Podcasts about Consumer

Camera titan Canon has decided to shut down one of its camera factories. Why? Is the camera marketplace in trouble? Ant Pruitt breaks down this photography news on Hands-On Photography. News Theme 2 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Breaking News Photo by Christian Bolt on Unsplash Host: Ant Pruitt Find Hands-On Photography on your favorite podcatcher. https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-photography Follow Ant Pruitt on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ant_pruitt/ Follow TWiT on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/twit.tv/ Join the TWiT forums https://www.twit.community/ Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

This is a podcast about digital and ecommerce, so you already know we're big fans of the internet. It's a portal and a tool to give you direct access to consumers, information, and communication unlike anything that's ever existed before. And if you're living here in 2022 and expecting to thrive as a business owner, you better be tapping into every possible resource the internet has to offer. Alli Reed has known that for more than a decade, and her company, Stratia Skincare, got its start in large part thanks to the wealth of beauty and skincare knowledge Alli tapped into to turn an interest into a side hustle and then grow it into a multi-million dollar brand. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talked to Alli about how she turned her hours on Reddit into a brand that keeps growing, and we talked about all the ways to attract customers, differentiate yourself, and what it takes to educate the consumer beyond just knowing what your brand is, but also what it stands for and how it operates. Enjoy!Main Takeaways:The Reddit Goldmine: If you are looking for an engaged audience, Reddit is one of the best places on the internet to find some. But beware, not only are Redditors engaged, they are hyper-aware of any kind of inauthentic promotion or pushing of brands. When you show up on Reddit, you have to be authentic, and in return, you will see active, informed, and oftentimes helpful folks who can take your market research to another level.Don't Take Our Word For It: In categories that require a bit more effort to convert customers, it's helpful to rely on UGC and customer reviews. Rather than asking potential customers to trust you the brand, ask them to trust their peers who are singing your praises. That's a much easier and quicker way to get someone to pull the trigger than trying to convince them just based on your marketing materials.You're Not What You're Not: There is always a rush to be the first to be certain ingredient-free. Whether it's paraben-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, or anything else, don't let the marketing angle of being XYZ-thing-free be your crutch. Find a way to differentiate yourself that actually has a basis in need, science, or data rather than being the first to be “anything-free.”For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we're ready for what's next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

The leap from Richard Branson to crypto isn't that big, as it turns out. For venture capitalist Mags Kala, all it required was quitting her day job. Kala used to work at Bain Capital, helping out big brand names like Shea Moisture and Virgin Voyages. But one day she decided to leave it all behind and strike it out on her own. After about a year of going solo, she's become especially keen on the Web3 space. On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, Kala explained how and why she made the jump. For her, as a consumer investor, she wanted to be on the ground floor of the biggest changes in regards to how regular people spend their time and money. That's what initially turned Kala on to the world for crypto. What was it that made it click? According to Kala, an expensive digital avatar of an ape. “Joining the Bored Ape NFT craze was very eye-opening for me,” Kala said. Here, she was describing the company Bored Ape Yacht Club, which auctions off pixelated pictures of apes using blockchain-based contracts and cryptocurrency. While it's a phenomenon mostly for people online (with a lot of money to spare), Kala said the rise of these NFT artists made clear many other things as well. At its core, these types of new programs hit at a base-line question she's always trying to answer as a consumer investor, Kala said: “What's truly next for the consumer economy?”

President Biden spoke on the eve of the one-year anniversary of his inauguration, but what have his economic policies meant for the markets and your money? Plus, one top technician sees trouble ahead for the discretionary sector. But have consumer names hit bottom?

The physiological impacts of eating carbohydrate-containing foods are much more complex and individualized compared to dietary protein and fat; yet, there is still no globally accepted way to define ‘carbohydrate quality'. While some researchers often rely on the Glycemic Index as a leading marker for the quality of carbohydrate-containing foods, the research does not align with this approach. In fact, published studies continue to question the variability, reliability, and utility of the Glycemic Index, especially among the general population.    During this episode, you will hear from cardiovascular physiologist Sid Angadi, PhD, FACSM, and food and nutrition scientist Julie Miller Jones, PhD, CNS, CFS, as they take a deep dive into the latest science and recommendations surrounding carbohydrate-containing foods. Tune in to learn about the limitations with using glycemic index as a marker of carbohydrate quality and get up-to-speed on the research that's currently underway to develop a new definition for quality carbohydrate-containing foods. Tune in to this episode to learn about: Consumer confusion about carbohydrates and their role in a healthy diet What the current nutrition guidance says about carbohydrates The complexities of carbohydrate-containing foods How the nutrition science community currently defines carbohydrate quality Resistant starch, fiber and other nutrients in carbohydrate-containing foods The evolving scientific literature on the Glycemic Index as a marker for carbohydrate quality Insights on how to best define quality carbohydrates moving forward The strengths and limitations of epidemiological research versus randomized controlled trials and the appropriate way to relay findings from both types of research Takeaways for the public, health professionals and the research community regarding carbohydrate-containing foods Resources and research on carbohydrates This podcast episode is a collaboration between Sound Bites® and Potatoes USA, the nation's potato marketing and research organization, representing more than 2,500 potato farming families. Potatoes USA is committed to providing the nutrition science community with evidence-based information about the role of potatoes in healthy lifestyles.  Full shownotes and resources at: https://soundbitesrd.com/202

Our guest today is Nagraj Kashyap, Managing Partner of SoftBank's Vision Fund one of the world's largest venture capital fund, with over $100 billion in capital. Nagraj leads their consumer investment practice for north America. It was amazing chatting with him about how Vision Fund 2 is different from fund 1, his thesis around the future of healthcare the ecommerce stack and how he thinks about scale for non-tech consumer businesses. WIthout further ado, here's Nagraj. What was your initial attraction to investing in consumer focused businesses? How did you end up joining Softbank? How is Vision Fund 2's focus different from Fund 1? Why should founders partner with the Vision Fund? What is your decision-making process? How do you get to a decision quickly in today's market? How do you leverage your platform? Walk us through your due diligence process. When a founder comes to you, how do you think about the size of problem they are solving? How are you thinking about today's market climate? Do you think valuations are high? What's your target cadence for consumer investments? There's been alot of investment in direct-to-consumer healthcare. What's your thesis around the future of healthcare?Wellness and preventative care Where is the opportunity when it comes to the ecommerce stack serving consumer brands? How do you think about scale in non-software businesses/consumer brands? I.e. Vuori What's one thing you would change about venture capital? What's one book that inspired you personally and one book that inspired you professionally?Professionally: Innovator's Dilemma Personally: American Sickness What's one piece of advice you have for founders?

One complaint that is often thrown against blockchain and crypto is its complexity and difficulty of use. With advances in the space, we now have people working on ways to make consumer accessible blockchains for everyone. Jeff Kelley, Eathan Janney, and Josh Kriger introduce us to one of the people helping make crypto and blockchains more accessible, Luke Stokes. Luke is the Managing Director of the Foundation for Interwallet Operability, and here he shares his vision and goals for the crypto industry. Help shape the future by tuning in and learning about what's going on at the Edge of NFT.

Friends and family have gathered in Los Angeles for Bob Saget's funeral as tributes from loved ones and fans pour in. Plus, tennis legend Chris Evert has revealed she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer — how she is hoping to help others, and NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar is sharing the warning signs and treatment. Also, TODAY's Consumer — Vicky Nguyen shares the top holiday weekend deals including travel.

Do you want to become a more creative person? Well, of course you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't be tuning into this podcast! So, the question remains: how can you become a more creative person? The key is to be a consumer of creative products, not just a generator of creative ideas. In this episode, I want to bring to light this notion of your behaviors as a consumer of creative products and services. Research has shown that people who are drawn to creative things tend to be better at creativity themselves. On the flip side, those who shy away from creative products tend to be less creative. Let's dive into our spending habits and talk more about what all of this means. In this episode you'll hear: Why we should all do more product research before buying anything. Why brand knowledge is important. How to analyze your purchases through the lens of creativity. How to increase your consumption knowledge. How to be intentional about purchasing creative things. A recent example of a creative purchase I made. Resources from this episode: Downloadable scorecard to rate your idea *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Zunächst einmal vielen Dank für die positiven Rückmeldungen zum "Comeback" dieses Formats, ich werde mich wie gesagt bemühen, in diesem Jahr etwas konstanter zu bleiben. In dieser Woche widmen wir uns einem weiteren Comeback, nämlich dem des PC. Das Jahr 2021 hat das Jahr 2020 hinsichtlich der verkauften Geräte nochmals übertroffen. Außerdem sprechen wir über die in dieser Woche vorgestellten Surface-Geräte für den deutschen Markt sowie über den bevorstehenden Start des Surface Laptop Studio und die "Baustelle" Microsoft Teams für Consumer.

The 3rd Hour is celebrating 70 years of TODAY! Plus a Consumer Confidential — Vicky Nguyen is sharing the best deals and what to buy in January. Also, catching up with figure skating legend Tara Lipinski.

Consumer Confidential — Vicky Nguyen has tips to kickstart a healthy new year. Plus, how to do a digital clean sweep — tips on organizing and decluttering our phones and digital lives. Also, Travel and Leisure Editor-in-Chief Jacqui Gifford has the best travel destinations for warm or cold weather.

Happy 2022, Action Designers! In our first episode of the year, Zarak and Erik are joined by Namika Sagara to discuss her journey from academia to behavioral science practitioner, and how she applies BeSci to the field of consumer and market research.   Namika has a Ph.D. in Consumer Behavior and Judgment and Decision Making, founded the Behavioral Science Center for Ipsos in North America, and is currently the Chief Behavioral Officer for Syntoniq Inc., a behavioral insights consultancy and research firm. She is a prolific speaker and writer, including a chapter on Consumer and Market Research for the book “Building Behavioral Science in an Organization,” which was edited by Laurel Newman and our very own Zarak Khan, and published by Action Design Press with support from the University of Pennsylvania's Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences program.   Dive into this first episode of 2022 to hear Namika's expertise on topics like focusing on how consumers actually think and behave in the real world, as well as the struggles and techniques to simulate real-life behavior in a market research and development environment. She also has tips for aspiring BeSci practitioners on the importance of support from organizational leadership.

We look at the legal considerations that should be addressed when developing subscriptions for consumer financial products and services. After reviewing the practices addressed by federal and state automatic renewal/subscription laws and the types of products and services covered by such laws, we discuss legal requirements for subscriptions and renewals such as up-front disclosures, notification obligations, and cancellation options, federal and state enforcement actions, and private litigation. Alan Kaplinsky, Ballard Spahr Senior Counsel, hosts the conversation joined by Kim Phan and Jason Cover, partners in the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group, and Jill Dolan, an associate in the Group.

On today's episode, Kunle is joined by Asher Ismail, Co-Founder of Co-founder of Uncapped, Europe's biggest revenue-based financing firm. Special offer for 2xers: Email asher@weareuncapped.com with the subject line “Secret 50k” for a chance to get $50k funding with zero fees.Gone are the days when eCommerce businesses were unable to raise capital. Traditional options like banks and VCs were never really preferred options, but now the market is flooded with finance companies and investors looking  to fund eCommerce. This, as you'd expect, has brought with it a different set of challenges for business owners. Choosing the right type, amount and terms  of funding is the latest puzzle to solve. This is where companies like Uncapped have come in to offer transparent and flexible options for funding.In this episode, Kunle and Asher talk about how businesses can use revenue-based financing to grow their businesses faster. You will get to hear about what makes Uncapped's offering unique, how businesses can grow with remote teams and what are the key data points for securing funding. This is a great episode for business owners and entrepreneurs.-----------SPONSORS:This episode is brought to you by:Klaviyo This episode is brought to you by Klaviyo – a growth marketing platform that powers over 25,000 online businesses. Direct-to-Consumer brands like ColourPop, Huckberry, and Custom Ink rely on Klaviyo.Klaviyo helps you own customer experience and grow high-value customer relationships right from a shopper's first impression through to each subsequent purchase, Klaviyo understands every single customer interaction and empowers brands to create more personalized marketing moments.Find out more on klaviyo.com/2x.  RewindThis episode is brought to you by Rewind - the #1 Backup and Recovery App for Shopify and BigCommerce stores that powers over 80,000 online businesses.Direct-to-Consumer brands like Gymshark and MVMT Watches rely on Rewind.Cloud based ecommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce do not have automatic backup features. Rewind protects your store against human error, misbehaving apps, or collaborators gone bad with Automatic backups!For a free 30-day trial, Go to Rewind Backups, reach out to the Rewind team via chat or email and mention '2x ecommerce'GorgiasThis episode is brought to you by Gorgias, the leading helpdesk for Shopify, Magento and BigCommerce merchants. Gorgias combines all your communication channels including email, SMS, social media, livechat, and phone, into one platform.This saves your team hours per day & makes managing customer orders a breeze. It also integrates seamlessly with your existing tech stack, so you can access customer information and even edit, return, refund or create an order, right from your helpdesk.Go to Gorgias.com and mention 2x ecommerce podcast for two months free.

Consumer-price rise exceeded 6% year-over-year for third straight month. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes likely faces September sentencing. Boris Johnson apologizes for garden party at Downing Street during U.K. Lockdown. J.R. Whalen reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's been a lot of mask confusion during the COVID pandemic. What's the difference between N95, KN95, and KF94? Is double-masking with a cloth and surgical mask effective? Pandemic-induced stress hormones can weaken your brain cells' connections — and your ability to execute daily tasks, stay focused, and carry on conversations. Mastering sleep and exercise can help. Banks have long made billions of dollars annually by charging people when they overdraw their accounts. Consumer advocates argue that these fees are abusive and predatory. HBO's “How To with John Wilson,” now in season two, starts with a simple explainer and then delves into deep questions about life.

I talk with Joe Brown of Heresy Financial about the importance of taking an active role in your life and start moving towards being an active member in our business system. It more that being ready for a market collapse but starting a business in the middle of it and crushing it! Subscribe to #NinjaNation: https://economicninja.org

Remembering Hollywood icon and pioneer Sidney Poitier who died Thursday at the age of 94. Plus, Stephanie Ruhle has all the money moves you need to make in 2022 to build up your savings.

Dr. Natalie Azar is answering all your Covid testing questions about shortages, rapid tests, PCR tests and much more. Plus, the creative way three women are getting back into the workplace through “returnships.” Also, Mike Rowe chats with Sheinelle Jones and Al Roker about bringing back his Discovery series “Dirty Jobs.”

Durran Cage has spent over 19 years in the retail automotive industry serving in various capacities, including OEM District Sales Manager, High-Performance Internet Director and GSM, and Digital Retail Consultant. Today he's focused on helping dealers improve their online customer experience through his company Cage Automotive, which is deep ly rooted in dealers fostering healthy employee experiences first.  What we discuss in this episode: Durran shares that there were signs leading up to both the crash of 08/09, and if we look, there were signs leading up to the pandemic and its economic impact in 2019 - 2022.  When times are good, dealerships (all businesses for that matter) get complacent and are ok losing a few dollars here and there, but when things get tight, we are caused to pay closer attention.  Car Dealers are getting really creative during these uncommon times. They are becoming more intentional about where they spend their money and monitoring the results.  The pandemic has highlighted the importance of anticipating and providing an intentional customer experience for car shoppers. Durran explains that It's not just the consumer experience, but it's also the employee experience. Consumer's can feel an unhealthy employee atmosphere.  It can be frustrating as a dealership employee if you're not fired up and ready to provide a high-level customer experience. Right now it's really important to make sure employees are having a good experience.  For an industry that talks so much about "conversions," we tend not to focus very much on converting our people. If our people have not converted to the organization and its leaders, how can we ever expect that they would ever want to convert an internet lead into an appointment? Moving into 2022 and beyond, it will be incredibly difficult to compete if your employees are not bought-in, fired up, and motivated to succeed. An income is not enough to keep people wanting to show up and give their best.  As long as people are on this planet, they will always be the most important piece of the puzzle to achieving success. People matter! Should Michael and Durran write a book?!?  So how can you find great people? Durran shares the best way is through your existing people. Imagine how poweful it would be if your existing people are excited to refer others into the organization! Having a thorough employee onboarding is critical to fostering a healthy employee environment; one in which the organization as a whole and the individuals whithin can thrive.  The first 2-3 weeks of an employee onboarding is vital! If they enjoy it and are jacked up, they will want to talk about it with others and attract others to the business. Listen to the full episode for even more insights!    Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally!  Thanks, Durran Cage! If you enjoyed this conversation with Durran Cage, please let him know by clicking on the links below and sending him a message. Click here to thank Durran Cage on LinkedIn  Click here to let Michael know about your number one takeaway from this conversation 

This is the U.S. edition and the Consumer edition of our two-part year in review episodes. We discuss the industry globally from a U.S. perspective with three guests that include: Chithra Durgam - Founder Blue Check Skill which helps bring celebrities and brands onto Amazon Alexa and also is a practicing dentist. Todd Mozer - CEO of Sensory, a company he founded in 1994. The company has been adding voice AI features to consumer products for over 25 years and can be found in billions of devices. Eric Schwartz - Head Writer Voicebot.ai and the author of many of the stories we discuss today. 

Happy New Year and Welcome to Season 5 of the Marketing Munchies Podcast! This week, Bridget dives into the Garden Center Magazines' 2021 State of the Industry Report. With information from > 300 North American garden retailers, this report has some great stats that will help you with benchmarking and strategic marketing for 2022. Most (84%) were single location operations that generated revenue (for most of the participants) between $100K and $1 million. But it was the price increases and average sales per customer statistics that I think are incredibly helpful to all businesses as we look forward to another great spring of sales.

Professor Zywicki shares his views on the current trend of denying access to financial services to politically-disfavored industries or based on political views, whether through the actions of banking regulators, most notably Operation Choke Point, or actions taken by banks on their own initiative. We discuss the appropriateness of possible responses to these tactics, such as the OCC's final fair access rule that did not become effective due to the change in Administrations. Professor Zywicki, who chaired the CFPB's Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law, also shares his reaction to the settlement of the lawsuit challenging the Taskforce's creation and its impact on the Taskforce's recommendations in its report. Alan Kaplinsky, Ballard Spahr Senior Counsel, hosts the conversation.

Consumer demand for transparency and sustainability of their food system is leading to more and more agrochemical restrictions to address concerns for pollinators, noenicitinoids, and drift. Additionally, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investors are putting pressure on the chemical industry to improve their metrics. Pam Marrone, Founder and CEO of Marrone Bio Innovations outlines the market, status, and potential for biologicals in this excerpt from our 2020 Sustainable Ag Expo. Bringing a new pesticide to market can cost upwards of 300 million dollars and takes an average of 21 years. These challenges have big companies looking at new technologies like biologicals. Bringing a biological to market costs five to 10 million and can be accomplished in three to four years. Growers are seeing that using an integrated solution creates a better final product. Biologicals offer new modes of action, the ability to spray up until harvest, and short reentry times. Plus, they can allow growers to improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gasses.   References: 87: Developing New Winegrape Varieties   94: Effective Vineyard Spraying (Rebroadcast) 122: Preserving Agriculture Land to Combat Climate Change Pesticidal natural products – status and future potential SIP Certified Sustainable Ag Expo Tailgate | 1/14/2022 |  Salinity 101 - Science and Management of Increasing Salinity in a Drier Climate

Le CES, le Consumer electronic Show de Las Vegas, grand-messe de la tech, défie le variant Omicron. Il ouvre ses portes au public à partir de ce mercredi 5 janvier jusqu'à vendredi, et ce, en pleine flambée du Covid-19. Et malgré, surtout, l'absence de grands noms de la tech comme Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta -la maison-mère de Facebook- ou encore Intel, le géant des microprocesseurs. Le CES a choisi en effet de maintenir son show annuel de Las Vegas… Et ce au nom de l'innovation si l'on en croit son patron, le flamboyant Gary Shapiro. Mi-décembre, alors que le variant Omicron se propageait à travers le monde et que les annulations pleuvaient, il a en effet coupé court à toute idée d'annuler l'événement, voire de revenir à une édition 100% numérique comme cela avait été le cas en 2021. « Le CES va et doit continuer, écrivait-il. Il y aura beaucoup plus de petites entreprises que de grandes, C'est le cas… Ce sera différent, peut être désordonné. Mais l'innovation est désordonnée », résumait-il. Désordonné peut-être, mais strictement organisé tout de même. Les 2200 exposants (moitié moins qu'en 2020) et les quelque 55 000 visiteurs attendus (1/3 par rapport à la dernière édition en présentielle) devront montrer patte blanche. Vaccination et masques obligatoires. Dépistage gratuit pour essayer de contrôler la propagation du virus. Et le salon s'achèvera vendredi, un jour plus tôt pour éviter l'affluence record des samedis.  Le CES, c'est LE rendez-vous de l'électronique grand public, c'est le lieu où sont dévoilées les grandes tendances de la tech… Et l'actualité cette année, c'est une nouvelle fois le Covid La pandémie a en effet profondément marqué notre mode de vie. Elle a modifié notre façon de consommer, de travailler, de nous divertir. Et les grandes tendances cette année font écho à cette situation sanitaire que nous traversons. Je ne sais pas s'il faut s'en réjouir, mais le télétravail par exemple est à l'honneur avec des équipements plus puissants mieux connectés, plus sécurisés. La qualité de l'audio est amélioré avec des réducteurs de bruits (fini les cris d'enfants en pleine visioconférence). Bientôt nous aurons des écrans pliables, qui prennent moins de place… Tout pour nous faciliter le travail en distanciel. Il en est de même pour le divertissement à domicile avec de nouveaux écrans de télévision, plus grands, avec des affichages plus performants. Le cinéma dans votre salon en somme. Les gameurs ne sont pas en reste avec des télés qui adopte les codes des jeux vidéo. Et puis il y a la myriade d'applications et d'objets connectés pour surveiller votre santé ou pour rendre votre maison intelligente.

The world of innovation is full of many unique challenges and conundrums, but perhaps none so painfully true as this: those who have access to the money don't always have the ideas… and those who have the ideas often find themselves struggling to find the money. This problem is uniquely pronounced in one particular industry: beauty. “The brands can't come up with true innovation and a lot of brands don't take the consumer's feedback early enough for it to really make a difference in the end product,” Patricia Santos says. “They would see consumer research reports that say like 90, 95% of women say this helped reduce fine lines and wrinkles and things like that. But by the time they're doing those studies, that formula is done. They never asked anybody before that. That thing is on the manufacturing line and getting boxed up and sent. Millions of them are already millions of them and made so I thought, well, a real way to make a difference is to bring the customer in way before that. You wanna ask her what she thinks of a product before you actually make it, and if she hates it, hey, that's a great way to prevent returns. And that's a great way to prevent failed products and not invest so much money launching a product that people are actually going to not like.”Santos is the Co-Founder of Volition Beauty. She saw this problem first-hand when she was a newly-minted business school graduate navigating the cut-throat world of venture capital – and it bothered her, because the more she encountered the problem, the more she realized that she might have an answer. “Okay, this is definitely a problem that should be solved,” Santos says. “And I want to solve it in some way, shape, or form.”  Volition Beauty is on a mission to democratize beauty by putting the power back in the hands of those who use it. Seems simple, right? Santos will tell you that it was much harder than it sounds, but what she's found in return has been greater than anything she could have expected. This is The Journey. Main Takeaways:If You See Something, Change Something: From where you sit in your office job, in your home, in your own business, or anywhere else, you may ome across a problem or a situation that you think needs to be changed. Don't assume someone else is working on changing things, put the onus on yourself to formulate a solution and then bring it to light, because that's the only thing that actually makes change happen.Ask The Audience: Your consumers are almost always your best resource. They can be a source of feedback, ideas, and even solutions to problems you have been struggling with — or didn't even know exist. Tap into the customer base regularly and noot only will your business do better, your customers will feel more empowered and connected to you as well.   Stay Open, Stay Ready: Whether it's adapting your initial business plan or adjusting on the fly to nail a big pitch, you have to keep your eyes and ears open to opportunities and be ready too jump on them when they arise. ---This season of the Journey is produced by Mission.org and brought to you by UPS. To learn how UPS can help your small business, go to UPS.com/pivot.

This week, Hally Pinaud, VP of product marketing at Podium, stops by to talk all things marketing in the medical aesthetic space. She covers: The power of online reputation management; How to arm small businesses to compete in the age of Amazon; The need to be innovative to market in the medical spa industry; Consumer research around local businesses; How small business owners feel about their prospects going forward in 2022; The consumer focus on ease of doing business, and what that specifically means for medical spas; The importance of being involved in your community; How text message marketing can be a game-changer for local businesses; And more!

With acquisition costs rising and margins tightening, expanding the value of the customers you already have is the new growth strategy. Now with more app users than Starbucks, closing in on 12 million in the US, Fetch Rewards is supercharging the ongoing engagement of consumers with their favorite brands. Wes Schroll, CEO & Founder, Fetch Rewards, joined the podcast to talk about the opportunities available to brands to both monetize and innovate through creating loyalty at scale. Plus, it's fun!

This episode features Kevan Mabbutt, Senior Vice President & Chief Consumer Officer at Intermountain Healthcare. Here, he discusses the trends he is watching, simplifying healthcare, how to bring value to all patients, and more.

Today I am kicking off 2022 with another annual monologue. I hope you and your family were able to have a safe and relaxing holiday despite the isolation and other challenges imposed by this latest spike in COVID.This is the fifth such annual kickoff episode, and when looking back at my notes from last year, 2021 played out pretty much as expected, with the exception of Facebook's parent company name change to Meta Platforms…and NFTs, but that's for a different conversation for now.Mark Zuckerberg's enthusiasm for all things VR and AR drove a lot of investment and broader awareness of the coming age of these technologies, even if everybody has a different idea of what “metaverse” means.2021 saw very little meaningful progress at the cutting edge of hardware, but there were a few notable developments.In this episode, I share my take on some of the highlights of 2021 and what we might see in 2022 as it relates to augmented reality. I also touch on a few concepts and mental models for how the consumer and enterprise market may come together.You can find all of the show notes at thearshow.com.

The traditional bank has ignored the gig economy at its own peril. When you walk into a branch as a soloprenuer, you have two options for an account: Commercial, or Consumer. Today's economy defies the binary — and financial brands should, too. That insight comes from the ineffable Raj Bhaskar, Co-founder & CEO at Hurdlr, who joins the show to discuss how the gig economy is shaping the future of finance. Join us as we discuss: - Why banks need to stop neglecting the gig economy - Why banks aren't sufficiently scared by brands like Square or Stripe - Why COVID should serve as a wake-up call for traditional financial brands You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.

In This Episode of Advertising Is Dead, Varun speaks to Arman Sood from Sleepy Owl Coffee. They discuss everything from marketing Coffee to a generation that has seen their parents majorly have Tea, to the interesting name that 'Sleepy Owl' is. Arman gives us insights into how Merch has been a significant contributor to their revenue and their educative initiatives to types of brews and preparation processes etc have been a hit among their TG.Talk to Varun Duggirala on Twitter and Instagram: @varunduggiYou can follow Arman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soodarmanster/Follow Sleepy Owl Coffee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleepyowlcoffee/You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/androidOR iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Happy New Year! Getting up to speed in 2022, we have a LOT of tech to talk about! The Pre-CES show! Let’s chat out the potential trends we’ll see from Las Vegas. Also, Blackberry is pulling the plug on server support for older phones. Qualcomm’s newest SOC is running hot in early benchmarks. Twitter takes … Continue reading "#SGGQA 235: Happy New Year! Pre-CES News, Twitter Political Bans, Samsung TV NFTs, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Over Heating"

Michele is a founding partner of Mac Murray & Shuster, where she brings more than two decades of experience working with consumer-facing businesses in highly regulated industries nationwide. Michele advises clients on proactively managing federal and state consumer protection demands and provides representation in government enforcement and investigation matters before state attorneys general, the FTC, and FCC. She routinely conducts regulatory compliance audits and provides counsel on a wide range of advertising, marketing, and privacy issues.   In this episode, Brad and Michele discuss the legality in compliance and how to navigate through it. Tune in!   00:00 Intro 01:48 Consumer protection 05:00 Fraudulent or not 09:47 The benefits of unlawful work 13:24 How to fix not being called a “scam” 14:24 If you have a complaint go to https://www.ustelecom.org 17:38 UMAIL 19:18 Go to https://www.donotcall.gov to get on the list 25:05 Why to hire Michele's firm 30:20 Why Michele stays on the ethical side 31:35 The number one thing you need - “You have to have an attorney that knows what they are doing on the compliance side.” - Michele Shuster 32:39 Why training is so important 34:00 “Too many lawyers focus on telling their clients what they can't do. We focus on telling clients what they can do, and how it can be done.” 36:00 Check out https://www.saleshammer.io 41:00 Core values 44:26 Who protects the business owner?  47:33 Get compliant, train your people, have systems and processes down 50:35 Shuster on demand coming soon! 53:44 Go to https://www.mslawgroup.com and follow Michele on line IG, Facebook, and LinkedIn!  

2020 and 2021 highlighted the critical need for more consumer-centered strategies. Health insurance plan leaders, healthcare nonprofit founders, and industry consultants share how healthcare organizations will rally around the consumer in 2022, both independently and across sectors.

Invisible Forces is a podcast that investigates the unseen influences that drive our spending, our saving and our global economy. Hosted by Jefferies' insider Shannon Murphy, season three is all about one invisible force – the alchemy that can turn a series of unlikely events, surprises and setbacks into medicine's biggest successes.We'll hear from biotech industry leaders and our own Jefferies experts about some of the biggest breakthroughs in medical history – and the investments that brought them into reality. 

The Social Dilemma & Addiction | The Better Than Rich Show Ep. 5 2:40-11:00 Responding to addictions/voices 11:00-12:20 Dynamic Tensions 12:30-17:00 Unidentifying from our thoughts 17:25-23:16 Reviewing the Social Dilemma - Taking Responsibility 25:00-30:40 Parenting Kids (and yourself) with Social Media 31:20-34:30 Producer vs Consumer of Social Media 34:30-39:19 Navigating through mornings without Social Media 39:20-45:30 Intrinsic Self worth and Coping Mechanisms with Positive Distractions 45:30-end The 9 dot problem and thinking outside the box All Podcast Platforms: https://anchor.fm/betterthanrichshow Website: https://www.betterthanrich.com Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterthanrichshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterthan_rich YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3xXEb7rKBvkCOdtWd4tj2A Twitter: https://twitter.com/betterthan_rich Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterthanrich TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betterthanrich LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betterthanrich

2021 was an interesting year for Canadian consumer debt. Insolvencies remained at record lows and many people were able to pay off their credit cards. But will these trends continue? On today's podcast, Doug Hoyes and Ted Michalos review what happened with consumer debt, insolvencies, and savings in 2021 and, provide their predictions for what's to come in 2022. With government income supplements winding down, collections activity starting again, and limitations periods near expiry, the new year should be interesting, to say the least! Tune in for their analysis.   Links:   Debt Statistics: What Happened to Debt During the Pandemic & Recovery of 2021 - https://hoyes.news/what-happened-to-debt-2021 Episode 348 – How Deflation Will Impact the Economy and Your Debt with Jeff Booth: https://youtu.be/7Kt7KBfemh8 Statistics Canada. Table: 36-10-0639-01. Credit Liabilities of Households: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1810000501 Statistics Canada. Table: 36-10-0112-01. Current and Capital Accounts: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610011201 Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0063-01. Employee wages by industry, monthly, unadjusted for seasonality: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410006301 Statistics Canada, Labour Force Participation Rate: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410028701 Hoyes Michalos Homeowner's Bankruptcy Index https://www.hoyes.com/press/homeowner-bankruptcy-index/ Federal government, fiscal update: https://budget.gc.ca/efu-meb/2021/report-rapport/intro-en.html Bank of Canada, definition of Money Supply, and data: https://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/indicators/key-variables/monetary-aggregates/ Money supply, Bank of Canada, https://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/banking-and-financial-statistics/selected-monetary-aggregates-and-their-components-formerly-e1/ Monetary Aggregates, Bank of Canada, https://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/banking-and-financial-statistics/selected-monetary-aggregates-and-their-components-formerly-e1/ Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0063-01  Employee wages by industry, monthly, unadjusted for seasonality  https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410006301 Statistics Canada, Labour Force Participation Rate https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410028701 Statistics Canada. Table 17-10-0005-01  Population estimates on July 1st, by age and sex https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000501 Statistics Canada, Household Savings Rate: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610011201 Consumer Price Index, annual avg, not seasonally adjusted: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1810000501

Steve and Johnnie were joined by Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, Tom Appel, to discuss all things cars from 2021 and what to look for in 2022!

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 25th, 2021... why consumers are feeling optimistic about the economy, the latest surge in home sales, and which investors are getting a nice pay raise.Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.Economic NewsWe begin with economic news from this past week and a busy Christmas holiday. There's now just one week left to the year, and economists say the economy is showing signs of strength despite the current COVID-19 surge. Last week, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits held steady at just over 200,000 applications. That's below pre-pandemic levels, which were averaging about 220,000 per week. The number of people already collecting checks shrank a bit, to 1.86 million, which is slightly higher than the pre-pandemic level of 1.7 million.Although the holidays could be skewing those numbers somewhat, Rubella Farooqi of High Frequency Economics feels they are heading in a good direction. She said in a MarketWatch report: “The data can be noisy during the holidays, but filings continue to trend down on strong demand for workers amid a labor shortage. The risk now is from new virus variants which are forcing businesses to voluntarily close in response to rising infections.” (1)November ended with an inflation rate of 5.7%, as the nation deals with the Covid-19 Omicron variant. That's up from 5% in October and the highest level we've seen since last summer when the Delta variant was surging. (2) But inflation doesn't appear to be impacting consumer confidence this time around. Consumer spending rose .6% in November (3) and the Conference Board's index was up several points for December.Conference Board President, Steve Odland, says consumers may feel less concern at this point, because it appears the Omicron variant is not as dangerous as Delta. He said on CNBC's Power Lunch last week: “Part of that may be simple Covid fatigue… but also Omicron is less lethal than prior versions and I think that's giving people more confidence all the way around.” (4) Real estate continues to be one of the strongest parts of the economy. New home sales hit a seven-month high in November. They were up 12.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 744,000. That's up from 662,000 in October, although that was heavily revised from about the same number we're currently getting for November. So the November number could change. But economists say the housing sector is strong with a median sales price of $417,000. That's a new record high. They are also expecting price growth to slow when the Fed starts raising interest rates next year, to control inflation. (5) Existing home sales were also strong in November. The National Association of Realtors says they were up 1.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.46 million. That's a 10-month high, and the third month in a row that they've increased, despite the inventory issue. NAR says inventory levels were down 13% compared to November of last year, but surveys done by Redfin.com show a rise in the number of homeowners planning to sell in the early part of next year. (6)Mortgage RatesAnd homebuyers can still get a screamingly good mortgage rate. Freddie Mac says the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was down 7 basis points last week to 3.05%. The 15-year was down 4 basis points to 2.3%. (7)In other news making headlines…Single-Family Rental Rates Rent growth for single-family homes is turning into a generous pay raise for investors. The latest report from CoreLogic shows that rent levels were up 10.9% year-over-year in October and that vacancy rates are at 25-year lows. (8) CoreLogic economist, Molly Boesel, says it's the sixth month in a row that rent growth has hit a new high for single-family homes. She says it's rising in lock-step with higher home prices, and that: “Rent growth this October was more than three times that of a year earlier.” And last year was a good year because of the Covid migration to the suburbs and single-family homes.The metros showing the highest growth rates are Miami with a 29.7% year-over-year increase, Phoenix with a 19.3% increase, and Las Vegas with a 16.5% increase. The best rent growth has also been for higher-priced rentals. 2022 Homebuyer StrategiesHigh home prices have left many wannabee homebuyers in the rental market, but realtor.com says they are optimistic about their ability to buy a home in the coming year. The survey shows that more than a quarter of those shoppers were unable to buy a home and that many are planning new strategies for 2022. (9)Among those strategies are plans to make all-cash offers or larger down payments if possible, making offers above the asking price, and writing home seller love letters which are currently frowned upon and illegal in the state of Oregon. 22% of those surveyed say they plan on going over their budget for a home, and 13% plan to make an offer on a home they haven't seen in person.That's it for today. Check the show notes for links. And please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review! You can also join RealWealth for free at newsforinvestors.com. As a member, you have access to the Investor Portal where you can view sample property pro-formas and connect with our network of resources, including experienced investment counselors, property teams, lenders, 1031 exchange facilitators, attorneys, CPAs and more.Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.Links:1 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/first-time-jobless-claims-unchanged-at-205-000-in-week-ended-dec-18-11640266598?mod=economic-report2 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/coming-up-latest-read-on-the-feds-favorite-inflation-gauge-11640265116?mod=economic-report3 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/coming-up-latest-read-on-the-feds-favorite-inflation-gauge-11640265116?mod=economic-report4 -https://www.cnbc.com/video/2021/12/22/the-conference-board-survey-shows-inflation-concerns-down-from-13-year-high.html5 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-home-sales-surge-in-november-11640272086?mod=mw_latestnews6 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/existing-home-sales-rise-for-third-straight-month-in-november-11640185309?mod=bnbh_mwarticle7 -http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/8 -https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/12/21/rental-rates-for-single-family-homes-triple-from-20209 -https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/12/20/first-timers-reevaluate-devise-plan-to-compete-in-2022

This week: Best road-trip rides EV year-in-review Charging infrastructure Fake armadillos Thanks to John Voelcker for joining us this week.

Consumer trends continue to change over time.  Younger generations tend to be "putting their money where their mouth is" and focusing on the values behind the food produced and the companies selling, rather than just the value of the product.  Charlie Arnot is part of the Center for Food Integrity and was a speaker at the recent Dairy Insight Summit with PDPW.  He shares what trends have been looking like and makes some predictions as to where things are headed. UW-River Falls is offering a new undergraduate Bachelor of Science program in international food operations management.  This is being conducted in conjunction with the Aeres University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.  Students will have the chance to learn about food management and science in both the US and the Netherlands and will earn degrees from both universities after completion of the program.  Brenda Boetel, professor and department chair of Agricultural Economics at UWRF joins us to share more. Bob Bosold catches up with Stewart Anhalt, Energy Sales Manager with ALCIVIA Cooperative.  They discuss the overall outlook for energy supplies and markets going forward.  Planning ahead and locking in contracts for energy purchases can help consumers to save money. Cheese and butter markets are seemingly strong lately and climbing, but why is that?  Matt Tranel, broker with EverAg joins us to discuss that and other topics.  Production struggles and other market movers look to be pushing class III and IV milk higher, at an unusual time of year.  This also is causing a slow down in cow slaughter here in the midwest, where feed is plentiful.  After chatting dairy, we also take a look at the recent strength in the corn markets, as well as soybean meal prices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Up Next in Commerce we're always looking for what's, well, up next. How should brands be thinking about their omnichannel strategies? What are some of the new platforms or channels top brands are testing out? How is the ecommerce and retail landscape evolving? With 2021 coming to a close, it's time to look a little closer at all of those question and try to answer them for brands looking ahead to 2022.On this episode, I was excited to welcome back Caila Schwartz, the senior manager of consumer insights and strategy at Salesforce, and we dug into some of the stats, data, and insights her team has gathered in order to give some tips and advice to brands that want to get ahead and stay ahead in 2022. We talked about supply chains, loyalty programs, and had a debriefing on the iOS update that's causing brands across the board to shift their marketing strategies in more ways than one. There are tons of great nuggets in this one so enjoy, and cheers to a great 2022!Main Takeaways:The Battle For First-Party Data: Loyalty programs and social will be key to get first-party data because they are the best ways to engage one-to-one with the consumers. It's about a give and take between the consumer and the retailer, so the innovators in the space that can create unique ways to engage will ultimately win out.Growth Spurts: In 2021, growth was much more modest than in the past and there were fewer promotional campaigns and discounts than in years past. The supply chain issues and the economic issues around the world have played a role in this change, and the trends may not necessarily reverse in 2022. As a result, consumers are impacted and brands have to find ways to pivot to make sure that consumers are getting the best possible experience.iOS Update TLDR: Apple's update in late 2021 has flipped email marketing on its head and brands have to adjust. If your marketing strategy is built around or includes open rates, then you should be rethinking and refocusing on click-thru rates instead. To get more results in that area, you have to level up your actual emails and create better, more engaging content.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we're ready for what's next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

As we wrap up 2021, who better to speak with than Matt Britton, CEO & Founder of Suzy, the consumer intelligence platform used by over 300 leading global brands? As a Suzy client ourselves, we use the platform to get quality consumer insights on demand. So, in this episode, we take a look back on 2021 with Matt, and analyze some key happenings: how consumer shopping habits are reacting to inflation, eating out vs. dining in, and Matt's predictions heading into 2022.

Can you say “pent-up demand?” Steve Sipress, entrepreneur, marketing, sales, tips, ideas, help, strategy, small business owner, direct response, tactics, success, profits, growth, results, marketing consultant, economy, boom, Covid, omicron, delta, variant, virus, coronavirus, pandemic, Fauci, Biden, government, lockdown, lockdowns, shutdown, mask, mandate, vaccine

Growth is not a straight line but rather a flow state that is caught. If you want to survive as a leader, then It's time to find that flow with today's guest Emily Ransone! Emily is a partner in a Direct-to-Consumer & B2B office furniture business, where she challenges conventional thinking about how to leverage the office environment as a strategic tool to achieve business objectives. She is also a business coach (EOS Implementer) helping business owners and leadership teams get more of what they want from their businesses Emily is also the author of the book, "Growth Junkies Unite", where she helps people gain the traction they need to start their growth journey. What an incredible leader, problem-solver, communicator, and advocate for growth! I can't wait for you to ‘dig in' and learn how leaders either grow or die. On this episode: Emily talks through what an EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Implementer is and how it helps move all the aspects of a business forward in harmony while creating leaders in the process. The difference between leading and managing. Leaders create openings for people to join them on the journey and take ownership. Emily shares the foundations for her book, Growth Junkies Unite, and how we all need a reinvigoration of our growth.  Leadership happens with a combination of intentionality with having your antennas up for opportunity, but it can't be forced. Learn how to get into the “flow of life.”  How growing as a leader means you train up the next generation to take on the mantle to do it better than you.  How do we avoid extinction as leaders? Emily talks about being exploratory in our thinking and putting in place autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Key Takeaways: Let science work for you while you focus on your artistry  Seek first to understand then be understood Invite your team to become owners  Growth doesn't happen in a straight line Leadership is a relaxed flow rather than something forced Evolve or die - you have to be attuned to change  Tweetable Quotes: “It's not just about listening… You've gotta actively be mining for understanding and then coming together.” - Emily Ransone “When people are staying stuck it's because they fear change… It's the people who think they've got it all figured out that are going to go the way of the dinosaur.” - Emily Ransone Connect with Emily on https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyransone/ (LinkedIn) or email efransone@gamil.com. Visit http://www.tractionforgrowth.com/ (http://www.tractionforgrowth.com/)  and start getting what you want out of your business. Resources: https://growthjunkiesunite.com/get-the-book/ (Growth Junkies Unite) https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837 (Traction) https://podtail.com/podcast/leadership-is-changing/211-ask-denis-ask-don-t-tell/ (Episode: Ask, Don't Tell) https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_flow_the_secret_to_happiness?language=en (TEDx Flow, the Secret to Happiness) https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/1594484805 (Drive) https://www.amazon.com/Second-Rule-Transform-Confidence-Everyday/dp/1682612384 (The 5 Second Rule) https://www.eosworldwide.com/emily-ransone (EOS Resources) Email: denis@leadingchangepartners.com Website: http://www.leadingchangepartners.com/ (http://www.leadingchangepartners.com/)  Leadership Is Changing Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LeadershipIsChanging/ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/LeadershipIsChanging/) Leadership is Changing LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-is-changing-podcast/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-is-changing-podcast/)

Is the Federal Reserve concerned about price levels? What's the significance of asset purchases ending? Will supply chain struggles resolve? Raymond James Chief Economist Dr. Scott Brown shares his outlook for 2022. [Recorded 12/8/21]

Happy Holidays! I don’t have a fancy show planned, so we’re just going to hang out and chat about the year. Oh. And maybe there’s a giveaway happening this week… Let’s get our tech week started right! Download this week’s podcast – SGGQA 234 (RSS subscription links below) Get the ad-free version of this episode! … Continue reading "#SGGQA 234: The HAPPY HOLIDAYS Pajama Podcast!"

Here we are, at the end of another year – and wow, what a year it has been. There is a lot to unpack, so in this end of year special, I'm joined by Eric Johnson - journalist, logistics tech expert and friend - to discuss some of the events of the year. We talk about disruption and the major challenges within the shipping industry; we reflect on key and emerging trends; and look forward to what might be to come in 2022.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [05.47] An introduction to Eric Johnson. [07.07] Reflections on COVID during 2021. “It's the uneven nature of COVID, it impacts our industry a lot – what happens in one region has a knock-on effect in another.” New complications, such as lockdowns, the Delta variant and issues with vaccinations Acceptance of the ‘new normal' Adaptation and finding a ‘working with COVID' way of thinking What we've learned “We're even more adaptable and resilient than we ever thought.” [16.22] The boom in ecommerce. Consumer buying habits Demand and customer expectations Market stabilization Flurry of acquisitions and mergers “We will look back on this period as a catalyst.” [22.55] Major disruptions in shipping. Evergreen stuck in the Suez Canal Port congestion Record number of containers overboard Compounding events, such as the Texas ice storm Health, wellness and working conditions of seafarers Big brands commissioning vessels for 2022 [32.22] Practicalities – what we can do and how we can be proactive about managing COVID disruption ongoing. “The fact that the White House is so focused on this topic is unique, in and of itself.” Industry collaboration and partnership New technology Data and automation Innovation Diversity and inclusion  “Whether it's using technology, or creating a partnership with another company, we need to figure out where we can achieve better efficiency.” [40.29] Key milestones and achievements for Let's Talk Supply Chain in 2021. Third birthday / 200th episode Launch of LTSC Asiapac LinkedIn Live sustainability course A year of Blended Brand new live shows   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   You connect with Eric over on LinkedIn, or catch up on his show LOGTECH Live over on the LTSC YouTube channel. Check out our other podcasts HERE.