background, then that’s fine. It’s probably better. But when we are talking about 10–15 steps, sometimes, the amount of effort that goes into the wireframe is big enough to consider a very light background Excel implementation. When it becomes comparable, if doing wireframe is 80% of doing a very light implementation where the background is Excel, or even 70%, then I’ll say, “Hey, let’s do a little bit more of an effort,” and then our ability to test opens up to a lot of other possibilities that are not rigid within that wireframe. So, something to think about. Brian: I would agree if you can get a higher fidelity prototype like that, with the same amount of effort. Absolutely, you’re going to uncover probably exceptions. You’re going to uncover information and an evaluation with a customer that you didn’t probably asked about. There’s so much stuff going on and there’s so much more information to be gleaned from that. The main thing is not falling in love with it too early and not overinvesting in it, such that you’re not willing to really make any change to it going forward. I find that’s the challenge with especially with data products. I’m sure you’ve experienced, there’s a tremendous amount of investment, sometimes, just to get to the point where there’s a search box and there’s data coming back. At the point, you can fool yourself and say, “Oh, we’re doing design iterations,” but in reality, no one really wants to go back and change the plumbing at that point because it’s so hard just to get to that first thing. I think the goal is to not build too much and be aware of that bias to not want to go back and rework what maybe a difficult, “Oh, it’s just a search box.” It’s like, “Yes.” But if no one can get from A to B, then the entire value of the product is moot and it sounds like, “Oh, it’s just a search box.” There’s a lot of stuff going on with getting them from A to B in the right way in that particular case. Gadi: I totally agree. I’ve seen a lot of managers do that mistake. I bet that I did that mistake once or twice in my career. “This is awesome. It looks great. Package it and let’s ship it.” That is a big mistake because then people are telling you, “No, no, no. This is just a proof of concept.” Managers sometimes cannot understand the difference, so it’s a communication problem, it’s setting expectations, and you’re right. Sometimes, the way to avoid it is just not getting to the […] at all and I agree if you can. Brian: Traditionally, from my work and the domain that you’re in, the traditional enterprise tools is that quite frankly, they can suck. The tolerances for quality was quite low, and I think that’s been changing. It’s a slow growth that the expectation that these tools can be hard to use, they’re supposed to be really complicated, and they’re for the very technical user, that’s changing. The customer and end-user is more aware of design. I’m curious. Do you find that that expectation is going up? And do you find that new technology is making it easier to provide a better experience? Or is that being negated by the fact that, in your particular domain, you’ve got cloud and on-premise? I can see the challenge is going up. Just as well as some of the tools might get better, the challenge might get harder, too. Is it net out? No change? What are your thoughts? Gadi: No. It’s not the opposite vectors that are actually pointing to the same direction, I think. What you’re saying is, I believe, no longer the case. I don’t know. Maybe in some old banks somewhere in Europe where they’re old-fashioned. I still heard that some banks in Germany are based on paper, no computers. That’s why I made this comment. But in my mind, this is long gone. It’s multiple trends of really pointing to the same direction. First of all, people are educated by Apple that you can in fact have a product that’s pleasant to use. Some young people in their 20s and 30s, most of what they’ve seen is really a lot better that what you and I have seen, being slightly older than that. Expectation is to have good products. They’ve seen that hardware and software and combination of those things can be done well. That’s one. The second is that the technology is evolving, especially in my space, there’s been virtualization, then there’s cloud, then there’s containerization, and so many big waves that are changing everything, that you constantly have to refresh your software and the ability. The users inside the enterprises are now replacing stuff much faster. They’re replacing the infrastructure much faster, and then with that, they replace software and adopted much faster. The barrier of replacing software goes down. Bad software will go out and better software will come in. If it’s easier to use, you will actually win in the marketplace because of that. It’s not a secondary. It’s one of the things people care about. They don’t care about the user experience specifically. They care about being able to complete their tasks. They don’t care how that happen. If it was easier to achieve what they need and it left them with a good feeling, it’s a better tool. That derives better usability. Everything is pointing to the same direction because you have to refresh as a vendor. You have to create software faster to adjust to the new waves of technology that’s coming in because that’s part of being competitive. While you’re at it, you have to take care of creating really strong usability because then you will have another advantage in the marketplace. I think those trends are only enforcing the same direction. You have to have great usability. By the way, usability is not limited to user interface. It’s everything. User interface is just a part of it. Brian: I didn’t want to bias my question to you, but I would wholeheartedly agree that the tolerance levels for really difficult software or software that doesn’t really provide the value clearly or quickly, the tolerances for that have gone down quite a bit and I think you’re totally spot on that consumer products have created an expectation that it doesn’t need to be that complicated. A lot of times, there’s a service to language like, “Oh, it’s ugly,” or customers will comment sometimes on the paint and the surface interface because they don’t necessarily have the language to explain why. It actually may be a utility problem or just a value problem. I think the importance here is, as you said, usability is important, but it’s not just about that. Ultimately, it’s about whether value is created. So, if you write a decision support tool, like a declarative decision support tool in your case, it’s probably often about minimal time spent using the tool, maximum signal when I do have to use the tool, and the best case scenario is probably never needing to go into the tool to begin with. That’s actually the highest business value. You can focus all day on UI, maybe it’s a one-sentence text message is really the only interface that’s required and you might deliver a ton of value with just that. Gadi: To add on what you have said, I totally agree. I actually see in the marketplace LogicMonitor is winning deals that are based on ultimately better usability. I can give you an example. A lot of customers that we see, companies are growing and they start monitoring using a few open source tools—there are so many of them—and when you’re small, like, “This is awesome. I’m going to use this open source tool and I have the problem solved.” The company grows and at some point, the open source tool, you realize that you spent so much time maintaining it and so much time on making sure that the tool keeps on working when you add another resource to the network, I think the old expression was, ‘Tool Time versus Value Time,’ or something like that. Brian: Tool Time versus Goal Time. Gadi: Goal Time, exactly. This is much bigger than user interface. This is about the whole experience, which means that in those open source tools, you need to have a team of five people that are chasing all the changes that happen in the organization and you’re never there. You never actually up-to-date with what’s going on. From a very high-level perspective, this thing just doesn’t work. It doesn’t work because of usability. So, we come in and as I’ve stated what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to do something that just works, what’s well and quickly, and you’re able to deploy quickly, automatically discover the changes, and follows what’s going on. People are amazed by that and it’s part of the rationale, depending on the problems that they have. But in many cases, it’s part of what makes them buy our product. At the same time, part of our product had older user interface. I think that the comment that you said before, where you said, “Oh, it’s an ugly UI,” or something, I think there are situations where products that are a bit older might have pieces of user interface that are not as great, but their overall experience is so good that it carries the product forward. I think in organizations that have a choice, they might actually opt for a product that, on a first glance, might look not as great from a UI perspective but overall their experience is good. I’m not saying that this is the situation with LogicMonitor because we actually have pretty good UI as well, but I think that our UI reached a point where it needs to be improved and that’s what we’re doing now. Brian: May I ask a question on that just as we get towards the end here. If you’re able to share, what are the outcomes that you want to get from the new UI? There’s some business or customer impact you’re probably looking for, right? A business justification. Gadi: There is. It’s fairly complicated because it’s also a very expensive process. There are very qualitative things that you start hearing like, “Oh, your user interface looks old,” or people tell you things like, “Your customer X is much easier to do a certain task.” I like that better because it’s a lot more specific and they can explain why and all that. But in many cases, you just get like, “Oh, this other company has a new UI and it’s so much more pretty and cool.” That’s very hard to measure and very hard to act on. We have some of that but more specifically, I think, LogicMonitor’s also moving from the mid markets to more and more enterprise. As that happens, certain things that used to be okay are no longer okay. The amount of data that we’re dealing with on the screen, how we process and present it, when you have a couple of hundreds of items, you can think about a tree or a table. When you have hundreds of thousands, then the entire thinking process is different and you need a complete different method. Doesn’t mean all those changes like trends we’re moving upmarket in terms of size, we expect a lot more data in the user interface. People are telling us that the UI looks a little bit old. We want to refresh also the technology. We can do other things. If you’re doing things that are mostly server-based, then UI tends to be more static. It doesn’t have to be that way but it’s an engineering challenge. But if you’re moving to the more new frameworks like React, Redux or things like that, you can do a lot more dynamic. Every component can take care of itself, its data, its model, and update asynchronously. It opens up the product to do things that are a lot more responsive, like a one-page application, for example. A large part of the light business logic is actually done on the client side rather than on the server side, so it makes a much better user experience. All those multiple causes, multiple trends that lead us to the conclusion that we need to refresh. Brian: Was there a particular business outcome, though? For example, are you having some attrition and you’re looking to stop that? Or do you think this is the way to start facilitating sales, to close more easily with a better UI or anything like that? Or is it mostly qualitative? Gadi: No. Obviously, we try and quantitatively justify stuff, so we look at all the requests from the last two years and how many of them are related to UI and certain things in the UI that are very hard to do today. Yes, we do think that this will encourage sales for certain reasons that we will improve in the UI. I think that over the years, because there are so many people changing things in the product, I think that some of the consistency have dissolved along the way. In most cases, you do things the same way but in other cases, you do it a little bit differently. That is both in concept and the UI. That’s confusing for new users. Old users don’t care. They’ve got used to it but I think there’s some issues of consistency. Back to your question, we do expect that to increase sales. We expect that to increase customer satisfaction. We’re actually improving a lot of the flows that we went through and we realized that simple things are missing in the UI. Those are the gold nuggets that you find on the way. Really simple things that you could add or modify in certain places that would make flows a lot better. And I mean reducing 5–10 clicks in a certain flow. My favorite one is I look at a user, he ends up working on a product, and they have six or seven open tabs. I was like, “Why do you have so many tabs?” and he explains, “It makes total sense.” It shows that you’re missing something in the product. There’s a couple of things that are easy telltales if multiple tabs are open, or you have a sticky note on the side with text, or you have Excel on the side where people copy-paste. All those things are signs to problems with the product. We have a few of those and our product is going to come up the other side much more pleasant for the users and help them achieve things faster. Brian: Great. I wish you good fortune and good luck with that redesign that you guys are going through at LogicMonitor. On that note, where can people find LogicMonitor and where can they find you if they wanted to follow you? Gadi: You can find me on Twitter. The handle is @gadioren. I have a LinkedIn page. You can look me up and find me there. You can get to our website, it’s www.logicmonitor.com and that will get you started in you’re interested with that. Brian: Awesome. Thanks, Gadi. This has been really fun to talk to you and hear about your experience here. Thanks for coming on Experiencing Data. Gadi: Thank you very much for having me.

Nancy Hensley is the Chief Digital Officer for IBM Analytics, a multi-billion dollar IBM software business focused on helping customers transform their companies with data science and analytics. Nancy has over 20 years of experience working in the data business in many facets from development, product management, sales, and marketing. Today’s episode is probably going to appeal to those of you in product management or working on SAAS/cloud analytics tools. It is a bit different than our previous episodes in that we focused a lot on what “big blue” is doing to simplify its analytics suite as well as facilitating access to those tools. IBM has many different analytics-related products and they rely on good design to make sure that there is a consistent feel and experience across the suite, whether it’s Watson, statistics, or modeling tools. She also talked about how central user experience is to making IBM’s tools more cloud-like (try/buy online) vs. forcing customers to go through a traditional enterprise salesperson. If you’ve got a “dated” analytics product or service that is hard to use or feels very “enterprisey” (in that not-so-good way), then I think you’ll enjoy the “modernization” theme of this episode. We covered: How Nancy is taking a 50-year old product such as SPSS and making it relevant and accessible for an audience that is 60% under 25 years of age The two components Nancy’s team looks at when designing an analytics product What “Metrics Monday” is all about at IBM Analytics How IBM follows-up with customers, communicates with legacy users, and how the digital market has changed consumption models Nancy’s thoughts on growth hacking and the role of simplification Why you should always consider product-market fit first and Nancy’s ideas on MVPs The role design plays in successful onboarding customers into IBM Analytics’ tools and what Brian refers to as the “honeymoon” experience Resources and Links: Nancy Hensley on Twitter Nancy Hensley on LinkedIn Quotes: “It’s really never about whether it’s a great product. It’s about whether the client thinks it’s great when they start using it.” –Nancy “Every time we add to the tool, we’re effectively reducing the simplicity of everything else around it.”–Brian “The design part of it for us is so eye-opening, because again, we’ve built a lot of best in class enterprise products for years and as we shift into this digital go-to-market, it is all about the experience…”–Nancy “Filling in that “why” piece is really important if you’re going to start changing design because you may not really understand the reasons someone’s abandoning.”–Brian “Because a lot of our products weren’t born in the cloud originally, they weren’t born to be digitally originally, doesn’t mean they can’t be digitally consumed. We just have to really focus on the experience and one of those things is onboarding.” –Nancy “If they [users] can’t figure out how to jump in and use the product, we’re not nailing it. It doesn’t matter how great the product is, if they can’t figure out how to effectively interact with it. –Nancy Episode Transcript Brian: Today on Experiencing Data, I [talked] to Nancy Hensley, the Chief Digital Officer of IBM Analytics. Nancy brings a lot of experience and has a lot to say about how user experience and design have become very integral to IBM’s success especially as they move their applications into the cloud space. They really try to bring the price point down and make their services and applications much more low touch in order to access a new base of subscribers and users. I really enjoyed this talk with her about what the designers and people focused on the product experience have been doing at IBM to keep their company relevant and keep them pushing forward in terms of delivering really good experiences to their customers. I hope you enjoy this episode with Nancy Hensley. Hello everybody. I’m super stoked to have Nancy Hensley, the Chief Digital Officer of IBM Analytics. How’s it going, Nancy? Nancy: Good. I’m happy to be here. Happy Friday. Brian: Yeah. It’s getting cold here in Cambridge, Mass ; [ you’re] in Chicago area, if I remember correctly. Nancy: Yeah, it’s a little bit chilly here as well. Brian: Nice. So it begins. You’ve done quite a bit of stuff at IBM when we had our little pre-planning call. You talked a lot about growth that’s been happening over at IBM. I wanted to talk to you specifically about the role that design and experience has played, how you guys have changed some of your products, and how you’re talking to new customers and that type of thing. Can you tell people, first of all, just a little bit about your background, what you’re currently doing, and then we could maybe […] some of those things. Nancy: Sure, happy to. Thank you for having me again. I think I’m one of those people that doesn’t fit nicely into a box of, “Are you product? Are you marketing?” I am a little bit of both. Most of my IBM career, I have moved in between product marketing and product management. That’s why I love digital so much because it really is a nice mixture. And in particular, growth hacking because it combines all the things I love, including data as a part of what we do. What I’m doing right now as a Chief Digital Officer in the Analytics Division and Hypercloud is how do we transform our products to make them more consumable, more accessible? We have best in class products in data science, in unified governments and integration, in hyper data management products, but our products and our business is built on a traditional face-to-face model. There is even a perception that we’re not as accessible to them and that’s what we’re looking to change. Creating those lower entry points, making it easier for people who didn’t have access to us before, to start small and grow through a digital channel, through a lower entry point product, and then scale up from there. That’s really what we’re trying to do and as part of a bigger mission to really democratize data science—I kind of cringe when I say that word—I think it’s really important for more clients to be able to be more data-driven, have tools that are easy to use, and leverage data science to optimize their business. Part of the way we’re doing that is to develop a digital route to market. We’re pretty excited about it. Brian: I think a lot of our listeners probably come from internal roles of companies. They might be someone that’s purchasing vendor software as opposed to a SaaS company where they may have a closer role to marketing and all that. Can you tell me what you guys are doing there? Part of the thing with my experience is that some of the legacy companies, the older companies that are out there tend to get associated with big giant enterprise installations, really crappy user experience. It’s just so powerful, you have to put up with all these stuff. People’s tendency these days to accept that poor experience as just status quo is changing. What have you guys done? Not that you’re to blame but I’m sure that opinion exist. How do you guys adapt to that and wonder if upstart analytics companies coming out with other things, what do you guys to to address the experience? Nancy: There’s certainly a perception that IBM is that big, complicated, enterprise-focused product out there. We see the data. There’s a lot of articles, there’s a lot of feedback, there’s endless report that all validate that clients are trading off complexity or features and functions for consumability, because they got to get things done, they have less people to do it. We fully recognize that. Where we started to look for that was how we first started to make things much more accessible, not just our cloud products because that’s pretty easy if you have stuff in the cloud—it’s pretty accessible—but our on-prime products as well. So, for clients that are running analysis behind the private cloud, whether it’s a statistical product, or a predictive analytics product, or data science project, or even what they’re doing on their data catalog, all of that was not something people would go to the cog to look for it. There are some things they need especially financial and health care, and there’s large and small companies on both sides. One of the things we set out to do is how do we create that cloud-like experience for clients that are running things behind their firewall. We started a project about a year ago to look at some of our on-prime products and create that experience where literally you could, within a couple of clicks, download, try, and be using a product within 15 minutes. That was our goal. As opposed to before where you would have to contact and IBM salesperson, get them to come out and meet with you, and then set-up a trial. That’s what we started to change was that at least make it accessible. As we progressed that capability, we started changing our pricing and packaging to be appropriate, to create that entry-level point, to create a shift to subscription. You want to buy everything on subscription these days, I think. The last part of that shift for us has been to really focus on the experience because a lot of these products were not born digital. We really need to make sure that when clients were coming through that channel, that it was a great experience. That’s really where design experience came into play for us. Brian: How did you know of what’s wrong beyond broad surveys or just that general feeling that like, “Oh, it’s the big giant bloated software…” the stereotype, right? How do you guys get into the meat and potatoes of like you said, sounds like there’s a benchmark there, 15 minutes on that first onboarding experience, but can you tell us a little bit of maybe if you have a specific example about how you figured it out? What do we need to change about this software application to make it easier to get value out of the analytics of the data that’s there? Nancy: I’ve got lots of examples. We’ll opt with one that clients actually are very familiar with, which is SPSS Statistics that a lot of us used back in college. That was a product that actually turns 50 years old this year. It’s been out a while, a lot of people still using it a lot, and most of our base of users for statistics, I think if you look at the demographics of it, over 60% are under the age of 25. So, their buying preferences were very different than they were when they started out in 1968. We look at the verbatims from our NPS feedback and it was clear that clients really wanted a much more simplified and flexible experience than buying SPSS Statistics and having access to it. A lot of times, students have to get it really quickly for a project because they’ve might have waited until the last minute and they wanted a much more flexible subscription-based program. They might only use it for a few months and then come back to it. That was one of the first things that we implemented was to change the buying experience for the consumption model. We didn’t actually change the product at that point. We just changed the consumption model to see if in fact that actually will help us have some growth on that product, and it absolutely did. Since then, we’ve actually gone back and change the product as well. It’s got a whole new UI for its 50th anniversary. Joke around that it’s got a face lift for it’s 50th anniversary. Brian: Does it have a green screen mode? Nancy: It is a completely different experience, not just from a buying perspective, but also from a UI perspective as well. We have other products, too, that have been around maybe not 50 years but have been very popular products like our DB2 Warehouse on Cloud and our DB2 database that clients have been buying for years to run their enterprises. We wanted to make that again, as we created a SaaS alternative of these products that it was extremely consumable. So, we’ve been looking specifically, is it easy to figure out which version to buy? How much to buy? What it’s going to do for you? Like I said, which version? How do I calculate things? We’ve been really looking at the experience of that is, if there was no salesperson at all, how do we help clients through that buying experience? Brian: I’m curious. When you decided to helping them through the buying experience, does any of that thinking or that strategy around hand-holding someone through that experience happen in the product itself? I’m guessing you’re downloading a package at some point, you’re running an installer, and at that point, did you continue that hand-holding process to get them out of the weeds of the installation and onboarding again to the actual, “Is this tool right for what I needed to do?” Everything else being friction up until that point where you’re actually working with your data, did you guys carry that through? Can you talk about that? Nancy: You’re hitting one of my favorite topics which is onboarding. Because a lot of our products weren’t born in the cloud originally, they weren’t born to be digital originally, doesn’t mean they can’t be digitally consumed. We just have to really focus on the experience and one of those things in onboarding. Let’s say, DB2 in particular, which won the process of creating onboarding experience for DB Warehouse on Cloud. For anybody who’s used DB2, we do have an updated UI for that. They can jump in and start using it. But that’s not everyone, the people that haven’t used it before. So, we just started working with a couple of different onboarding tools to create these experiences. Our goal was to be able—at least I’m offering management side alongside our partners but design—to create these experiences in a very agile way and make them measurable—my second favorite topic, which is instrumentation—but not have a burden on development, because the fact is, in almost any organization, development wants to build features and functions. Whenever we talk about this, they were prioritized lower because they want to build new capabilities. They’re less enthusiastic about building in things like onboarding experiences. With some of the tools like [.DB2..] give us, is a way to make it codeless to us. We can create these experiences, then pass the code snippet, and then measure whether those are effective or not because we actually see those flowing through segment into our amplitude as a part of the shuttle. We’ve got some great feedback as to whether they’re working or where they’re falling down. We can create checklists of things that we want the clients to do that we know makes the product sticky, and see if they actually complete that checklist. It’s giving us so much better view because before, what we would see with a client is register for trial, they downloaded the trial, they’ve created their instance, and then boom they fall off the cliff. What happened? Now we’re getting a much better view to what’s actually going on for the products that have been instrumented as well as the view we’re getting in from the onboarding experiences. Brian: For every one of these applications that you’re trying to move into a cloud model or simplify whether it’s cloud, to me the deployment model doesn’t matter. It’s really about removing the friction points whether it’s on-premise software or not. I think we all tend to use the word ‘cloud’ to kind of feel like, “Oh, is this browser-based thing? There’s no hard clients? There’s no running scripts at the terminal and all that kind of stuff?” Do you guys have a set of benchmarks or something that you establish for every one of these products that are going to go through a redesign? Nancy: We do. We’ve got a set of criteria, it’s really broken down into two pieces. Whether it’s going to be a cloud product or an on-premise product—I actually have a mix of both—there is what we call the MVP side, which might be something that’s not born in the cloud, it’s not a new product, and we’re looking to create a lower entry point, a really good trial experience, a very optimized journey. We’re even doing things like taking some of the capabilities that we used to have from a technical perspective and making those more digitally available. Online proof of concepts, hands-on labs that you do online instead of waiting for a technical salesperson to come out to see you. Tap us that can answer your questions faster even before you talk to a sales rep. All of that is included in the what we call the MVP portion of the criteria that we look at. Pricing and packaging’s got to be right for the product, for the marketplace. Got to have that right product market fit that you’ve got a good valuable product but a low-enough entry point where somebody can start small and scale up. The second part of the criteria is where the growth magic happens, where we’re dumbing down a lot more on the experimentation, where we’re making sure that we’ve got onboarding, instrumentation we want done, and the MVP phase, we don’t always get it, but our development partners really understand the value of that now, which is great. Though more often, we’re getting into the second phase of where we’re more doing the transformation. Through that, then we’re getting a lot more feedback, where we can create the onboarding experience. We can do even more on the optimized journey. We’re doing a lot of growth hacking that’s based on terms of optimizing. Things like how clear is information on the pricing page? Is it easy for the customer to figure out what they need to buy? What the pricing is for that? Can they get their questions answered quickly? Can we create a deeper technical experience for them, even outside of the trial itself? Like I mentioned, things we’re doing with our digital technical engagement, thinking that what used to be our tech sales modeling and making it more digital. Brian: That’s cool. When you guys go through this process of testing, are you primarily looking at quantitative metrics then that are coming back from the software that you guys are building, or you’re doing any type of qualitative research to go validate like, “Hey, is the onboarding working well?” Obviously, the quantitative can tell you what. It doesn’t tell you why someone might have abandoned at this point. You guys do any research there? Nancy: We do. It happens in a couple of places. We run squads that are cross-functional across marketing, product, development, and design, each product. Then every Monday we have this thing called Metrics Monday where we get the cross-functional routines together, we share the insights around the metrics. If we had a big spike or we had a big decrease, or if we had a change in engagement, or if we did some experimentation that came out with a very interesting result, we actually share that across teams. We really focus on why did things happen. We have a dashboard. Everybody is religious in using on a daily basis that tracks all of our key metrics, whether it’s visits, engage visits, trials, trial-to-win conversions, number of orders, things like that, but we also want to dive deeper into the ebbs and flows of the business itself, why things are happening, and if the experimentation we’re doing is helping or not helping. We’ve got a lot of focus on that on a daily and a weekly basis. Brian: Do you have any way to access the trial users and do one-on-one usability study or a follow-up with them that’s not so much quantitative? Nancy: Our research team and design will do that and they’ll take a very thorough approach to both recording users using the product, getting their feedback. It’s pretty thorough and also gives us some feedback. We usually don’t do that until the product’s been in the market for a little bit longer. We’ve got some hypothesis of how we think it’s doing, and then the research team will spend a couple of weeks diving a lot deeper into it. We get some great feedback from that. Honestly, as a product person, as much as I’d to think I’m focused on a beautiful experience, my lens versus our designers’ lens is completely different and they just see things we don’t. Brian: Yeah, the friction points and filling in the why’s, it takes time to go and do that, but it can tell you things, it helps you qualify the data, and makes sense especially when you’re collecting. I’m sure at the level that you guys are collecting that, you have a lot of inbound analytics coming back on what’s happening. But it’s really filling in that “why” piece that is really important if you’re going to start changing design because you may not really understand the reasons someone’s abandoning. Maybe it’s like, “I couldn’t find the installer. I don’t know where the URL is. I ended up locking the server on my thing and I don’t know how to localhost, but I forgot the port number,” and the whole product is not getting accessed because they don’t know the port number for the server they installed or whatever the heck it is, and it’s like, “Oh, they dropped off. They couldn’t figure it out how to turn it on, like load the browser…” Nancy: Right, and even behavioral things that we don’t always think of, like putting a really cool graphic in the lead space that actually takes the attention away from the callback-ends. We’re all proud of, “Hey look at this cool graphic we built.” One of our designers uses a tool that tracks eye movements and [wait a second] “We’re losing the focus here.” But again, you don’t always see from that lens. The design part of it, for us has been so eye-opening because again, we’ve built a lot of best in class enterprise products for years. As we shift into this digital go-to market, it is all about the experience. It’s all about how good the experience is, how easy the experience is, how frictionless it is, and it’s also about how consumable and accessible the product is in the marketplace. Brian: You mentioned earlier, it sounded like engineering doesn’t want to go back and necessarily add onboarding on all of this. This gets into the company culture of who’s running the ship, so to speak. Is it engineering-driven in your area? How do you guys get aligned around those objectives? I’ve seen this before with larger enterprise clients where engineering is the most dominant force and sprints are often set up around developing a feature and all the plumbing and functionality required to get that feature done, but there’s not necessarily a collective understanding of, “Hey, if someone can’t get from step A to step G, horizontally across time, then all that stuff’s a failure. Step F which you guys went in deep on is great, but no one can get from E to F, so definitely they can’t get to G.” So, that’s you’re qualifier of success. How do you guys balance that? Who’s running the ship? Does your product management oversee the engineering? Can you talk a little bit about that structure? Nancy: We call operating management aside from product management for a reason, because we really do want the operating managers to feel like they’re the CEO of their business and run the ship. Of course, development has a big say at the table, but they have a natural tendency to want to build capabilities. It’s never going to go away. It’s been that way for ages. We just don’t want to fight that tendency. We want them to focus on building, not take six months to build an onboarding experience when they could build in really valuable functionality in that six months instead. So, we really run it as a squad, just like many other companies. Operating management does leave a lot of the strategy with our products and development, but I would say that design is also a really, really chief at the table, for sure, absolutely. Brian: Tell us a little bit about your squads and is this primarily a designer or a UX professional up in your offering manager? Are they a team and then you pull in the engineering representatives as you strategize? Nancy: My team is a digital offering management. We’re a subset of offering management better known as product management. We will run the squads and the squads will be a cross-function of our product marketing team, our performance marketing team, which is demand to and type marketing. They run the campaigns, design, developments, the core product managers because we’re the digital product managers and such, and then there’s the core product managers. They have all routes to market. We’re just focused on the digital ones. With that is the cross-functional squad that gets together on a weekly basis and they run as a team. From a digital perspective, it’s led by the Digital OM for our route to market there. Brian: That’s interesting. How do you ensure that there are some kind of IBMness to all these offerings? Your UX practice and offering managers sound like they are part of one organization, but I imagine some of these tools, you might be crossing boundaries as you go from tool X to tool Y. Maybe you need to send data over like, “Oh, I have this package of stuff and I need to deploy this model,” then we have a different tool for putting the model into production and there’s some cross user experience there. Can you talk about that? Nancy: That’s really why design’s been key because their job is to keep us onus making sure that the experience is somewhat consistent across the tools so they seem familiar to us, especially within a segment data science. Some of these are using our Watson Studio tool and then moves to our statistics for our modeler tool. There should be a very familiar experience across those. That’s why design is really the lead in the experience part of it. From pricing and packaging, we try to maintain a consistency as much as possible across all the products again. Whatever level of familiarity you have and how we price and package things should be consistent across the entire segment. So we strive for that as well. On the digital side, in terms of the experience on the actual web, we partner with a team called the Digital Business Group. They are basically the host of our digital platform and they maintain a level of consistency worldwide across all the products in terms of the digital journey itself with us. Brian: That’s cool that you guys are keeping these checkpoints, so to speak, as stuff goes out the door. You’ve got the front lenses on it looking at it from different quality perspectives, I guess you could say. Earlier, you mentioned democratizing data science and we hear this a lot. Are we talking about democratizing the results of the data science, so at some point there’s maybe decision support tool or there’s some kind of outcome coming from the data science? Is that what you’re talking about democratizing? Or are you saying for a data scientist of all levels of ability, it’s more for the toolers as opposed to the [consumers..]? Nancy: It’s about the capability. The ability to put more of these products or these products in people’s hands that bought, that they might have been out of their reach, or that they were too enterprisey, or that they are for big companies. That’s one of the key things that we want to do. When you look at some of our products, they start really, really low. Cognizant Analytics is another great example where people might have had a perception that it’s really expensive but we just introduced a new version of it, and it’s less than $100 a month. You can get these powerful tools for analysis for a lot less than you think. Statistics in $99 a month, one of our pay products are significantly less, and it allows these companies that might not have considered doing business with us, to smart small and build up. That’s one of the key things we noticed as we shifted to a subscription model. With that, we started to see double digit increases in the number of clients that were new on products. Just because opened up this new route to market, doesn’t mean that we still didn’t maintain our enterprise face-to-face relationships because, of course, we did, but this allowed us to open up relationships with clients might have not gotten to before. Brian: How are the changes affecting the legacy users that you have? I imagine you probably do have some people that are used to, “Don’t change my toolset,” like, “I’ve been using DB2 for 25 years.” How are they reacting to some of the changes? I imagine at some point maybe you have some fat clients that turn to browser-based interfaces. They undergo some redesign at that point. Do you have a friction between the legacy experience and maybe do you employ the slow change mentality? Or do you say, “Nope, we’re going to cut it here. We’re jumping to the new one and we’re not going to let the legacy drag us back”? You talk about how you guys make those changes? Nancy: We’re shifting towards the subscription model. Our clients are, too. We have clients that are demanding that this is the only way that they actually want to buy software is through a subscription model. So it’s changing for them as well. I think in many ways, it’s a welcome change across the board. I can’t think of any negativity that we’ve had in both the change for the consumption models on a subscription side, as well as the new UI changes and things that we’re doing to the product that really update them and give them a modern feel. I know a lot of the onboarding is a welcome change, even for clients that are familiar with us. It helps them because they have to do less training internally to help people use the tool because now we’re building it into the product. Brian: How do you measure that they’re accepting that? Do you wait for that inbound feedback? Do you see if there’s attrition and then go talk to them? I imagine there’s some attrition that happens when you make a large tooling change. Is there a way to validate that or why that happened? Was it a result of changing too quickly? Any comment on that? Nancy: I think it’s a couple of things. We’re constantly monitoring the flow of MRR and the contraction of revenue where the attrition that we get through some of our subscription, to see if there is any anomalies there. But also we’re always were very in-tune with NPS. A lot of our product managers live and die in the verbatims and with the integration of FLAX, they get a lot of it. They’re coming right at them constantly, that they respond to. We are very, very in-tune with NPS and the feedback we’re getting there. We’re also getting a lot of reviews now on our software using tools like G2 Crowd where we keep an eye on that. I think the feedback doesn’t just come from one place. We’ll look at things like the flow through Amplitude. Our clients, when they’re coming in and during the trial, are they getting stuck someplace? Are they falling off someplace? Are they falling off either at a specific page like the pricing page? Or are they falling off as soon as they get the trial because they don’t know what to do with it? We look at things like that. We look at NPS in particular after we’ve introduced new capabilities. Did our NPS go up? What’s the feedback? Are our clients truly embracing this? I think it’s a combination of things. There is a lot of information, a lot of data that we just need to stay in-tune with. We’ve got a couple of dashboards that I know my team wakes up with everyday and takes a look at, and the product team. The core product manager stayed very focused on NPS. Brian: Do you have a way of collecting end-user feedback directly? I would imagine maybe in your newer tools, it’s easier to tool some of that in, but is there any way to provide customer feedback or something to chat or any type of interactivity that’s directly in the tools that you’re creating these days? Nancy: Sure. We are rolling out more end-product nurture capability than we ever had before. That gives them the ability to chat directly within the product, as well as schedule a time with an expert. We’re working in making that even easier through a chat bot. So if you do get stuck and you’re chatting with that bot, you can schedule the appointment with an expert right there. I think there’s lots of ways to do that. I think sometimes I worry that there’s too much data coming at us but we [didn’t have enough..] before, so I’m not going to do that. Brian: Right. It’s not about data, right? It’s, do we have information? Nancy: Do we have information? Exactly. I would say my team spends a lot of time going through that, looking at Amplitude, analyzing the flows, looking in the patterns, in the orders, in the data, and the revenue. With the NPS feedback, it’s a combination of all of that stuff that really gives us a good view. As well as looking at the chat data, and analyzing some of the keywords that’s coming across on the chat, the Watson robots are constantly learning, which is great. We’re using machine learning to get smarter about what do people ask about, and that’s giving us also some good insight into the questions they ask, the patterns of information they’re searching for by product. Brian: In terms of the net promoter score that you talked about, tell me about the fact that how do you interpret that information when not everybody is going to provide a net promoter score? You have nulls, right? Nancy: Right. Brian: How do you factor that in? That’s the argument against NPS as the leading indicator. Sometimes, it’s not having any information. So you may not be collecting positive or potentially negative stuff because people don’t even want to take the time to respond. Do you have comments on how you guys interpret that? Nancy: I think you also have to look at the NPS is going to go up and down. If you have a client who has particularly a bad experience, it’s the week of thanksgiving, there was only X amount of surveys, and one of them had a bad experience that could make your NPS score looks like it drops like a rock. [right] you’ve got to look at it like the stock market. It’s more of the patterns over the long haul, what’s coming across within those patterns of information and feedback the clients are giving you. We react but you have to look at the data set, you have to look at the environmental things that are happening, and take that all into consideration from an NPS perspective. We’re very driven by that and that comes down from our CEO. She’s very cognizant, making sure that the product teams and the development teams are getting that feedback directly from the clients. As an organization—we’re a few years old—the way we used to do that is we would have these client advisory boards. It was a small number of clients that would give us feedback on our products, roadmap, and usability of that. The reality is just that then you end up building the product for 10% of your clients. Now it’s been eye-opening for us as we really open that up. Obviously, we’re still getting feedback from a larger community and client advisory board still, but NPS comments and feedback has really widen the aperture of the feedback we’ve gotten from a broader scope of clients. Brian: You brought up a good point. I had a client who luckily was cognizant of this and they did the same things where they fly their clients, they do two-day workshops, and they gather feedback from them. I was doing some consulting there and he said, “Brian, I’d like you to just go walk around, drop in some of the conversations and just listen, but take it with a grain of salt because I hate these freaking things. All we do is invite people that are willing to come for 2–3 days and tell us how much they love our stuff, it’s a free trip, we’re not getting to the people that don’t like our stuff…” Nancy: Or don’t use it. Brian: Or don’t use it at all. I love the concept of design partners, which is new, where you might have a stable of customers who are highly engaged, but that the good ones are the ones that are engaged who will pummel you when you’re stuff is not happening. They will come down on you and they will let you know. So it’s really about finding highly communicative and people who are willing to tell it like it is. It’s not, we’ll go out and find people that rah-rah, cheerleading crowd for you. Did that inspire the changes? Nancy: Even in the client advisory councils that we had—I ran a couple of them for products like Netezza for a while—we started to change the way we even ran those. I remember the biggest aha moment was, we had a client advisory board for Netezza one year and not too long ago. We decided to run a design thinking camp as part of the agenda, so that they would actually drive what they wanted from our requirements prospectus, going through the design thinking process through that. What came out of it was truly eye-opening. You know how a design thinking process progresses. I think even they were surprised at what they ended up prioritizing across the group of requirement. I think we’re really starting using differently about that feedback from clients. I do remember that day when we were looking at those things and that was not where we thought we would end up. Brian: Do you have a specific memory about something that was surprising to the group that really stuck? Something you guys learned in particular that stuck with you? Nancy: I think we focused a lot more at that point. At the time there was a lot of issues around security and what was one of our leading things going into the next version. What clients actually were not necessarily as verbal about was that, as they were using these appliances and they were becoming more mission-critical, they were doing more mixed workloads. Yes, security was still incredibly important, but what was emerging beyond that for them was workload management because they had this mixed workload that was emerging. So many different groups were jumping in with different types of workload. They have not anticipated on their [day route?] appliance, so it was something that I think came out of the next in the design thinking process that was important to them that they actually hadn’t been able to verbalize to us. Outside of that process, which was really, really interesting to us, we were on track with the requirements that we have but beyond that, the requirements that we just hadn’t thought of and quite honestly they hadn’t verbalized. Brian: You make a good point there. Part of the job of design is to get really good clarity on what the problems are and they’re not always going to be voiced to you in words or in direct statements. It’s your job to uncover the latent problems that are already there, crystalize them, so ideally whoever your project manager in the organization and your leadership, can understand and make them concrete because then you can go and solve them. When they’re not concrete and vague, like, “We need better security.” But what does that mean specifically? If you start there and really the problem had to do with the mixed workloads and managing all that, it’s like you can go down a completely different path. You can still write a lot of code, you can build a lot of stuff, and you can do a lot of releases, but if you don’t really know what that problem is that you’re solving, then you’re just going through activity and you’re actually building debt. You’re building more technical debt, you’re wasting money and time for everybody, and you’re not really driving the experience better for the customer. I think you made a good point about the design thinking helps uncover the reality of what’s there, when it’s not being explicitly stated, support requests are not going to get that type of information. They tend to be much more tactical. You’re not going to get a, “Hey, strategically I think the project needs to go this direction.” Nancy: Right and if you would have asked of us an open-ended question, you would have gotten and answer that could have been interpreted slightly differently. I think this was when I became the biggest fan of design is that, there was this magical person who was running this design camp for me that got information that I didn’t think I could get to. I mean, I knew nothing about the product. It was pretty amazing. Brian: That can happen when you also get that fresh lens on things even when they may not be a domain expert. You get used to seeing the friction points that people have and you can ask questions in a way to extract information that’s not biased. You’re not biased by the legacy that might be coming along with that product or even that domain space. It’s sometimes having jthat almost like first grade, “Tell it to me like I’m your grandfather,” or, “Explain that to me this way,” and then you can start to see where some of those friction points are and make them real. I always enjoyed that process of when you’re really fresh. Maybe this happens for other people but especially as a designer and consultant, coming into a product and a new domain, and just having that first-grader lens on it like, “Hey, could you unpack that for me?” “What is the workload in there like?” looking at you like, “What?” and you make them unpack that but you give that full honesty there to really get them to extract out of their head into words that you [and.] everyone can understand. That’s where some of those magical things happen like, “Oh my gosh. We had no idea that this was a problem,” because he or she thought it was so obvious like, “Of course, they know this,” and it’s like, “No. No one’s ever said that.” Nancy: Right. We’re experiencing that now. We have an embedded designer into our team that’s focused on our growth products. Again, she’s coming in with a complete fresh set of eyes and her perspective that she brings on the experience is just so completely different, not completely different but there are things that she flushes out we would have never see. It’s really helping because a lot of times, too, when you’re focused on the experience as opposed to the features and functions analysis, and you come down to looking at it from that perspective. I don’t want to go to development and tell them this because it’s like calling their baby ugly. But at the end of the day, the client needs to have a great experience. They need to see the value. When they’re even just trying the product out, they don’t get to that aha experience like, “I know how this will help me within 15 minutes.” We’re just not nailing it. If they can’t figure out how to jump in and use the product, we’re not nailing it. It doesn’t matter how great the product is, if they can’t figure out how to effectively interact with it. Brian: Effectively, none of the stuff really exist in their world. It just doesn’t exist because they can’t get to it. So, effectively it’s totally worthless. Whatever that island you have on the island, if there’s no bridge to get there, it doesn’t matter because its just totally inaccessible. Nancy: Right and it’s harder sometimes for even the product managers to see it. When I was sitting down in a demo of a product that we are going to be releasing, dude was cruising through the demo, my eyes were like glazed over, I just look and I was like, “Boy, we’re going to need some onboarding with that.” Great product, amazing capabilities, very complex and dense in its capability. It’s never really about whether it’s a great product. It’s about whether the client understands that’s great, when they start using it. Brian: Yeah and I think especially for analytics tools, highly technical tools used by engineers and other people that have better working in this kind of domain. Sometimes we gloss over stuff that seems like it would be totally easy or just not important. I have this specific example I was working on a storage application. It was a tool I think for migrating storage between an old appliance and a new appliance. At some point during that workload migration, something as simple as like, “Oh, I need a list of these host names and these IP addresses,” some other information that’s just basically setup-related stuff, and all the tool needed to do was have a CSV download of a bunch of numbers to be piped into another thing so that they could talk to each other. It’s not sexy. It’s literally a CSV. It was the only technical lift required, but it was not seen as engineering. It’s not part of the product. That has to do with some other product but you have to go type it into. It’s like yes, but that bridge is never going to happen. It takes them 10 years to go figure out where all these IP addresses are listed, domain names, and all these kind of stuff. It’s not sexy but if you look at the big picture, the full end-to-end arc, and if we’re all lying around, what is that A to G workflow, there’s six steps that have to happen there. This is not sexy, it’s not a new feature but this is the blocker from getting from B to E. They’re never get to A, which is where the product begins. Nancy: We definitely had those discussions in the early days about making it more consumable instead of giving it more features and functions, and can’t we really hack growth that way? That is a mind shift that if you are a design-led organization, you get it, and we believed in every part of our being that we are. Sometimes we still have that natural resistance that we really need to add more features and functions to make this product grow, but I think we’ve really turned the corner on that. Digital really has been the task for us to do that because we build the experience in the products as if there was no IBM sales team that’s going to surround you to help make you a success. That’s a very different way that we’ve done things for so many years, and the only way you can do that is by focusing on experience. Brian: You bring up a good point and I think that it’s worth reiterating to listeners. You can add these features but they do come at a cost. The cognitive load goes up. Every time we add to the tool, we’re effectively reducing the simplicity of everything else around it. Typically as a general rule, removing choice simplifies because you’re just removing the number of things that someone has to think about. So those features don’t really come for free. It’s almost like you have a debt as soon as you add the feature and then you hope you recoup it by, “Oh there’s high engagement. People are really using that,” so that was a win. If there’s low engagement with it, you just add it. It’s like Microsoft Word 10 years ago. You just added another menu bar and another thing that no one’s gonna use, and now it’s even worse. The pile continues to grow and it’s so hard to take stuff out of software once it’s in there, because you’re going to find, “You know what? But IBM’s our client, and they’re using it. IBM makes $3 million a year. We’re not taking that button out of the tool. End of story,” and now you have that short-term like, “We can’t take that out because Nancy’s group uses this.” Nancy: That’s right and we can’t point out exactly. I think my favorite story when it comes to that is the Instagram story that people talk about, where it was launched as a tool, a product called Bourbon. It had all of these great capabilities and it was going nowhere. So they dug into the usability side of things and said, “Well, what are people actually using?” which is what we do as well from an instrumentation perspective, and found that they were really only using a couple of things. They wanted to post a picture, they wanted to comment on the picture, they want to add some sort of emojis or in like system the picture and they are like, “Let’s [do.]. Let’s just do three or four things, do them really great, and relaunch the product,” and then of course the rest is history. I think that that’s a great illustration of more features and functions. If they’re not important, relevant, and consumable, all three of those things, are not going to give you growth. It comes down to, is it easy to use? Can I get value out of it? Do I immediately see that I can get value out of it? That’s all product market fit. That’s where we shifted our focus and digital’s helped us, too. That’s why my job is so cool. Brian: Cool. This has been super fun. Can you leave us with maybe an anecdote? Do you have a big lesson learned or something you might recommend to people that are either building internal tools, internal enterprise software or even SaaS products, something like, “Hey, if I was starting fresh today, I might do this instead of doing that.” Anything from your experience you could share? Nancy: For me, the biggest thing is just really focusing on product market fit because we build something sometimes to be competitively great, but not necessarily competitively great and competitively different, or that. So to understand that you not only have something that solves somebody’s problem but does it in a way that’s unique, and that’s so valuable that they’ll pay the price that’s appropriate for whatever they’ll pay for it. You’ve got to start thinking about that upfront because oftentimes, we’ll build something we’ll see a market opportunity for, but we may not truly understand product market fit whereas we know who the target is, we know what they’ll pay for this, we know what the value is, we know how to get to them, and I think you’ve got to start with that upfront, like you really got to understand product market fit or you’re never be able to grow the product. I’ve got a lot of religion around that and we really try very, very hard to create pricing and packaging around making sure we hit that, but the product has to have that value. It can’t be too overwhelming, it can’t be too underwhelming, it’s got to hit that great value spot. Brian: Fully agree on getting that fit upfront. You save a lot of time, you could solve a lot of technical debt instead of jumping in with the projects that you going to have to change immediately because you find out after the fact and now you’re starting it like… Nancy: See you in Instagram not a Bourbon, right? Brian: Exactly. Tell us where can people find you on the interwebs out there? Nancy: I probably spend a lot of time on Twitter. Maybe not so much lately. It’s been a little bit crazy but you can find me on Twitter @nancykoppdw […] or you can find me on LinkedIn. I am going to try and do better. I am on Medium. I haven’t done as good about blogging but that’s one of my goals for trying to get back on blogging. I’m usually out there on Medium or Twitter talking about growth hacking and digital transformation. I do podcast as well. Brian: Cool. I will put those links up on the show notes for anyone. Thanks for coming to talk with us, Nancy. It’s been fun. This has been Nancy Hensley from IBM Analytics, the Chief Digital Officer. Thanks again for coming on the show and hope we get the chance to catch up again. Nancy: Thank you.

Welcome to Episode 47 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "A Room Full Of Fun" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows. Corrections Our first correction is in regard to our last episode, all about Snow White's Scary Adventure. A great memory shared and we feel you! How has a minor correction about the figures from Snow White's Scary Adventure, Disneyland Paris, duplicate figures and some other tidbits. Brian & How recently rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and How walks us through the repurposed figures, which you can go see right now. We also hear about a recent loss Brian experienced... Which relates very well to an old Eric Boardman Disney Channel video.  Listener Mail Kicking things off, Tom wrote us from New Hampshire - asking what our own personal Holy Grail item would be from Walt Disney World. This could include merchandise, ride pieces and anything else.  Great question! Jake Nelson wrote in about Dreamflight and brought to our attention something that remains on Buzz Lightyear - we had no idea!  Thanks so much Jake! David is up next, with some amazing audio clips he shared with us. Listen in to this great stuff from River Country, it sure is unique. More to come from David soon..... Jerry Massey sent us a commemorative VHS from the 1994 Walt Disney World Marathon. We are going to share this with you soon, so stay tuned! Joe Barlow wrote in about some of the old arcades - giving us a great memory about what it was like to walk into the Contemporary & The Fiesta Fun Center. Andrew wrote in with some great memories and it sparked the feeling we used to get, waiting forever to check into our resorts. We all give our accounts on how it felt and why it used to take forever...We even bring up the old Ving Room Key! Thank you for all the emails, tweets and comments you have sent our way. We try to respond to almost everything and do our best to pick unique questions for the show.    Audio Rewind Our audio rewind this month turned out to be the Enchanted Tiki Room, from the original show!  The winner is Scott Chapin, winning a Vacation Kingdom poster. Great job and thanks for playing along to everybody! If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com - This month the winner will receive one of the Lake & Lagoon Vacation Kingdom posters. All entries due 3/12/2019 and a random winner will be selected.     Main Topic Main Street Penny Arcade We start off this month on Main Street, USA - more specifically the Penny Arcade! This classic is part of our overall topic of arcades and game rooms. How gives us an insanely detailed walk through, starting us off with the fortune telling machine and the old Mutoscope. We hear about 'Old San Francisco', 'Play Cowboy Rodeo Time', 'Burlesque Bouncer' and more. Todd also brings up some of the other titles shown on a stereoscope format as well. The stories and facts continue as How tells us about the various strength testers, baseball games, love testers and so much more. If you ever spent any time in the Penny Arcade on Main Street, let us know if you have any interesting memories. We would also love to see your pictures! Finally, we let you know where the machines ended up with an interview by Todd Tuckey.  Fiesta Fun Center Finally! We take you back to one of the greatest vintage spots in all of Walt Disney World – the infamous and now gone, Fiesta Fun Center. This was located on the first floor of the Contemporary Resort, down near the check-in desk. Currently, The Wave restaurant is located in the former spot of the arcade. We take a deep dive into this childhood paradise, which was absolutely massive. Originally, it was just an extra convention space, explaining the large size. This started officially in 1973, resembling a Raiders of the Lost Ark warehouse, filled with games that were similar to the ones featured in Jaws. There was even a smallish movie theater, costing $1 and it rotated various Disney movies. The theater is one place that seems to be very rarely pictured. We received some interesting facts and information relating to the caricature artists, which were there for a very long time. The shooting gallery, which was there in the middle of the Fiesta Fun Center run, is discussed as well during this segment. We have some various videos that were dug up, relating to the Fun Center: S.A.M.I. by Midway and this great home movie from the 1990s, which covers some other parts of the resort. The Fiesta Fun Center always seemed to have some of the best machines, which we discuss. Over the top games, experiences you didn't get elsewhere and just an overall exciting experience.   Next Month Join us next month for another great episode, all about the 'new' Tomorrowland attraction: The Timekeeper! We thank you for your support and welcome you to enjoy all of our other offerings including our photos, restored films & The Lake Buena Vista Historical Society. 

Welcome to Episode 45 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Holiday Potluck" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows. Corrections Todd gets everybody up to speed regarding the Tailor / Taylor Ham discussions and research. If you have listened to our previous episodes, this shouldn't be totally random for you. We had a listener write in, regarding a live band for Mickey's Birthdayland. How recalls this and also potentially knew somebody who was involved in the show. Another listener wrote in, regarding an SNL skit where 20,000 leagues kept popping up, throughout the sketch. Sounds pretty funny -if you have a link, please share it with us.  Listener Mail Our first message is from one of our newest binge listeners. Jacob's first visit was earlier than our era, but he has really enjoyed catching up with all the history shared.  This next message is from a fan and also a Lake & Lagoon Tour participant. Dan wants to know all about the Fort Wilderness Arcade, which is back behind Crockett's Tavern & Trails End Buffet. He is curious about the two levels, if it has always been for an arcade and even why... We weren't totally sure, but maybe a listener or former cast member can chime in.  Our friend Reese wrote in regarding a sentence or wording on the Progress City display, while riding the Peoplemover. Todd did some investigating and so did a few others, so we are going to dig into this a bit more, but we have some information for you right now. Keith Beaulie has been doing an amazing job, transcribing our episodes into a legible and functional set of documents. We wanted to give him a shout out and also tell him thank you for taking the time to get this going. The automatic systems just weren't cutting it, but Keith has really done an amazing job. Finally, Alan Bowers wrote in to ask why Florida was actually chosen for Walt Disney World. Brian & How go through some of the major reasons and also break down why other locations were not utilized.  Thank you for all the emails, tweets and comments you have sent our way. We try to respond to almost everything and do our best to pick unique questions for the show.  [listenerfeedback] Map News For our latest event, we put together a really special giveaway. This one-of-a-kind collectors map is truly amazing and you really need to get one for your home or office. The details Jason drew, the small Easter eggs - it is just insane. If you would like your own, please visit our 'Donate' page - the entire donation is tax deductible and you will get this amazing work of art. Be sure to share where you end up hanging your posters and show us those custom frame jobs! Audio Rewind Our audio rewind this month turned out to be background music from The Germany Pavilion in EPCOT Center!  The winner is Ryan/Katie Welsh, winning the 1992 Burger King Calendar. Great job and thanks for playing along to everybody! If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! contest@retrowdw.com - This month the winner will receive one of the Lake & Lagoon Vacation Kingdom All entries due 1/10/2019 and a random winner will be selected. Prize Pot Prize Pot #2 has begun! Each month, we add a vintage or classic item to the pot. The winner will be announced in December and they get it all. Follow along as we add items and remember, each entry/guess of the audio rewind gets you an entry for the prize pot. Thanks for playing along! 2018 Prize Pot #2 Contents WDW Resort Pocket Sewing Kit (See It) The Official Album of WDW/Disneyland on vinyl, sealed!  2018 D23 Gold Member Kit - Featuring Mickey's 90th Birthday (see it & its contents) Disney News collection from the 1990s Numbered & Signed Vacation Kingdom Lake/Lagoon Poster We used the "Phone-A-Friend" from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, to call JT's sister. She is stationed live, inside The Land Pavilion, to have a random person pick a number. This number correlates with over 500 guesses and emails for the second half of 2018. The winner of the 2018 Prize Pot Par #2 is...... Paul Zimmerman!  Main Topic Magic of Christmas at Walt Disney World - 1991 Starting us off, Brian takes us through this vintage VHS. This was sold alongside the other VHS tapes - A Day at The Magic Kingdom, A Day at EPCOT Center, and A Day at Disney MGM Studios. We discuss how Santa takes us on a journey, throughout the resort, about what is done for Christmas at WDW. There are some hidden gems in this video that have not really been seen too often. This will be a fun watch around the holidays, so be sure to check it out.  1994 Holiday Trip Next up, Todd shares a very unique gallery from his grandparents, when they visited in November of 1994. We see lots of great holiday photos, new Tomorrowland under construction, the amazingly classic 90s Grand Floridian rooms and so much more. Be sure to take note of the sleigh photo-op on Center Street! These have that great 90s look, color and focus, which we discuss why... Hope you enjoy these! New Year's Eve Every Night! Finally, How takes us to our favorite night out at Pleasure Island! We go through a small history of the park and then into how the original idea was scrapped. New Year's Eve, every single night became a huge deal and also had a nightly countdown. The entire park had many changes throughout the years, which we discuss and also look into some of the clubs. Don't forget - time this section up right to do a vintage/retro countdown on New Year's! Hope you enjoy this look at Pleasure Island!  Episode Gallery [ngg_images gallery_ids="286" display_type=photocrati-nextgen_pro_horizontal_filmstrip] Be sure to check out our previous Christmas podcast episodes too: Episode 14 - Christmas Around The World Episode 35 - Christmas Around The World - Part II RetroWDW Merchandise [supportus] Next Month Join us next year, for our first episode of 2019! We want to thank you for listening all year, joining us on our tours and also thank you for any merchandise you purchased or donations you made. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's!

Kathy Koontz is the Executive Director of the Analytics Leadership Consortium at the International Institute for Analytics and my guest for today’s episode. The International Institute of Analytics is a research and advisory firm that discusses the latest trends and the best practices within the analytics field.  We touch on how these strategies are used to build accurate and useful custom data products for businesses. Kathy breaks down the steps of making analytics more accessible, especially since data products and analytics applications are more frequently being utilized by front-line workers and not PhDs and analytics experts. She uses her experience with a large property and casualty insurance company to illustrate her point about shifting your company’s approach to analytics to make it more accessible. Small adjustments to a data application make the process effective and comprehensible. Kathy brings some great insights to today’s show about incorporating analytic techniques and user feedback to get the most value from your analytics and the data products you build for the information. Conversation highlights: What is The International Institution of Analytics? What is the analytics leadership consortium? The “squishy” parts of analytics and how to compensate for them. The real value of analytics and how to use it on all levels of a company. How beta testers give perspective on data. The 3 steps to finding the ideal beta tester. Learning from the feedback and implementing it. How to keep ROI in mind during your project. Kathy’s parting advice for the audience. Resources and Links: The International Institute of Analytics Kathy Koontz on LinkedIn Surf Camps Thank you for joining us for today’s episode of Experiencing Data. Keep coming back for more episodes with great conversations about the world of analytics and data. Quotes from today’s episode: “Oftentimes data scientists see the world through data and algorithms and predictions and they get enamored with the complexity of the model and the strength of its predictions and not so much with how easy it is for somebody to use it.” — Kathy Koontz “You are not fully deployed until after you have received this [user] feedback and implemented the needed changes in the application.” — Kathy Koontz “Analytics especially being deployed pervasively is maybe not a project but more of a transformation program.” — Kathy Koontz “Go out and watch your user group that you want to utilize this data or this analytics to improve the performance.” — Kathy Koontz “Obviously, it’s always cheaper to adjust things in pixels, and pencils than it is to adjust it in working code.” — Kathy Koo Transcript Brian: I’m excited to have Kathy Koontz of the line. She is the Executive Director of the Analytics Leadership Consortium at the International Institute for Analytics. That’s quite a mouthful. Did I get that totally right? Kathy: Yeah. You did. I tell people, “Yes, it is a real job.” Yeah, you got it right, you nailed it. Brian: Tell our listeners, what does that mean? What do you do? Kathy: The International Institute for Analytics is an organization that was founded by Tom Davenport, one of the early readers and using analytics for business performance. We are research and advisory firm that helps companies realize value from analytics. Brian: How do you work with them in your leadership capacity there? What’s your specific role there? Kathy: I lead the product line that’s called the Analytics Leadership Consortium. What that is, is a group of analytics executives from different companies who are in non-competing industries that meet of a regular basis to better understand trends and best practices in analytics to vet ideas with one another and ensure that they’re doing the best that they can to deliver analytics value for their organization. A really great opportunity for leaders in this field of analytics that’s changing a lot and has a lot of emerging practices, have regular time to get together in a confidential setting to understand what’s working and what’s not, and how they can improve analytic values for their company. Brian: You mentioned trends, I obviously try to stay on top of what’s going on in that industry and that’s actually how I came across you, originally, I think was you guys had put on a webinar on five trends and analytics going on right now. At the end of that, you had mentioned that one of the things that’s starting to change now is the importance of design and user experience as we move beyond designing reports which is one of the most difficult deliverables, so to speak, of analytics—as we move into the user experience it’s becoming more important. That’s what I was like, “Oh, this could be really interesting to hear what you have to say about what’s changing. Why is UX now relevant? How is capital D design relevant to the world of analytics?” that’s what I was curious to learn about. Can you talk about that a little bit? Kathy: I think as analytics mature in organizations, the need for design is what’s going to drive adoption and utilization of those analytics. In companies that are just starting their analytics journey, it’s a little bit easier to realize analytic value by doing a couple of really big data science projects that don’t really require a lot of design thinking. It’s a powerpoint to an executive group that has some higher level of organizational level thinking that the executive lean in, understand the analytics, understand the value of making their decisions in line with the analytics and then move on and do their regular roles. But as the organizations try to make analytics more pervasive, particularly into front-line associates or individual contributors who are really using analytics to make a lot of small decisions within the execution of their work or as they try to integrate analytics into processes that are monitored, that design thinking taking an approach as user experience, can really break down a lot of barriers that organizations encounter when trying to have people who are not necessarily used to using analytics in their decision-making process, use them so that they can make a better decision for the organization. Brian: Got it. Is the trend that people are recognizing the problem because they went through some pain of maybe they delivered some big multimillion dollar platform, and like you said the front line associates didn’t use it. As I always use the example, it’s like, “They’re out driving a truck. They don’t have a laptop. They’re not going to go download a report and change the columns or whatever.” It’s like the wrong mechanism, you didn’t fit it into their job; you try to get them to change their job to accommodate your tool. Is the awareness because they went through a failure or is it like, “We already know this isn’t going to work if we don’t get the UX right,” just because companies are a little bit more design aware these days? What drove that to change? Why is it now? Kathy: I think there’s two things. First of all, they’ve failed, they invested millions of dollars in some sort of decision-support sort of application that may have millions of dollars and data integration work that we’ve done to build it and purchased a lot of really advanced software that can help users slice and dice the data and dive in and understand it. But they really took more of a data-centric approach rather than user-centric approach. They really didn’t take that extra step to say, “How does this person go through their normal day in their decision making. Where do they need this information in that decision making, and how should it be best presented so that they don’t have to do any cognitive task switching, that it just fits into how they go about making the decisions.” I think those failures are one big driver. But then I also think as organizations move up the analytics maturity curve and move from BI reports to predictive analytics to prescriptive analytics. Those prescriptive analytics are going to be much more pervasive across the organization. I think it’s this analytics maturity that’s also driving this need to put more design thinking into this creation of analytic products. Brian: Do you have any specific examples of a company that may have like, “Version one was X, and we didn’t get what we wanted. Version Y or X.2—we then went back and tried to fit this in better with that employee, and we saw some kind of change of result.” Can you cite any examples of how design allowed the data to actually be insightful and create a meaningful change? Kathy: One was a project that I was involved in at a large property and casualty insurance company. We were trying to alert our franchise insurance agents if they had somebody in their book of business who was likely to not renew. It was based on really good data science and model scores with different, clear […] that showed significant likelihood to a trait between them. It was originally deployed in a separate application with some general groupings of how likely they were to leave. The utilization of it was more of a curiosity at that point. There were some adopters, but not as broad as it would be hoped to really be able to substantially move the needle on this. As the design was redone and integrated into their overall CRM system—was legit on their CRM system that came up when they logged in in the morning, they didn’t have to go look to see, it was there for them. As we moved from groupings and scores, into one star to five stars, five star is they’re likely to go–you really need to work those. So just very simple little changes that drove a significant change in the utilization of that capability. Brian: Do you know what the blockers were such that it took a redesign? If someone was listening to this and they’re like, “I’m that person right now. We don’t want to go through the learning experience that your company went through.” What do you do to prevent that? Like, “Here are some roadblocks to watch out for.” Kathy: The thing is, these products are usually developed by folks within a data science group. We have the data, and we know this is a business problem, and we’ve done the analytics. That is expected but not sufficient. Then the next step is to really use just basic research techniques from consumer companies. Go out and watch your user group that you want to utilize this data or this analytics to improve the performance. See how they do their job, what tools do they use, where would this information be most relevant, how can it be presented in the context of their general activities, where it’s not a separate thing, where it’s integrated into the stuff that shows up of their performance evaluation. That’s the way to really avoid some of the deployments that may have really great data and science behind them, but don’t get user adoption that’s needed. Just take that extra step and really understanding the user and where this information is going to be most relevant for them. Brian: Do you think the appetite from executives and people that are at the top of the reporting chain for these things support the time and the effort to go out and do that type of research or to try to fit it in and not so much focus on “When are we releasing code? Show me some progress.” They want to see a glee. “Just show me some proof that these millions of dollars is doing something,” versus this kind of squishy. It can be squishy—at least in my experience with certain executives, especially qualitative stuff. “How many people did you talk to?” It’s like, “Oh, we talked to eight so far.” It’s like, “We have 10,000 employees.” It’s hard for certain ones to understand the value of qualitative research in these things. Do you have any experience or thoughts about that? Kathy: It can be squishy, but I think really analytics especially being deployed pervasively is maybe not a project but more of a transformation program and you have to take the transformation program perspective to it which includes such squishy things that change management and business process redesigned. Somebody using those analytics within their decision-making process is really where the organization gets value from. That code that gets released and deployed, it is an interim step. But it is not the final step to that organization getting value, maybe you’re just a data scientist of the company, trying to deploy a great app that could help a group of marketing folks better invest marketing, or supply chain folks better manage costs to suppliers. It doesn’t have to be this big concerted professional effort. One way to do that in a very agile, low-cost way is to find a couple of folks that seem to really jazzed about getting this and use them as some beta testers. Maybe you start out with just the information on a spreadsheet and say, “Hey, does this make sense just from this information that you would use?” And then have them walk you through, “Where would you use this information? How would it be best presented to you?” And then think about working within the constraints that you have of maybe you can’t change the screen for this digital marketing […] that somebody uses, but how can you make that information as accessible as possible, where it really is more of a push of information at the right time, as opposed to pull of information that a human being has to remember to go get when they’re in the process of executing their “day job”. Brian: You hit on some great stuff there. I talk about this to my list frequently which is understanding tasks and workflows and people’s day-to-day jobs that the goal is to fit your solution into their existing behavior as much as possible. It’s really hard to change behavior. “Oh, I got to go remember not to load this other screen and pull out those number of page two and paste this into the other screen and then hit enter and then it does some analytics.” These are the kind of stuff why people don’t bother to do it. It’s like, “Well, my guess is good enough. I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I’m this good. Whatever. No one’s going to know if I did that or not. They don’t know where that number came from.” They don’t want to do that. First of all, it’s to understand their pain, and then another good technique there is if you’re going to improve a process and we want people to use this tool in order to realize this new value, first of all, understand that benchmark of what their existing workflow, their playbook is and then ask them to do the same playbook using the new platform. This is a great way to uncover the things that you don’t know to ask about necessarily because if you first get that model of how they do it now, it’ll help elucidate those gaps that we can’t see. I just read an article, there is an example like, “Let’s imagine designing a new hotel room.” and you might take for granted that that hotel room has a bathroom. […] is talking about this. You’d be really surprised if you walked in and there was no bathroom because no one stated that was a requirement, and because everyone just took it for granted. It’s those kinds of things that you won’t see as a data scientist or product manager, perhaps because you don’t know what these front-line workers are necessarily doing all day. But I love that you talked about getting into the minds of what people are doing and fitting your solution into them. One problem I see is that in some places, it’s really hard to get access to customers. I think sometimes, this is more on enterprise companies that are selling a product that has a data-specific part of it, it can be hard to access them. You would think companies doing internal analytics that this would be easier. Do you think that comes from leadership? Do think that comes from the ground up? Any comments on how do you get access to the right people? What if they’re not being like, “Hey, I’m a call center. I get paid hourly by the number of calls I do, and you want me to go work on your new software?” How do you incentivize that so that they become a design partner which ultimately, is really where you want to go is to have a team of partners from subject matter experts, and product managers, the data science people, whoever it is that is going to affect the solution that comes out. What needs to change in order to incentivize that participation? It takes time to get these things right. Kathy: Yeah, for sure. We see that a lot just because as you noted, the breath of the organization or the different incentives and priorities that other groups might have. I hear companies all the time, senior leaders, we are going to be an analytics competitor, we’re going to do analytics. They think if they hire 200 Ph.D., data scientists that they are now an analytics company. I do think you’ve got to have somebody at a leadership role at least over the data science group say, “Look, this company gets value from this when we are making better decisions because of this analytics.” And those better decisions are going to come from people accessing the analytics. When they’re in their decision-making process, and really working more leader-to-leader. But that can’t be where it stops. You’ve got to create a peer relationship that all levels, number one. And then number two, if you get the leadership of the other group engaged early on—as this is a problem that they feel they have ownership in and that they are a co-creator with you, and starts at the leader level, and then works its way down—then, I think you’re going to have greater access and more ability to do that. Finally, in the absence of that, if you don’t get it right, then I would at least, as you’re deploying the new app, say, “Our next step is to watch the staff members use it and identify how to better integrate it.” So that at least you’re showing some leadership in your thinking that, “I know this is going to be a problem because I didn’t have access to them. I’m already teeing it up.” We’re going to have to come back and see how people are using it and how we can utilize some user experience and design thinking in the subsequent phase after […] is reached. Brian: Sure, sure. I think some of my clients in the past, they have to go through a failure first in order to decide that they don’t want to do it. We don’t want to do the build-first, design-second, process on the next one. There’s a certain level of convincing that can happen, and then at some point, you got to move forward because typically, IT or the business, they have been tasked with, “Deploy this new model and this software into the survey,” and they’re going to do that no matter what. They’re not going to stop and wait for design if that organization doesn’t have a matured design practice. So you might have to go through that. I would say, obviously, it’s always cheaper to adjust things in pixels, and pencils than it is to adjust it in working code. The more you can get in front of these decisions, and then form the engineering and the data science prior to deploying a large application, it’s a lot cheaper, and it’s a lot easier, and you don’t have all the change costs associated with that, both time, money, labor. No one likes to do it twice, most people want to work on new problems, they don’t want to redo the same ones. Engineers usually don’t like doing this, so getting in front of it is good. Kathy: I think what you’re touching on there is, maybe if you haven’t done your user design work, then you think about this release as a beta release. You plan this release, and you plan this app, and you manage your code knowing it’s going to change at some point, and knowing it’s going to change at some point, and knowing it’s going to change soon. The second thing is, key point is to decouple the analytics insight from the application. There is an analytic insight, whether it’s a number, or a recommendation, or some score, or something, is it is just loosely coupled to the delivery mechanism than it is easier from a code engineering perspective to have to it delivered in a different way. Brian: Right. No, that’s great. A part of that is that the attitude and culture of change and not falling in love with our first versions of stuff. To me, that has to be ingrained in both the engineering–all of the teams that are touching the product that the service that’s being put out there. A lot of companies say they’re doing agile. A lot of them are skipping one of the most important parts which is getting some customer representation involved, and actually, iterating and not just doing incremental design where you keep adding more, “Add another feature, add another data point,” that’s incremental design, that’s not iterating and changing as you get feedback. That’s something to watch out for as well. At some point, you need to get some stuff out there, and it costs to have come down obviously, to deploy software. It’s overall cheaper to get something out there quickly and to start getting feedback of it, but it’s very easy to no get the feedback and to let the working code feel like success. Until someone at the top is like, “Where is all the bang we’re supposed to get for this?” Kathy: I think the approach there is, get it deployed, so that’s great; it’s out there, and it’s working. But again, build into your deployment plan, use your feedback, and change from there. If you are not fully deployed, until after you have received this feedback and implemented the needed changes within the application, then I think that’s another way to prevent that falling in love with your first design. You know that this is just deployed so that people can use it, and that getting user feedback and making those needed changes is an expected part of the deployment process and is not a failure that the application was not sufficient. Brian: I think that should be part of any software development process to have a loop of test design, refine, deploy in the circle. For the most part, for larger applications, you’re never really done with it. It’s a process of getting better and figuring out the ROI like, “Have we hit the market? Is it worth spending more time and money on this?” but yeah, those are great insights. I’m curious in terms of the roles, I feel like someone that’s at the top of the responsibility chain here needs to have a healthy dose of skepticism about their own stuff, especially when it comes to prescriptive and predictive analytics or any service where it’s custom software they’re deploying into the organization have a healthy dose of skepticism about how great it really is. Maybe you deployed on time, bug-free, you can see the stats and all of these. But is that responsibility primarily falling into the data science realm because companies are investing in that area right now and so they become the de facto, what we would call a product manager more in the SaaS world? Did they become that and is that the right place for that responsibility to be? Kathy: I see that happen really, not necessarily through design and intention. But just because if a data scientist wants to take this great science that he’s discovered and make it accessible, in a lot of organization they have to do it, and so it’s put upon them when they’re probably not well prepared for that. I do think that that’s the problem. And then as a lot of different tool and capabilities make it easier for data scientist to deploy an application, if there’s not a really good user design construct within whatever application they’re deploying, in their data science application, then they need to be the one to take the extra step. As I said earlier, often times, the data scientist sees the world through data and algorithms and prediction. They get enamored with the complexity of the model and the strength of its prediction and not so much with how easy it is for somebody to use it. I think that’s probably a reorientation with training that should happen within data science groups around design,  best practices, and user experience design. They’re not going to evolve into great user experience designers, but they are going to be able to recognize something that’s really bad and perhaps ask for help and guide to make it better. Brian: Do you think that’ll stick then that that role will continue to live there? This person that needs to understand the business value that needs to be obtained, the user experience side of it and the technology side is trifecta there. Do you think that’ll stay in that data science world? Kathy: I don’t think so. I do think there will be a separation between the data application design and the creation of the data science that informs that […] in that application. I think as we talked about as some of these companies get more companies get more mature and need to have more pervasive deployment of data science insights, they are going to realize that they need to take a different approach. I often said that between data and analytics, I see the industry mature along the lines of software development. That design focus was not a big part of software development early on. I think it’s just going to have to happen within data science. Brian: I look at it this way, product owners can take many different titles. I have had all kinds of different clients, but ultimately, the box stops with everybody that’s working on it. But it helps to have someone that’s at that intersection of, “What do we need to do? What’s the overall picture of this?” and they understand the tech, the business, and the user experience side. Whatever the title of that person is, that role to me is really critical so that technology doesn’t run with everything. You have to have all three of those ingredients to deploy successfully, at least in my experience. It seems like that’s pretty critical to have that. Kathy: Yeah, for sure. A number of organizations that ask us about how do we show the value of our data science investments, how do we demonstrate our data science ROI. I think if more data science groups really looked at how their data science products were being consumed and started quantifying those, and then using some of the business metrics that are involved with that business process, whether it’s optimizing a spend or reducing average handle time at the call center, that would give them a great task to be able to validate their ROI to the organization, but I don’t see a lot of data science groups doing that. Brian: I’m curious, who ask that question? Is that the data scientist themselves or is it the business stakeholder who’s hiring the data scientist? What role asks that? Kathy: Usually, it’s a data science leader who has a large organization in large enterprise organizations. If you have a large organization with a lot of expensive resources, there is that continuing need to show the value that this organization brings to the overall company, especially when the output of that organization is not well understood or has not then a traditional part of that company. A lot of senior executives, C-Suite executives at large organizations, didn’t have data science when they were coming up through the ranks. This is something new that they don’t really understand, they know how much money they spend on it. A lot of data science organizations will need to demonstrate, “Here’s the hardline benefit that this company has gotten for investing in data science capabilities.” Brian: This blends nicely into my next question which is about obviously, AI, and machine learning are hot topics right now in technology. I hear this from people I talk to frequently which is, “Oh, the board knows we’re supposed to be doing some AI.” They’re asking me, “How many sensors do we have installed? Do we have digital transformation?” they ask these really high-end questions, and they want to go spend some money on it because they’re so afraid they’re going to miss the boat on that. From a design standpoint, we would say, “That smell, it reeks of possibly putting a cart before the horse.” The tool comes out, “We got to go buy this hammer because everyone else is buying this hammer. We have no idea what you hit with it, but we got to have it. We got to go spend some money on it.” How do you ensure that you don’t waste money? You want to invest in this. You don’t want to miss the boat. Maybe there’s potential for a project to deploy machine learning. It’s just pretty much what a lot of these companies are doing in terms of AI right now. How do you make sure that the desired investment from the business is actually going to have some ROI? They have heard this tool is hot. Kathy: It’s what I call the hype cycle mandate. Whatever is the new thing, it was a big data, it was AI and machine learning, with data sciences right, we have to have them, we have to tell the board we’re doing this. I think that is where executives earn their money, is being able to manage the message to the senior leaders who may not understand what’s needed and how you use it so that they can say, “Yes, we’re using it.” But the leadership than the executive leadership or the ones who has to go out and figure out where are the business problems and what is actually needed within our operating environment and our company to really deliver value from this capability. I will say, oftentimes, I see executives making the right call in that way. I have seen cases where folks have gone out and bought a lot of a software, and hardware and stuff that they have no idea of how they’re going to use, and that’s the shame. Brian: Do you think the right step there is to take on a small project, find a small win, show a small value and you can at least satisfy the, “Are we doing something?” “Yes, we’re doing some machine learning or whatever.” Do you think that’s the way it starts? Kathy: I am big just in any data […] investment, a big fan of used case-based development. Come up with a used case that requires this type of capability to execute it at the scale and precision that’s needed and then do some pilots to prove out the value, show the value, and then that then builds up a business case for the larger deployment that way. Yeah, I totally agree with that, Brian. Start with a used case, start small, understand, have an eye towards scaling as you start small, but get a small win, show that you’ve done it, the CEO can, in all honesty, say, “Yeah, we’re doing machine learning, and we’re going about it in a way that is physically sound but will also put us in a position to be able to compete with this capability in a quick amount of time.” Brian: That’s great. I think that I don’t know if I’ve said it, but this concept of falling in love with the problem and if you and your team, the people I work for you, or whoever it may be can fall in love with the problem and then weaponize your machine learning against that. That’s always a great thing, it’s to get everyone jazzed about the problem so that you know, especially if you can line it up with that technology not that the goal is to do that, but that’s when big wins happen to me, at least in my experience. This have been awesome. Do you have any advice, overall what will we talk about in terms of data product managers, data science managers, data science leaders, analytics leaders in terms of design, experience, what they should be looking for, going forward and just, in general, bringing more value to the customers. Is there a theme or something on your mind right now that needs to get mitigated to them? Kathy: My theme is a data science is about big complex data and a lot of technology and really advanced math, but they’re still human beings who have to use it. Don’t forget the humans. Focus in of how great this data set is that you created or how advanced this analytics technique that you’re using, but remember, the humans are your last line to realizing value from all of the stuff you’ve done before. Make sure you keep them in mind as you go through all of those other stuff as well. Brian: I think that’s great advice. And it sucks, those pesky humans. Kathy: I know, I know! They just get in the way of all those greatness! Brian: This is awesome. I have one last question for you and that’s have you ever surfed on a river? Kathy: I have not. Brian: I’m just curious. That came up in the webinar. I just saw this article on The Times about river surfing and I’m like, “I got to ask Kathy about this.” Kathy: Yeah. I’ve seen a lot of videos around that. I think it’s like this bore tide where the tidal action creates like this perfect wave that you can surf like forever. There’s some really good videos of folks doing that down in Brazil with some of the rivers that are draining out into the Amazon and other rivers that are draining out. It looks really awesome, but there’s this surf ranch in California that has this man-made wave. Kelly Slater, I think worked to create the engineering for this technology. That’s exactly what it looks like for those river-bore waves. But I’ve seen actually somebody in Munich surfing one of those […]. It’s on my bucket list, Brian. Brian: Sweet. I’m going to put a link to the surf camp, but where can we put some links to you? Where can people find you on the interwebs? Kathy: You can find me on LinkedIn, I am, Kathy Koontz. You can also find me at the International Institute for Analytics, it’s iianalytics.com, that’s our website. My LinkedIn name is customerjourneykoontz because that’s always been my passion is using data and analytics for customer journey. That’s where you can find me on LinkedIn. Brian: Cool. I will put those links in the show notes. This was super awesome. Thanks for coming and talking to me today. I’m sure people are going to enjoy listening to this. Thank you. Kathy: Thanks for having me, Brian. Have a good day. Brian: Alright, see you.

Panel: Aaron Frost Brian Love Special Guest: Amir Tugendhaft In this episode, Aaron and Brian talk with Amir Tugendhaft who is a web developer who is located in Israel. He finds much gratification developing and building things from scratch. Check out today’s episode where Aaron, Brian, and Amir talk about just that. Other topics include UI Design, Flexbox, UX design, PrimeNG, and ag-Grid. Show Topics: 0:00 – Advertisement: AngularBootCamp.Com 0:52 – Host: Welcome! Today’s panel is myself, Brian, and our guest is Amir Tugendhaft! 1:13 – Guest: I am a developer and experience with Angular and React. 1:56 – Host: You spend your days/nights there? 2:03 – Panel: He is committed. 2:08 – Host: I am going to back up a second, and Brian could you please introduce yourself, please? 2:26 – Brian: I am the CETO at an Angular consulting firm (Denver, CO). We have the pleasure with working with Aaron from time-to-time. My Twitter handle is @brian_love – check it out! 2:52 – Host: What is CETO stand for? 2:59 – Brian answers the question. Brian: I oversee the crew among other things. 3:31 – Host: What do you want to talk about today, Amir? You are the guest of honor today! 3:40 – Guest. 4:00 – Host: That is a lot of information – that might be more than 1 episode. We have to stay focused! 4:14 – Host: I read one of your recent blogs about Cross Filled Violators. I met you through your blog before we did the Host: Give us your own ideas about starting your own app. 4:50 – Guest answers the question. 6:17 – Host: I am biased. But here is a fact. I used to work on a large team (60 people) and everyone committing to the same page app. We were using Angular.js 1.5, which I think they are still using that. I know that it worked but it wasn’t the easiest or fastest one to maintain, but it worked. 7:05 – Brian. 7:10 – Host: What are you trying to do? React doesn’t fulfill that need. I think you are being hyperballic and using extreme cases as the norm. Let’s be honest: we do cool stuff with jQuery plugins when we didn’t have a framework. When they say that the framework is stopping them then I say: I agree to disagree. 8:00 – Host: What do you think, Amir? 8:04 – Guest: I don’t have preferences. I try to build applications through the technologies and create components and simple applications. 8:30 – Brian. 8:33 – Guest: You create the component, and then... 9:21 – Brian: You don’t have to have a template file and another file – right? 9:35 – Guest. 9:48 – Host: I do in-line styles and in-line templates. One thing I learned from React is that I like my HTML, style and code. I like it being the same file as my component. I like that about that: I like single file components. This promotes getting frustrated if it gets too big. Yeah if it’s more than 500 lines than you have to simplify. That’s one of the things that l like. 10:47 – Brian: Modules versus... 10:55 – Guest. 11:07 – Host: I think in React and Vue you have the word module but in JavaScript you have a file that exports... 11:26 – Host: I have my opinion here and talking with Joe. He made a good point: at a certain level the frontend frameworks are the same. You could be doing different things but they basically do the same thing. 13:57 – Guest: Basically what that means is that the technology used it will do the same thing. Your patterns and practices are huge. 14:17 – Brian: If you are talking about the 3 popular frameworks out there – they are basically doing the same thing. I like Angular a little big more, though. Like you said, Aaron, people tend to pick the same one. I like the opinionated things about Angular. You get properties, components or called props or inputs you are getting a lot of the same features. It comes down to your personal preference. 15:31 – Host: What else Amir? 15:35 – Guest: Let’s talk about the UI. 16:05 – Brian. 16:08 – Guest asks a question. 16:25 – Brian: How have you tackled this problem? 16:34 – Guest: I kind of ran with it. If there wasn’t something that I liked I started from scratch, because it really didn’t feel right. 16:51 – Brian: I am an enemy of starting over type of thing. You have a lot of engineers who START projects, and they can say that they start this piece, but the experts and choice team members have what it takes to ship a feature. I mean fully ship it, not just 80%, but also the final 20%. I think it takes a lot of pose decision making to say I want to rewrite it but not right now. I still need to ship this code. I have always been a bigger fan as not rewriting as much as possible; however, if you started with good patterns then that’s true, but if you are starting off with bad patterns then maybe yes. I like that opinion b/c you have to start right. Brian: How do you do your CSS? 19:05 – Guest. 19:52 – Advertisement: Get A Coder Job! 20:30 – Brian: How do you make those decisions, Amir? 20:39 – Guest: I see something that I like and ask myself how do I apply this to my design and I start scaling things. 21:50 – Host: Are you using a tool like Sketch for your initial UI design? 22:05 – Guest. 22:54 – Host: I worked on a project where the client had a designer (UX). 24:00 – Host and Guest go back-and-forth. 24:51 – Host: I am sure it’s all about the quality from your designer, too. Hopefully it works well for you and it’s quality. 25:18 – Host: There is a lot to building an app from scratch. I am not a good designer. I am not a designer – I mean straight-up. I got nothing. I appreciate team members that can do that. 26:06 – Guest: Do you write...? 26:35 – Host: Only on the most recent project. The designer didn’t own the HTML CSS but he initially wrote it and then gave it to me and now I own it, and it’s in components. If he wants updates then I have to go and make changes b/c he doesn’t know Angular. If it’s a sketch or a PNG you have to make it look like that. That’s what most of my career has been. Host: HTML and CSS got me 762x easier once Flexbox came around! I know there is a decimal there! 28:23 – Host talks about Flexbox some more. 28:42 – Guest asks a question. 28:50 – Host: I suppose if I really had heavy needs for a table then I would try CSS grid could solve some problems. I might just use a styled table. 29:12 – Brian: ag-Grid or something else. 29:21 – Host: On this recent project...I’ve used in-house design and other things. If I ever needed a table it was there. I don’t rebuild components b/c that can get expensive for me. 30:50 – Brian: Accessibility. 31:00 – Host: Your upgrade just got 10x harder b/c you own the component loop. I really don’t build tables or drop-downs. Only way is if I really need to build it for a specific request. 31:30 – Brian. 31:58 – Host: Let me give you an example. You can think I am crazy, but a designer gave me a drop-down but he told me to use PrimeNG. I had the chose of building my own drop-down or the designer has to accept whatever they gave him. I made the UI make what he wanted and I made the drop-down zero capacity and then... Host: When you click on what you see you are clicking on the... Host: Does that make sense? 33:35 – Guest. 33:50 – Host. 34:25 – Brian: That is interesting; remember when... 34:58 – Host: We will send this episode to Jeremy – come on Jeremy! Any last ideas? Let’s move onto picks! 35:20 – Advertisement – Fresh Books! 30-day free trial! END – Advertisement – Cache Fly! Links: Vue jQuery Angular React C# What is a UX Design? UI Design Flexbox Sketch ag-Grid PrimeNG Brian Love’s Twitter Aaron Frost’s Medium Amir’s Medium Amir’s Twitter Amir’s GitHub Amir’s LinkedIn Amir’s Facebook Sponsors: Angular Boot Camp Fresh Books Get a Coder Job Course Cache Fly Picks: Aaron Movie: “A Star Is Born” Concept - Model Driven Forms Amir Puppeteer Arrow Function Converter Brian TV Series: “The 100” Angular Schematics

Panel: Aaron Frost Brian Love Special Guest: Amir Tugendhaft In this episode, Aaron and Brian talk with Amir Tugendhaft who is a web developer who is located in Israel. He finds much gratification developing and building things from scratch. Check out today’s episode where Aaron, Brian, and Amir talk about just that. Other topics include UI Design, Flexbox, UX design, PrimeNG, and ag-Grid. Show Topics: 0:00 – Advertisement: AngularBootCamp.Com 0:52 – Host: Welcome! Today’s panel is myself, Brian, and our guest is Amir Tugendhaft! 1:13 – Guest: I am a developer and experience with Angular and React. 1:56 – Host: You spend your days/nights there? 2:03 – Panel: He is committed. 2:08 – Host: I am going to back up a second, and Brian could you please introduce yourself, please? 2:26 – Brian: I am the CETO at an Angular consulting firm (Denver, CO). We have the pleasure with working with Aaron from time-to-time. My Twitter handle is @brian_love – check it out! 2:52 – Host: What is CETO stand for? 2:59 – Brian answers the question. Brian: I oversee the crew among other things. 3:31 – Host: What do you want to talk about today, Amir? You are the guest of honor today! 3:40 – Guest. 4:00 – Host: That is a lot of information – that might be more than 1 episode. We have to stay focused! 4:14 – Host: I read one of your recent blogs about Cross Filled Violators. I met you through your blog before we did the Host: Give us your own ideas about starting your own app. 4:50 – Guest answers the question. 6:17 – Host: I am biased. But here is a fact. I used to work on a large team (60 people) and everyone committing to the same page app. We were using Angular.js 1.5, which I think they are still using that. I know that it worked but it wasn’t the easiest or fastest one to maintain, but it worked. 7:05 – Brian. 7:10 – Host: What are you trying to do? React doesn’t fulfill that need. I think you are being hyperballic and using extreme cases as the norm. Let’s be honest: we do cool stuff with jQuery plugins when we didn’t have a framework. When they say that the framework is stopping them then I say: I agree to disagree. 8:00 – Host: What do you think, Amir? 8:04 – Guest: I don’t have preferences. I try to build applications through the technologies and create components and simple applications. 8:30 – Brian. 8:33 – Guest: You create the component, and then... 9:21 – Brian: You don’t have to have a template file and another file – right? 9:35 – Guest. 9:48 – Host: I do in-line styles and in-line templates. One thing I learned from React is that I like my HTML, style and code. I like it being the same file as my component. I like that about that: I like single file components. This promotes getting frustrated if it gets too big. Yeah if it’s more than 500 lines than you have to simplify. That’s one of the things that l like. 10:47 – Brian: Modules versus... 10:55 – Guest. 11:07 – Host: I think in React and Vue you have the word module but in JavaScript you have a file that exports... 11:26 – Host: I have my opinion here and talking with Joe. He made a good point: at a certain level the frontend frameworks are the same. You could be doing different things but they basically do the same thing. 13:57 – Guest: Basically what that means is that the technology used it will do the same thing. Your patterns and practices are huge. 14:17 – Brian: If you are talking about the 3 popular frameworks out there – they are basically doing the same thing. I like Angular a little big more, though. Like you said, Aaron, people tend to pick the same one. I like the opinionated things about Angular. You get properties, components or called props or inputs you are getting a lot of the same features. It comes down to your personal preference. 15:31 – Host: What else Amir? 15:35 – Guest: Let’s talk about the UI. 16:05 – Brian. 16:08 – Guest asks a question. 16:25 – Brian: How have you tackled this problem? 16:34 – Guest: I kind of ran with it. If there wasn’t something that I liked I started from scratch, because it really didn’t feel right. 16:51 – Brian: I am an enemy of starting over type of thing. You have a lot of engineers who START projects, and they can say that they start this piece, but the experts and choice team members have what it takes to ship a feature. I mean fully ship it, not just 80%, but also the final 20%. I think it takes a lot of pose decision making to say I want to rewrite it but not right now. I still need to ship this code. I have always been a bigger fan as not rewriting as much as possible; however, if you started with good patterns then that’s true, but if you are starting off with bad patterns then maybe yes. I like that opinion b/c you have to start right. Brian: How do you do your CSS? 19:05 – Guest. 19:52 – Advertisement: Get A Coder Job! 20:30 – Brian: How do you make those decisions, Amir? 20:39 – Guest: I see something that I like and ask myself how do I apply this to my design and I start scaling things. 21:50 – Host: Are you using a tool like Sketch for your initial UI design? 22:05 – Guest. 22:54 – Host: I worked on a project where the client had a designer (UX). 24:00 – Host and Guest go back-and-forth. 24:51 – Host: I am sure it’s all about the quality from your designer, too. Hopefully it works well for you and it’s quality. 25:18 – Host: There is a lot to building an app from scratch. I am not a good designer. I am not a designer – I mean straight-up. I got nothing. I appreciate team members that can do that. 26:06 – Guest: Do you write...? 26:35 – Host: Only on the most recent project. The designer didn’t own the HTML CSS but he initially wrote it and then gave it to me and now I own it, and it’s in components. If he wants updates then I have to go and make changes b/c he doesn’t know Angular. If it’s a sketch or a PNG you have to make it look like that. That’s what most of my career has been. Host: HTML and CSS got me 762x easier once Flexbox came around! I know there is a decimal there! 28:23 – Host talks about Flexbox some more. 28:42 – Guest asks a question. 28:50 – Host: I suppose if I really had heavy needs for a table then I would try CSS grid could solve some problems. I might just use a styled table. 29:12 – Brian: ag-Grid or something else. 29:21 – Host: On this recent project...I’ve used in-house design and other things. If I ever needed a table it was there. I don’t rebuild components b/c that can get expensive for me. 30:50 – Brian: Accessibility. 31:00 – Host: Your upgrade just got 10x harder b/c you own the component loop. I really don’t build tables or drop-downs. Only way is if I really need to build it for a specific request. 31:30 – Brian. 31:58 – Host: Let me give you an example. You can think I am crazy, but a designer gave me a drop-down but he told me to use PrimeNG. I had the chose of building my own drop-down or the designer has to accept whatever they gave him. I made the UI make what he wanted and I made the drop-down zero capacity and then... Host: When you click on what you see you are clicking on the... Host: Does that make sense? 33:35 – Guest. 33:50 – Host. 34:25 – Brian: That is interesting; remember when... 34:58 – Host: We will send this episode to Jeremy – come on Jeremy! Any last ideas? Let’s move onto picks! 35:20 – Advertisement – Fresh Books! 30-day free trial! END – Advertisement – Cache Fly! Links: Vue jQuery Angular React C# What is a UX Design? UI Design Flexbox Sketch ag-Grid PrimeNG Brian Love’s Twitter Aaron Frost’s Medium Amir’s Medium Amir’s Twitter Amir’s GitHub Amir’s LinkedIn Amir’s Facebook Sponsors: Angular Boot Camp Fresh Books Get a Coder Job Course Cache Fly Picks: Aaron Movie: “A Star Is Born” Concept - Model Driven Forms Amir Puppeteer Arrow Function Converter Brian TV Series: “The 100” Angular Schematics

Panel: Aaron Frost Brian Love Special Guest: Amir Tugendhaft In this episode, Aaron and Brian talk with Amir Tugendhaft who is a web developer who is located in Israel. He finds much gratification developing and building things from scratch. Check out today’s episode where Aaron, Brian, and Amir talk about just that. Other topics include UI Design, Flexbox, UX design, PrimeNG, and ag-Grid. Show Topics: 0:00 – Advertisement: AngularBootCamp.Com 0:52 – Host: Welcome! Today’s panel is myself, Brian, and our guest is Amir Tugendhaft! 1:13 – Guest: I am a developer and experience with Angular and React. 1:56 – Host: You spend your days/nights there? 2:03 – Panel: He is committed. 2:08 – Host: I am going to back up a second, and Brian could you please introduce yourself, please? 2:26 – Brian: I am the CETO at an Angular consulting firm (Denver, CO). We have the pleasure with working with Aaron from time-to-time. My Twitter handle is @brian_love – check it out! 2:52 – Host: What is CETO stand for? 2:59 – Brian answers the question. Brian: I oversee the crew among other things. 3:31 – Host: What do you want to talk about today, Amir? You are the guest of honor today! 3:40 – Guest. 4:00 – Host: That is a lot of information – that might be more than 1 episode. We have to stay focused! 4:14 – Host: I read one of your recent blogs about Cross Filled Violators. I met you through your blog before we did the Host: Give us your own ideas about starting your own app. 4:50 – Guest answers the question. 6:17 – Host: I am biased. But here is a fact. I used to work on a large team (60 people) and everyone committing to the same page app. We were using Angular.js 1.5, which I think they are still using that. I know that it worked but it wasn’t the easiest or fastest one to maintain, but it worked. 7:05 – Brian. 7:10 – Host: What are you trying to do? React doesn’t fulfill that need. I think you are being hyperballic and using extreme cases as the norm. Let’s be honest: we do cool stuff with jQuery plugins when we didn’t have a framework. When they say that the framework is stopping them then I say: I agree to disagree. 8:00 – Host: What do you think, Amir? 8:04 – Guest: I don’t have preferences. I try to build applications through the technologies and create components and simple applications. 8:30 – Brian. 8:33 – Guest: You create the component, and then... 9:21 – Brian: You don’t have to have a template file and another file – right? 9:35 – Guest. 9:48 – Host: I do in-line styles and in-line templates. One thing I learned from React is that I like my HTML, style and code. I like it being the same file as my component. I like that about that: I like single file components. This promotes getting frustrated if it gets too big. Yeah if it’s more than 500 lines than you have to simplify. That’s one of the things that l like. 10:47 – Brian: Modules versus... 10:55 – Guest. 11:07 – Host: I think in React and Vue you have the word module but in JavaScript you have a file that exports... 11:26 – Host: I have my opinion here and talking with Joe. He made a good point: at a certain level the frontend frameworks are the same. You could be doing different things but they basically do the same thing. 13:57 – Guest: Basically what that means is that the technology used it will do the same thing. Your patterns and practices are huge. 14:17 – Brian: If you are talking about the 3 popular frameworks out there – they are basically doing the same thing. I like Angular a little big more, though. Like you said, Aaron, people tend to pick the same one. I like the opinionated things about Angular. You get properties, components or called props or inputs you are getting a lot of the same features. It comes down to your personal preference. 15:31 – Host: What else Amir? 15:35 – Guest: Let’s talk about the UI. 16:05 – Brian. 16:08 – Guest asks a question. 16:25 – Brian: How have you tackled this problem? 16:34 – Guest: I kind of ran with it. If there wasn’t something that I liked I started from scratch, because it really didn’t feel right. 16:51 – Brian: I am an enemy of starting over type of thing. You have a lot of engineers who START projects, and they can say that they start this piece, but the experts and choice team members have what it takes to ship a feature. I mean fully ship it, not just 80%, but also the final 20%. I think it takes a lot of pose decision making to say I want to rewrite it but not right now. I still need to ship this code. I have always been a bigger fan as not rewriting as much as possible; however, if you started with good patterns then that’s true, but if you are starting off with bad patterns then maybe yes. I like that opinion b/c you have to start right. Brian: How do you do your CSS? 19:05 – Guest. 19:52 – Advertisement: Get A Coder Job! 20:30 – Brian: How do you make those decisions, Amir? 20:39 – Guest: I see something that I like and ask myself how do I apply this to my design and I start scaling things. 21:50 – Host: Are you using a tool like Sketch for your initial UI design? 22:05 – Guest. 22:54 – Host: I worked on a project where the client had a designer (UX). 24:00 – Host and Guest go back-and-forth. 24:51 – Host: I am sure it’s all about the quality from your designer, too. Hopefully it works well for you and it’s quality. 25:18 – Host: There is a lot to building an app from scratch. I am not a good designer. I am not a designer – I mean straight-up. I got nothing. I appreciate team members that can do that. 26:06 – Guest: Do you write...? 26:35 – Host: Only on the most recent project. The designer didn’t own the HTML CSS but he initially wrote it and then gave it to me and now I own it, and it’s in components. If he wants updates then I have to go and make changes b/c he doesn’t know Angular. If it’s a sketch or a PNG you have to make it look like that. That’s what most of my career has been. Host: HTML and CSS got me 762x easier once Flexbox came around! I know there is a decimal there! 28:23 – Host talks about Flexbox some more. 28:42 – Guest asks a question. 28:50 – Host: I suppose if I really had heavy needs for a table then I would try CSS grid could solve some problems. I might just use a styled table. 29:12 – Brian: ag-Grid or something else. 29:21 – Host: On this recent project...I’ve used in-house design and other things. If I ever needed a table it was there. I don’t rebuild components b/c that can get expensive for me. 30:50 – Brian: Accessibility. 31:00 – Host: Your upgrade just got 10x harder b/c you own the component loop. I really don’t build tables or drop-downs. Only way is if I really need to build it for a specific request. 31:30 – Brian. 31:58 – Host: Let me give you an example. You can think I am crazy, but a designer gave me a drop-down but he told me to use PrimeNG. I had the chose of building my own drop-down or the designer has to accept whatever they gave him. I made the UI make what he wanted and I made the drop-down zero capacity and then... Host: When you click on what you see you are clicking on the... Host: Does that make sense? 33:35 – Guest. 33:50 – Host. 34:25 – Brian: That is interesting; remember when... 34:58 – Host: We will send this episode to Jeremy – come on Jeremy! Any last ideas? Let’s move onto picks! 35:20 – Advertisement – Fresh Books! 30-day free trial! END – Advertisement – Cache Fly! Links: Vue jQuery Angular React C# What is a UX Design? UI Design Flexbox Sketch ag-Grid PrimeNG Brian Love’s Twitter Aaron Frost’s Medium Amir’s Medium Amir’s Twitter Amir’s GitHub Amir’s LinkedIn Amir’s Facebook Sponsors: Angular Boot Camp Fresh Books Get a Coder Job Course Cache Fly Picks: Aaron Movie: “A Star Is Born” Concept - Model Driven Forms Amir Puppeteer Arrow Function Converter Brian TV Series: “The 100” Angular Schematics

 Welcome to Episode 43.5! We are here tonight to chat with Chris Debiec, who plays a key role in the early days of Disney-MGM Studios.  Todd, Brian & How are in attendance tonight and we start you off with some information about the upcoming Lake & Lagoon tour.  Some information is also revealed about the gift for this upcoming event and also some key information if you would like to meet any of us.  For more information, please visit here - Click Here At the moment, Chris is working on some top secret projects, but we get him on the phone to talk about his time at Disney. He started at the studios in the late 80s, as a production assistant. Like many people, Chris started in the Disney College Program, being one of the last classes at the Snow White Village.  We also learn that Chris worked at Captain Cook's at the Polynesian. Throughout this episode, Chris has so many amazing stories. We learn all about stealing ice in World Showcase, conversations with Jim Washburn and The Muppets. The entire conversation is filled with amazing, never heard stories related to the early days of Disney-MGM. As a real, working studio, you get real Hollywood stories - which is amazing. The stories almost don't feel like a theme park and more from the backstage area of a movie set, which totally makes sense.Huge thanks to Chris for spending time with us and answering our questions. We really enjoyed talking with him and found him to be full of amazing stories.

This week on The Flip King CEO, Joe Evangelisti and his Chief Operating Officer Brian Rogan sit down to answer listener questions. The first question is perfect for Brian: How do you hire a COO? He recommended that if you don't have someone in mind, someone in your circle, hire an assistant. Put them on for 30 hours a week and let them learn what you do, and begin handing off tasks to them. If you see that they're good at the job, and they start taking on tasks preemptively, without needing to be asked, then you know you've found someone who's COO material. A lot of COOs come from within, you need that cultural fit. Hiring: find someone in your sphere There are a million places now to post your job ad, but the best place to find a hire is from within your own sphere, says Brian. Don't be afraid to tell people you're hiring. You need to find someone who will understand the values of our company, and live and reflect those values, and the best chance of finding that person will be someone who is already familiar with your work. Find that person through a friend or a friend of a friend. You can get a deluge of resumes from Craigslist or any other site, but you'll find the right person if you can get a referral of some sort. How to change the culture of a company Someone asked Brian on Facebook recently: How do you change the culture of a company? When it goes bad in a company, everyone knows it. Everyone sees the problem, the core values are withering away, and the company is unrecognizable next to what you initially set out as your vision. So you need to define those values, maybe redefine those values if it's been a while. And then you need to go through every one of your employees and see who fits and who doesn't fit with those values. That doesn't mean a firing spree, sometimes someone is just not in the right role. We rate, hire and fire on our core values each quarter. Joe breaks down the core values of his company in this week's episode of The Flip King CEO (which he's rated on quarterly, as well). Have an authentic emotional connection to what you do You need to genuinely connect emotionally with what you do. You identify the core values of your company based on what you're most passionate about, you define them for everyone, and then you make sure that your team members all are passionate about those values, as well. If the team members don't believe in the vision, they're not going to last. If you want “quality employees,” then you need to find people who authentically connect to your vision and your core values. Hire someone who will grow with you One of the best things Brian says in this week's episode of The Flip King CEO: You want someone who will grow with you. You want someone who will come in and after a couple of months and say, “Hey, you've been doing it this way, but I've found a much better way of doing this.” Someone who because they connect with what you're doing, are always looking to improve themselves and your business. As Joe says, it's all about value, bringing value to the company and vice versa. This is a fun episode of Just the Tips, answering listener questions and dropping some knowledge. Outline of This Episode [1:30] Finding a COO [3:10] Hiring advice [6:45] How to change the culture of a company [12:15] Authentic emotional connection [15:45] Don't reinvent the wheel Connect With Joe www.TheFlipKing.com  

Welcome to Episode 38 of the RetroWDW Podcast: "Communicore East" - We appreciate your support and hope you have been enjoying each and every episode. Be sure to check out some of our previous shows. Corrections & Listener MailCorrectionsLast month, we had the Polynesian series of episodes. Joe wrote in and gave us some recent luau info about what currently happens in the show. We're still searching for info about the puppets and various character appearances.Listener Mail    Eric wrote in to discuss some of the early locations where WDW could have been. How & Brian discuss some various locations that Eric emailed us about, including some survey markers and WED markings. The secrecy of the planning came up, so we're not sure regarding those parts. How also discusses an early Welcome Center up north, which also includes an initiative about "Disney Rest Areas". Getting a Haircut at the Alii Nui Barber Shop    Anderson, who is 11, wrote in to thank us for the podcast and to discuss how he is learning tons! We love having the younger listeners and hope you stick with us throughout all the history.      Next up, Nate wrote us about the Salon/Barbershop at The Contemporary Resort. He brings up Grady and getting his haircut during breaks from work at WDW. Brian also confirms Grady and how the Polynesian used to have the salon as well. As far as we know, Grady's whereabouts are unknown...    Nicholas D. wrote in regarding the music from Retro Food. Todd shared with us, he used a two hour mix on YouTube, called Retro Lounge Music: Lovely 70s. It worked very well for that episode.    Dan P. recently discovered the show and also bought a Dreamfinder Airship Blimp Blueprint. How discusses the authenticity of this blueprint and the history of how this connects with Skyleidoscope. Brian & How also discuss gumdrops, rainbows and so on.... Figment was supposed to come out on the balloon from the blueprint Dan wrote us about. Very interesting stuff on this one, thanks Dan!Thank you for all the emails, tweets and comments you have sent our way. We try to respond to almost everything and do our best to pick unique questions for the show. Questions, Comments & ConcernsWe love feedback and hearing your memories!Drop us a line at podcast@retrowdw.com or call us and leave a voice mail at 978-71-RETRO. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Audio RewindOur audio rewind this month turned out to be the music from If You Had Wings! The winner is Brooke Outzen, winning the EPCOT Center Opening Medal. Great job and thanks for playing along to everybody!If you think you know the answer to this month's audio rewind, email us! podcast@retrowdw.com - This month the winner will win an EPCOT Center Kodak Disc wheel brochure!All entries due 4/9/2018 and a random winner will be selected. Even if you don't win, you will gain an entry into the NEW PRIZE POT! Prize PotWe are back with a new Prize Pot for 2018! Once again, we will be putting together tons of gifts & random items for our January - June 2018 Prize Pot. Every guess for our audio rewind each month gets you an entry for the Prize Pot. For the best odds of winning, be sure to take a guess every month, even if you do not know. Best of luck and here is what we have so far:2018 Prize Pot #1    EPCOT Poster Set    RetroWDW Logo Embroidered Hat    McFarkle Family Christmas Card created by our fan, Reese    EPCOT Center Coin / Medallion    Mickey Earforce One Balloon PinMain TopicCommunicore EastTodd & How take the lead this month, taking us back to EPCOT Center and more specifically, Communicore East! Todd starts off by questioning JT on what Communicore actually means. We go through the things that Communicore would actually do: have a conversation with a computer, contribute to polls with your opinion, see what a space shuttle is like and check travel destinations, just to name a few.We discuss the original plans, a Wedway Peoplemover running along an outer edge and some other scrapped ideas. New technologies were sort of the push here, allowing companies both small and large to come and go with their latest and greatest. The open floor plan and easy to Compute-A-Coasternavigate area added to the feeling of the space you did not get with Innoventions.Each attraction and area is discussed in detail during this episode. We learn about creating a wire frame roller coaster, the DARYL featured EPCOT computer system, SMRT-1 and tons more. How and Todd really remember this stuff and if you need help with your memory, check out our gallery. It is loaded with great stuff from some of our own trips and many more. Enjoy your journey through Communicore East! Support Your Local MuseumsBrian discusses the early EPCOT feel and how you can still experience that at your local museums. Each of us bring up some different places we frequent in our areas. Dig intoExpo Robotics what is near you or take a look at what we have in our different states. Don't forget to share your favorites with us a well!    McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center - Concord, NH    Museum of Science - Boston, MA    The Franklin Institute - Philadelphia, PA    California Science Center - Los Angeles, CA    Exploratorium - San Francisco, CA    MOSI - Tampa, FL    COSI - Columbus, OH    The Christa McAuliffe Center - Farmingham, MA    The Great Lakes Science Center - Cleveland, OH    Orlando Science Center - Orlando, FLRetroWDW MerchandiseBe sure to get your shirt, iPhone case, tote bag, pillow or coffee mug today: www.retrowdw.com/supportus

Episode 236: Brian Scudamore - CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK: How To Scale A Business Brian started his business in Vancouver, Canada at the age of 18, and later went on to franchise 1-800-GOT-JUNK? as a way to expand operations. Today, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has 1000 trucks on the road throughout some 180 locations in Canada, the United States, and Australia. Brian has received wide recognition in the media and business community. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has celebrated appearances on the highly-acclaimed Undercover Boss Canada, Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, CNN, ABC Nightline, the Today Show, The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos, and the View. His story has been told in Fortune Magazine, Business Week, New York Times, Huffington Post, and Wall Street Journal, to name a few. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is currently the starring junk removal attraction on the hit A&E reality show, Hoarders. Brian has brought his entrepreneurial success story to many conference stages, including the Fortune Small Business Magazine’s national conference. A strong believer in personal and professional development, Brian graduated from MIT's four-year Birthing of Giants program, and has subsequently completed several years of MIT’s BOG’s alumni program, Gathering of Titans. He is also a participant in a nine-year executive education program at Harvard University through YPO Presidents’ University. (from 1800gotjunk.com) The Learning Leader Show "I don't know if you can live the full potential if it's a side hustle. You need to give maximum effort." Show Notes: Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence: Focus - All in, not a side hustle Faith - Belief in self, clear vision Effort - Discipline Why we all need an "MBA" -- A "Mentor Board of Advisors" Fred DeLuca -- Subway founder - He never took his eye off the prize. He struggled and kept going. 32 stores in 12 years. Are entrepreneurs born or made? Brian started a carwash as a kid.  He sold candy in his dorm room Creativity as a Dad -- Always build things with your kids and watch them grow together (ie. a garden) Why did he start 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Needed money for college... Initially called it "The Rubbish Boys" Brian learned more about running a business from actually doing it than he did in school The amazing story of Brian's dad "falling out of his chair" when he told me he was leaving school to run the business full time "It couldn't be a side hustle."  The need for maximum effort to be successful How Brian views opportunities And where he thinks of new ideas to create more businesses The importance of going on walks Meeting outdoors in Vancouver -- "Get your muscles moving" Morning routine -- Get up at 5:55 Power hour Focus on self Exercise Study French, Italian (other languages) Spend moments learning before the kids wake up Side hustle -- "I don't know if you can live the full potential if it's a side hustle. You need to give it full effort. Imagine the possibility if they quit their job" Philosophy on sales? Mentor Jack Daly -- "Ask questions and listen" How he got his first 100 customers "I have the best job in the world for me" Brian's hiring process Why he fired his entire team of 11 at one point -- They didn't have the right attitude "Everyone must pass the beer and bbq test" -- "You have to want to have a beer and eat bbq with them" "I want friendly, ambitious, passionate, optimistic people." "Hire for attitude, train for skill" Brian is the "culture" interviewer Cameron Herold -- Best man in his wedding, previous business partner.  Brian shares why he had to fire him. "You cannot have 2 "fire, ready, aim" type of people." The process of making mistakes on his path to hiring the right team The need for Erik Church as the COO -- He is an executor.  They are a great yin and yang Take a sheet of paper and write down what you enjoy doing and what you're good at.  Also write what you don't like doing and you're bad it.  Find the person to fill those gaps.  Erik does that for Brian How to handle disagreements? Birthing of giants - MIT -- Annual learning, monthly call The importance of being a lifelong learner, be curious, ask questions Book to read, The E-Myth by Michael Gerber "I hire friendly, ambitious, passionate, optimistic people. Hire for attitude, train for skill." Social Media: Brian's website: o2ebrands.com Follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianScudamore  Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

One of the fun parts of being a financial planner is getting to field and answer questions from clients and readers all around the country. In these Work Your Wealth episodes I'll be taking time to address and answer questions I've come across from readers and clients throughout my career. On today's episode, I welcomed back my favorite guest to help me answer some of of your money questions. Today Brian Storjohann (yep, my hubby) and I are diving in to tell you about how we handle and address my business (and the finances behind it) in our marriage. We recorded this episode live from the FinCon booth at Podcast Movement, which means I actually let him sit next to me for this conversation! (Progress!!) WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: How much of the numbers I share (and you should share) around your business finances with your spouse How your business finances relate to and are intertwined with personal finances and goals Ways to address the unease that can come with sharing business finances How to structure conversations so there is no finger pointing or guilt around business success or hiccups Why planning for your personal finances plays a big role in the success of your business How we set income goals for the business(both individually and as a couple) The dollar limit of business purchases that I share with Brian How to plan in advance of business launches and investments to reduce stress Why it is super important to share with your spouse when there are excess funds in the business How sharing business numbers helps your spouse to better support you How often we review numbers and how formal the conversation is Expectations around how long it took for us to communicate effectively around our finances   LINKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: Episode 30: Our Money Story (the Good, the Bad & the Funny) Episode 27: How We Handle Money in Our Household Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me Work Your Wealth: 9 Steps to Making Smarter Choices With Your Money 9 Steps to Workable Wealth

What am I doing to make the world a better place? That's the question that motivated Brian Beckon to leave the corporate world in the hopes of building a more democratic and just economy. As a securities lawyer and Vice President of Cutting Edge Capital, Brian has the knowledge and passion necessary to help entrepreneurs raise funds from both wealthy and community investors. Listen as he shares the most challenging parts of enacting change — from overcoming skepticism to applying solutions that have never been done before. Find us on Stitcher You can also read the transcript below: Small Biz Stories is brought to you by Constant Contact. Constant Contact is committed to helping small businesses and nonprofits connect to new and existing customers with email marketing. You can be a marketer, all it takes is Constant Contact. Find out more at ConstantContact.com. Brian: And there’s something kind of amazing that happens when you really believe in what you’re doing. If you’re just doing a job, and you’re working hard for a long time without a break, you can burn out. But if you’re doing something you’re passionate about, you almost never burn out. You may get discouraged, but you keep on going. Whereas, if it’s just a job you get discouraged you quit, you find another job. That is probably more than anything what has gotten us through difficult times. It’s just that focus on something much bigger than any one of us or even bigger than the firm itself. It’s something really huge. We feel at the risk of sounding cocky or arrogant, we feel that we need to keep doing it because if we don’t do it who will? Dave: That's Brian Beckon, Vice President of Cutting Edge Capital — a consulting firm that helps entrepreneurs raise funds from both wealthy and community investors. Like so many business owners and entrepreneurs, Brian strives to make a difference by doing work that he believes in. As a securities lawyer, Brian left the corporate world in the hopes of building a more democratic and just economy. Today, he shares the most challenging parts of enacting change — from overcoming skepticism and growing an audience to applying solutions that have never been done before. More than fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. These are the stories of those who beat the odds. My name is Dave Charest and I'll be your host as we share the stories of some of the bravest people you'll ever meet, small business owners. You'll hear how they got started, their biggest challenges, and their dreams for the future. Dave: Have you ever felt like you're not living up to your potential? In Brian's early days out of law school, this became the rock in his shoe. Rather than sticking to a clearly laid out career path, Brian tried a few different directions to find something more meaningful. Listen as he describes how he discovered his passion for building a more democratic economy. Brian: How far back can I go? I’m a lawyer. I’ve been practicing in law for about 25 years. I went to law school back in the late 80s because I was trying to figure out what can I do to you know, make the world a better place. And I didn’t really know what else to do with a humanities degree, and I figured well, I’ll go to law school. And I came out of law school, and did the obligatory Law Firm. I was in the law firm for about five and a half years, kind of burned out I said,

This episode Jean interviews Brian Jackson, director of inbound marketing at Kinsta His methods of digital income are vast, a blogger of food & finance, Brian has worked with WordPress plugins, as a super seller on Flippa, and even as an eBay power seller. Topics Include: Brian's Journey How eBay introduced Brian to internet commerce. CDs and DVDs were his gateway. From there he jumped into web-hosting & building computers. “When you do things online, you quickly find out where your time is best spent.” - Brian How learning to outsource proved troublesome. After selling the web-hosting company, Flippa was his gateway to flipping websites to make a living. Followed by the creation of The IT Bros. blog, which was also sold through Flippa. “The only way to learn on the internet, is by making mistakes.” - Brian How Brian is always blogging, and hasn’t stopped. On Brian’s cooperative business partnership with his brother. Their philosophies and strategies. Outsourcing content. The value of a good writer. Saving time on social media. Tips to grow your traffic. The key to success is research, before posting. What drives Brian at Kinsta. On WordPress web performance audits. Brian’s favorite apps and plugins. Plans for the future. Featured on the Show: Quuu Smarter Queue Gonzales WordPress plugin My Theme Shop WP Coupons perfmatters Penny Bros. woorkup No Gluten blog

Like the Podcast? Please Subscribe and Review! [Listen on iTunes] [Listen on Stitcher] [Listen on Tunein] Want to be on the Podcast? Ask Jeff Facebook Live 1. Joe - My question is should I challenge my BEC score of a 73 when I am stronger in all categories except for Written Communications? 2. Alex - 74 on REG - should I ask for a re-score? 3. Arjun - I scored a 28 ... 41 on FAR. What is going on? 4. Mir - Any advice for CPA candidates struggling with Auditing SIMS? 5. Carrie - Failed FAR 4x. Re-study in 23 days? 6. Daniel - Trending at 97% on NINJA MCQ, but failed - what??? 7. Kajal - Passed FAR and REG, but can't seem to pass BEC and AUD. 8. Carley - What to do if I'm weaker on EVERYTHING in FAR?? 9. Keisha - Failed FAR and getting very discouraged! 10. Brian - How to stay motivated when you're working full time, a parent, and ... exhausted. Links mentioned in the show: [NINJA Study Planner & Survival Guide] [CPA Exam Forum] [NINJA MCQ & SIMS] [Ten Point Combo] Free NINJA CPA Review Materials Want to Study Less & Get Higher CPA Exam Scores? Can I send you $162.12 of Free CPA Review Materials that will help you... Study Less Avoid Common CPA Candidate Mistakes Get Higher Scores Spend More Time with Friends and Family Finally Pass and Get On With Your Life?      

We've reached peak "Br[i|y]an" this week when we invited our friend Brian Engle on to discuss what his organization does. Brian is the Executive Director of the Retail Cyber Intelligence Sharing Center.  "Created by retailers in response to the increased number and sophistication of attacks against the industry, the R-CISC provides another tool in retailers’ arsenal against cyber criminals by sharing leading practices and threat intelligence in a safe and secure way." -- R-CISC website To learn more, visit https://r-cisc.org/   We discussed with Brian a bit of the history of the #R-CISC, and why his organization was brought into being. We ask Brian "How do you get companies who make billions of dollars a year to trust another competitor enough to share that they might have been compromised?" "And how do you keep the information sharing generic enough to not out a competitor by name, but still be actionable enough to spur members to do something to protect themselves?" Other links: Veris framework Mr. Boettcher mentions: http://veriscommunity.net/ TAXII protocol: https://taxiiproject.github.io/ STIX https://stixproject.github.io/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/13/executive-order-promoting-private-sector-cybersecurity-information-shari https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/company/press/2015/palo-alto-networks-joins-the-retail-cyber-intelligence-sharing-center-in-newly-launched-associate-member-program.html http://www.darkreading.com/cloud/r-cisc-the-retail-cyber-intelligence-sharing-center-signs-strategic-agreement-with-fs-isac-to-leverage-services-and-technologies-for-growth/d/d-id/1320363     Comments, Questions, Feedback: bds.podcast@gmail.com   Support Brakeing Down Security using Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bds_podcast RSS FEED: http://www.brakeingsecurity.com/rss Direct Download: http://traffic.libsyn.com/brakeingsecurity/2016-009-brian_engle_rcisc_information_sharing.mp3 On #Twitter: @brakesec @boettcherpwned @bryanbrake #Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrakeingDownSec/ #Tumblr: http://brakeingdownsecurity.tumblr.com/ Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/music/podcasts/portal/#p:id=playpodcast/series&a=100584969 Player.FM : https://player.fm/series/brakeing-down-security-podcast Stitcher Network: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=80546&refid=stpr TuneIn Radio App: http://tunein.com/radio/Brakeing-Down-Security-Podcast-p801582/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/2016-009-brian-engle-information/id799131292?i=364002695&mt=2 #actionable, #brian, #engle, #cissp, #cpes, #data, #financial, #infections, #isac, #malware, #podcast, #rcisc, #retail, #security, #infosec, #threat #intelligence   Photo of Brian Engle courtesy of https://r-cisc.org   **I (Bryan) apologize for the audio. I did what I could to clean it up. Seriously don't know what happened to screw it up that badly. I can only imagine it was bandwidth issues on my Skype connection**

Sadie Kennel has been hunting for about 7 years. She was born and raised in Idaho. What drives Sadie Kennel to hunt? What kind of animals has she hunted?  Sadie gets real about what it’s like to hunt in late season. What it’s like to hunt with her boyfriend  Jason Wright of Pure Elevation Productions.  Sadie: My boot’s wet and he (Jason) gets the jetboil out and he’s trying to dry out my boot with the open flame and that’s not working. So finally he pulls out his dry sack that he has for his sleeping bag and says, “Here put this on”… I finally get out of the tent and I shove my foot in this dry bag and put it in my boot and I have my jetboil full of coffee and I’m just like dragging my feet over to the spot and it’s foggy… and we get there and I kinda see this weird silhouette. I thought it was a tree. It turns out it wasn’t a tree it was a deer. Brian: How dramatically does that improve your mood? Sadie: Oh instantly! It was like throw my pack off, gettin’ my crap together and I’m like, “Where are we sitting? Let’s do this!” 

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes / RSS/Stitcher/Podbean/Android Sadie Kennel has been hunting for about 7 years. She was born and raised in Idaho. What drives Sadie Kennel to hunt?  Sadie gets real about what it’s like to hunt in late season and what it’s like to hunt with her boyfriend, Jason Wright of Pure Elevation Productions.  Here's a little sample of today's podcast. Sadie: My boot’s wet and he (Jason) gets the jetboil out and he’s trying to dry out my boot with the open flame and that’s not working. So finally he pulls out his dry sack that he has for his sleeping bag and says, “Here put this on”… I finally get out of the tent and I shove my foot in this dry bag and put it in my boot and I have my jetboil full of coffee and I’m just like dragging my feet over to the spot and it’s foggy… and we get there and I kinda see this weird silhouette. I thought it was a tree. It turns out it wasn’t a tree it was a deer. Brian: How dramatically does that improve your mood? Sadie: Oh instantly! It was like throw my pack off, gettin’ my crap together and I’m like, “Where are we sitting? Let’s do this!”

Bruce: Five, four, three, two, one . . . Welcome to another episode of Whitetail Rendezvous. This is your host, Bruce Hutcheon. Today we have Brian and Mariah Hardy, creators of Hardy Camo Facepaint. Brian, say hello to our listeners. Brian: How y’all doing? Bruce: Hey, Brian. Let’s just jump right into it. What is…

Bruce: Five, four, three, two, one . . . Welcome to another episode of Whitetail Rendezvous. This is your host, Bruce Hutcheon. Today we have Brian and Mariah Hardy, creators of Hardy Camo Facepaint. Brian, say hello to our listeners. Brian: How y’all doing? Bruce: Hey, Brian. Let’s just jump right into it. What is…

Today's interview is with Brian Auten, interviewed by the blogger WinteryKnight about topics and ideas in apologetics. WinteryKnight's blog focuses on worldview, marriage and chastity, politics, and apologetics. Questions for WK: • Why not use your real name? • What's the focus on WinteryKnight.com? • What's your goal in interviewing Brian? Questions for Brian: • How did you come to be in Northern Ireland? • How did you get interested in apologetics? • What would you do with unlimited funding to propagate apologetics resources? • What arguments are the most persuasive for you? • What arguments should we use with others? • Do we need a million "one dollar" apologists, or one "million-dollar" apologist? • How important do you think it is for apologists to focus on scientific evidences? • How can the lay person get up to speed on these evidences? • What's the best way to make the case for the resurrection? • Use a sledgehammer approach, or a velvet glove approach? • What about psychological reasons for rejecting the arguments ? • How does apologetics benefit Christians? • What about dealing with fear when speaking with people? • What are the unique resources on the blog? Thanks to WK for doing the interview! Enjoy.

Today’s show features: * Knights of the Guild theme song by Matthew Gehrett http://www.matthewgehrett.com/ * What the Crew is up too. * Listener Feedback * Trivia (new segment) * Donations * Fan Interview with Aaron Trahan * Guild Something with Sean and Brian * How to find us on the Web.. aka Business Time Thank you again for all your support, we do this podcast because we are fans and more importantly for the fans. Kenny & Jenni Other Important Links Knights of the Guild Feeds/Downloads http://knightsoftheguild.com Knights of the Guild Daily Blog http://knightsoftheguildpodcast.blogspot.com/ Knights of the Guild Fan page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group Knights of the Guild Group on Watchtheguild.com http://community.watchtheguild.com/group Knights of the Guild UStream Channel http://www.ustream.tv/channel/knights-of-the-guild (Password for UStream is KOTG) Follow us on twitter @knightsofguild Call Knights of the Guild 818-308-KOTG (5684) Let’s us know what you think of our show. Give your thoughts on the current season of The Guild or just say hi. Knights of the Guild Cafe Press Online Shop : Where you can buy KOTG T-shirts, magnets, buttons and so much more. http://www.cafepress.com/KOTG Knights of the Guild Zazzle Online Shop : Where you can buy KOTG T-shirts, magnets, buttons and so much more. http://www.zazzle.com/knightsoftheguild The Guild http://watchtheguild.com Geekerdome Network http://geekerdome.com Between the Lines Studio Podcast Network http://Betweenthelinesstudio.com Wil Wheaton's Hunter - http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2011/02/hunter-is-here.html Webseries and other show promo’s played during the show this week: Solo The Series - http://WatchSolo.com Podcast promo’s played during the show this week: Tales of the MouseHouse Waffle on Saturday B Movie Reel

Part 2 of our talk with writer Brian Michael Bendis, who answers more questions from the Jinxworld Message Board . Here are some tidbits from the Q & A session.More discussion about the transition form Doctor Strange to Doctor VoodooDaredevil is "full front" in New Avengers #60.Next Year Bendis teased he will again work with artist Howard Chaykin.There's a new Ultimate Universe project coming in 2010. You'll hear character discussions about DD, Wilson Fisk, and Norman OsbornPlus, Bendis discusses some of his favorite meetings with Stan Lee, including his lunch with Stan last month, in which The Man asked  Brian "How did Norman Osborne get here?"  Bendis said, " In preperation of the lunch, he read a few of my books, and He came prepared with  a question and I had better have had the right answer, and I think I did, because I got an got an 'OK Kid.' I had the feeling if I had answered wrong, we probably wouldn't have finished the lunch."