Podcasts about CRM

252: In this episode, I sat down with Brandon Parker, founder of Land AI, to talk about how AI is revolutionizing the land investing world.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/252)Brandon's company has made over 10 million cold calls and helped clients close more than $20 million in land acquisitions this year alone. His AI voice assistant (Maya) can now handle full seller conversations, qualify leads, and send high-quality prospects directly into your CRM.We dig into how this technology works, the compliance rules around AI, the tech stack powering it, and how it compares to traditional cold calling or direct mail.

What if your next multifamily deal didn't come from a broker… or a mailing campaign… but from knocking on the owner's front door? In this episode of the Get Creative Podcast, host Justin Tuminowski sits down with Casey Roloff (Yuma, Arizona) — Army veteran, former Border Patrol agent, and Subto/Owners Club member — to break down a real-world seller financing deal on an 11-unit apartment complex that started with a cold door knock and turned into a wealth-building home run. Connect with Casey: https://www.facebook.com/casey.roloff/ ➡️ Meet Pace on the Creative Nation Tour: https://bit.ly/GetCreativeNationTour ➡️ Download the Free SubTo A-Z e-book: https://subto.sjv.io/qzd0Vb  ➡️ Get the CRM that will take you further: https://www.gohighlevel.com/pace ➡️ Use Creative Listing for FREE to buy and sell creatively: https://bit.ly/CreativeListing ➡️ Join the SubTo Community: https://subto.sjv.io/RG6EDb ➡️ Become a Top Tier Transaction Coordinator: https://toptiertc.pxf.io/yqmoxW ➡️ Discover the Gator Method: https://gator.sjv.io/6yYWBG ➡️ Get to the SquadUp Summit Conference: https://bit.ly/GetToSquadUpSummit COMMUNITY MEMBERS! ➡️ Get Featured on the Get Creative Podcast: https://bit.ly/GetCreativeGuestForm Refer a Friend to SubTo: refer.nre.ai/subto Refer a Friend to TTTC: refer.nre.ai/tttc Refer a Friend to Gator: refer.nre.ai/gator PLUG IN & SUBSCRIBE Creative Real Estate Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativefinancewithpacemorby Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pacemorby/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PaceMorby TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pacemorby  X: https://x.com/PaceJordanMorby The Pace Morby Show: https://www.youtube.com/@thepacemorbyshow

"Extravagant value" might sound over the top, but in recruiting, it's the secret to cutting through noise, skepticism, and shallow outreach. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I unpack what extravagant value really means, why it works, and how to build it into your recruiting system. Because if you want to win top-tier talent, your follow-up can't feel average. It has to feel unforgettable. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – Why "some value" isn't enough anymore [01:00] What Extravagant Value Really Means – It's not flashy or manipulative. It's thoughtful, personal, and intentional [01:30] The Litmus Test – If your value costs you time, attention, or creativity, it's probably extravagant [02:00] Real Examples – Sharing a custom content resource Sending a podcast that solves a problem Following up with a personal video or handwritten note   [03:00] The Power of Being Rare – In a transactional world, generosity and personalization feel extravagant [03:30] What It's NOT – Gimmicks, bribes, or manipulative "gifts" don't build trust, they destroy it [04:00] Operationalizing It – Build a "value vault" of tools, templates, and resources to share at scale [04:30] Automate the Follow-Up – Use your CRM to document personal details and create reminders to deliver value [05:00] Final Challenge – Look at your last five recruiting convos: Did you surprise them? Did you serve them? If not, start now Key Takeaways Value That Feels Personal Will Always Win – Recruits want to be seen, not sold to Extravagant Doesn't Mean Expensive – It means thoughtful, relevant, and intentional Surprise Builds Belief – Small, unexpected moments create massive differentiation Systemize the Generosity – Build tools and rhythms that make high-value touches repeatable You Don't Need More Pitches. You Need More Contrast – When people feel served instead of sold, recruiting shifts from pressure to pull Top talent won't remember your comp plan. But they will remember how you made them feel. Make that moment extravagant.

If you're a developer or founder, you already know how to build. The hard part is building the right thing, for the right people, at the right time. In Part 1 of our interview with Samir ElKamouny, we dig into a practical market validation strategy that helps you avoid the most expensive mistake in software: investing months of effort into something the market didn't ask for. Samir's message is refreshingly grounded: big ideas are great, but execution is everything. And execution doesn't start with code—it starts with clarity, research, and small tests that tell you whether you're on the right path. About Samir ElKamouny Samir ElKamouny is an entrepreneur and marketing expert who believes execution is everything—an early lesson inspired by his father's legacy of big ideas. He's helped scale businesses by pairing strategic action with a commitment to impact, guided by values like Freedom, Happiness, Health, Family, and Spirituality. In this episode, that philosophy shows up as practical market validation: test demand and messaging before you overbuild. Market Validation Strategy: Start With "Is This Real?" Before "Can I Build It?" One of the biggest mindset shifts Samir reinforces is that your first job isn't product development—it's discovery. Before you worry about features, tech stacks, or perfect UI, you need answers to questions like: What problem are we solving—and for whom? What alternatives do people already use? Why would someone switch (or pay)? What would make this stand out in the market? This is where market research becomes your leverage. It reduces risk, sharpens your messaging, and keeps your roadmap tied to real-world demand instead of assumptions. Ideas Don't Win—Execution Wins: You can have a great idea, but if you can't clearly explain why it matters and who it's for, you'll struggle to sell it—even if you build it perfectly. Market Validation Strategy: Use Market Research to Find Differentiation Samir talks about loving market research because it forces you to look for what actually matters: differentiation. A useful way to think about this (especially for builders) is to treat your market research like a product spec—but for the buyer's brain: What are the top 3 pains people complain about? What outcomes do they want most? What language do they use to describe the problem? What do they distrust about existing options? That last point is gold: distrust is often where your positioning lives. If buyers think "all solutions in this space are overpriced and confusing," your market edge might be "simple, transparent, and fast to implement." Market Validation Strategy: Run the $5/Day Test (Before You Write Code) Here's where Samir gets extremely actionable: you don't need a perfect product to validate interest. You need a simple way to test messaging and capture intent. Think lightweight experiments: a basic landing page with one clear promise a short form ("Interested? Tell me your biggest challenge.") a tiny ad budget to test demand and messaging (Samir mentions even $5/day) a few direct conversations with the people you're building for This isn't about "launching." It's about getting signals—fast. The Goal Isn't Perfection—It's Proof: If people won't click, reply, or sign up when the idea is explained clearly, a bigger build won't fix that. Validation comes before optimization. Market Validation Strategy: Build a Funnel That Matches the Buyer's Learning Curve Samir also breaks down why funnels aren't one-size-fits-all. The funnel you need depends on how much your buyer must be educated before they can decide. If you're in a well-known category—say "CRM"—buyers already understand the problem and the solution type. Your job becomes differentiation and trust. But if your product is new, complex, or requires behavior change, you may need a longer funnel: more education, more examples, more proof, and more clarity before a buyer is ready to act. Either way, the key is to define the conversion goal (lead, consultation, free trial, signup) and build only what supports that path. Market Validation Strategy: A 48-Hour Checklist for Builders Try this quick validation sprint before you commit to a full build: Write a one-sentence offer (who it's for + outcome). Build a simple landing page (problem, promise, proof, CTA). Run a tiny ad test or post where your audience hangs out. Track clicks + form submissions (signals > opinions). Talk to 3–5 responders and ask what they expected. If the message lands, you've earned the right to build the next layer. If it doesn't, you just saved yourself months of building the wrong thing. Closing Thoughts: Execute Small, Learn Fast, Build Smart A strong market validation strategy is less about "finding the perfect idea" and more about building the habit of learning quickly. Samir's approach helps you move from assumptions to evidence—without betting your time, energy, or budget on hope. So before you spin up a repo, define your offer, test your messaging, and look for real-world signals. Once you have proof, then you can build with confidence—because you're not just building software. You're building something people actually want. In Part 2, we'll take the next step: how to diagnose funnel bottlenecks, improve clarity, and use smarter testing to increase conversions once you've got traction. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Branding and Marketing Fundamentals with Kevin Adelsberger Leverage YouTube For Marketing And Brand Growth How to Succeed with Digital Marketing for Small Businesses Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

Episode Title: Calming Rain Sounds for Sleeping and Mental FocusDescription:In this episode, we dive into the soothing world of rain sounds and how they can help improve your sleep quality and boost mental focus. Discover the science behind why rain sounds create a peaceful atmosphere that can ease anxiety, promote relaxation, and sharpen concentration. We'll also share tips on how to use these gentle sounds effectively during your bedtime routine or work sessions to enhance your overall well-being.Take a moment today to unwind with the natural rhythm of rain, and let it guide you toward a calmer mind and restful sleep.Join us next time as we continue exploring simple ways to bring more calm and balance into your daily life.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Deep Sleep with Calming Rain and Thunder SoundsDescription:In this episode of "Thunderstorm: Sleep and Relax in the Rain," immerse yourself in the soothing embrace of gentle rain and distant thunder. Let the rhythmic patter of raindrops and the soft rumble of thunder lull you into a deep, restful sleep. Imagine yourself wrapped in a cozy shelter, safe and serene, as nature's calming sounds wash away the day's stress and tension.Perfect for winding down after a busy day or helping your mind drift peacefully into sleep, this episode invites you to relax fully and recharge. Whether you're at home or traveling, these natural sounds create a tranquil environment that supports relaxation, meditation, and restful sleep.Press play, close your eyes, and let the peaceful symphony of rain and thunder guide you to a place of calm and comfort.=======DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Thunderstorm Sounds for Stress Relief and SleepDescription:In this episode, we dive into the soothing power of thunderstorm sounds and how they can help reduce stress and improve sleep quality. Discover the calming effects of nature's rain and thunder, and learn simple ways to incorporate these sounds into your relaxation routine. Whether you're looking to unwind after a busy day or drift peacefully into sleep, this episode offers practical tips to help you find calm through the gentle roar of a thunderstorm.Take a moment each day to reconnect with these natural rhythms — your mind and body will thank you.Join us next time as we continue exploring peaceful ways to bring calm into your life.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Personal Attention ASMR with Soft Thunderstorm Ambience for SleepDescription:In this episode, immerse yourself in a soothing blend of personal attention ASMR paired with the gentle sounds of a soft thunderstorm. Designed to help you unwind and drift into restful sleep, this calming combination creates a peaceful atmosphere that eases the mind and relaxes the body. Whether you're struggling with insomnia or simply want to enhance your bedtime routine, let these tranquil sounds guide you toward deep relaxation and rejuvenating rest.Take a moment to pause, breathe deeply, and allow the comforting whispers and rain-soaked ambiance to wash away the day's stress. Sweet dreams start here.Join us next time as we continue to explore ways to bring calm and relaxation into your daily life.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Relaxing Rain Sounds for Sleeping and Study FocusDescription:In this episode of Thunderstorm: Sleep and Relax in the Rain, immerse yourself in the gentle, soothing sounds of a steady rain shower designed to help you relax, focus, and drift peacefully into sleep. Whether you're settling in for a restful night or need a calm background to boost your concentration during study or work, the rhythmic patter of rain creates the perfect atmosphere to quiet your mind and ease tension.Picture yourself in a cozy room, windows slightly open, letting the refreshing scent of rain fill the air as droplets tap gently on the roof and leaves outside. This natural white noise helps block distractions and promotes deep relaxation, making it easier to let go of stress or maintain sharp focus.Let this episode be your companion for moments when peace and calm are needed most. Tune in, breathe deeply, and let the rain carry you to a place of tranquility and clarity.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Deep Sleep Rain Sounds with Soft ThunderstormsDescription:In this episode, immerse yourself in the soothing sounds of gentle rain paired with soft thunderstorms designed to help you drift effortlessly into deep, restful sleep. We explore how natural rain and thunder sounds can calm your mind, ease tension, and create the perfect atmosphere for relaxation and rejuvenation. Whether you're winding down after a busy day or looking to improve your sleep quality, these calming sounds offer a peaceful escape from daily stress.Take a moment for yourself tonight—let the rhythm of rain and distant thunder guide you to tranquility and restorative rest.Join us next time for more peaceful moments on your journey to calm and relaxation.DISCLAIMER

Most founders are terrified of "Red Oceans" or markets saturated with massive competitors. They think the only way to win is to find a completely untapped "Blue Ocean." In this episode of the ProductLed 100 series, Wes Bush sits down with Patrick Thompson (CEO of Clarify.ai) and Esben Friis-Jensen (Co-Founder of Userflow) to discuss why entering a crowded market is actually the smartest move a founder can make if you have the right strategy. Patrick reveals how he spent six months interviewing potential customers before writing a single line of code for Clarify, an autonomous CRM designed to disrupt the industry giants. Together with Esben, they break down the exact framework for validating problems, the power of business model disruption through pricing wars, and why "feature parity" is not the goal. Whether you are building a new startup or trying to carve out space in a competitive category, this episode offers a masterclass in customer discovery, positioning, and Go-To-Market execution. Key Highlights: 02:15 : Why Patrick spent 6 months on discovery before writing a line of code 06:53 : The "Red Ocean" Advantage: Why crowded markets are easier than Blue Oceans 10:10 : How to differentiate when features are commoditized 12:34 : Using price and ease of use as a wedge against incumbents 18:31 : The 3-Step Framework for building what people want: ICP, Channels, and Business Model 23:12 : Which acquisition channels actually work (Product Hunt vs. Founder-led Marketing) 30:04 : Why complex products still need human onboarding, even in PLG 36:49 : How to operationalize customer feedback for engineering teams Resources:

The marketing landscape is changing faster than ever—and the marketers who treat their work like product and embrace AI will win.   This week, Leader Generation host Tessa Burg talks with Alan Kipust, Mod Op's Executive in Residence and a leader in product management, to discuss how AI is fundamentally reshaping what marketing teams can accomplish and how they should think about their work.  You'll learn which AI applications actually move the needle, the power of a good hackathon and the skills every marketer needs to master. Wherever you are in your career, this episode will change how you approach your work tomorrow.  Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. About Alan Kipust: Alan Kipust is a senior product management executive with a distinguished track record building and scaling digital, logistics, and customer-centric businesses for some of the world's most recognizable brands. Over a fifteen-year career at Amazon, Uber, Chewy and Ford Motor Company, he has led transformative initiatives across e-commerce, mobility, customer operations, and subscription ecosystems. Most recently, as Senior Director of Product Management for Ford's Digital Experience organization, Kipust oversaw the company's subscription commerce and advanced Ford's global data privacy and commitments. Prior to Ford, he served as Senior Director of Customer Experience at Chewy, driving enterprise-wide customer experience strategy, deploying proprietary CRM systems, and helping maintain the brand's industry-leading satisfaction rating. With deep expertise in scaled operations, platform design, and technology-driven transformation, Kipust has shaped the digital and operational backbone behind major global businesses. At Uber, he served as Global Head of Vehicle Product Management, directing the product and fleet strategy for a 60,000-vehicle program that supplied a significant share of global driver availability. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years at Amazon, where he launched Amazon Flex and built Amazon Logistics' first integrated customer-and-driver support operation. A holder of multiple U.S. patents and an advisor to several high-growth companies, Kipust is known for his product vision, operational rigor, and ability to build high-performing teams in complex, rapidly evolving environments. He can be reached on LinkedIn or at Alan.Kipust@modop.com. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

Richard McGirr interviews Matt Drouin about what actually makes paid ads work for high-ticket offers—and why most people fail when they try to bolt ads onto capital raising without the right infrastructure. Matt breaks down the core “go/no-go” checklist (starting with a crystal-clear offer), choosing the right channel for your ICP (Meta for older, Facebook-group-heavy investors), and why your CRM, follow-up, and speed-to-lead matter as much as the ads themselves. They dig into lead-quality filtering (conditional logic on lead forms), training your pixel with the right conversion signals, and how to think about creative/VSLs, proof, and ad fatigue. Matt's biggest takeaway: stop DIY-ing it blindly—hire experienced help, because paid is a different beast than organic. Matt DrouinCurrent role: Partner, OakGrove Companies; Go Bigger Sooner Based in: Rochester, New York Say hi to them at: Website: http://www.oakgrovecompanies.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattmdrouin/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-drouin-b298b59/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthew.drouin.50 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCaKfIhzGtUH76cxgIofZwA?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook Group: Go Big! Live Real Estate Investors Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2297121873782562 Podcast Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/go-big-live-podcast/id1678794709 Visit bestevercrypto.com today to get started and earn up to $2,500 in bonus crypto. Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to quo.com/BESTEVER Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at: https://www.besteverconference.com/  Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It's free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠ Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a new year, and with that comes a tidal wave of motivation, new planners, gym memberships—and a lot of Realtors about to throw out their entire business in the name of "starting fresh."

This Money Monday Sales Gravy podcast episode is special because it kicks off our 20th season! It's hard to believe that we've been producing the Sales Gravy continuously for 20 years. Over the last 20 years, thanks to you—our incredible audience—we've consistently ranked as the #1 most listened to sales podcast in markets all over the world. I remember my first podcast episode all those years ago, produced with a microphone I bought at Guitar Center and recorded under a blanket for sound suppression. Today, we produce our podcast in professional studios at Sales Gravy and have a full production team on staff to ensure we are giving you the highest quality sound possible.  What hasn't changed is my unwavering focus on making the complex simple by cutting through the noise, eliminating the fluff, and giving you the basics and fundamentals that actually work in the real world. We've got a ton of new episodes and bonus content coming your way, so be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app and listen every week.  Sales Professionals Must Have Goals to be Successful Your personal goals are the aspirations that drive you, inspire you, and push you through the tough days. These goals are essential to helping you maintain sales discipline throughout your sales year. When developing personal goals, I break them down into three buckets: To-Have Goals These are the things you want to acquire or buy. Whether it's a house, a new car, or building up your savings, to-have goals are about acquiring something that enhances your life. To-Be Goals These are about evolving into the person you want to become. Maybe you want to be a sales manager, or if you're a manager, you want to be a director or VP of sales. You might want to go back to school for a degree or an MBA. Or you want to be a better spouse, a better leader, or a better peer. Maybe you want to be a President's club winner or be recognized as an expert in your industry—whatever it is, to-be goals help you level up as a person and a professional. To-Do Goals These are experience goals. Think about experiences that create lifelong memories—maybe you want to travel somewhere special or take on a meaningful project or hobby you've always dreamed about. Four Reasons Why Goals Matter in Sales Number one, goals massively increase the likelihood that you'll actually achieve the things you want. Speaking your goal out loud, writing it down, and being intentional about it has a powerful psychological effect. Number two, goals make life meaningful. It's unbelievably fulfilling to look back and see what you accomplished—how far you've come over the course of a year, five years, or a decade. Number three, we work in a tough, competitive profession, and it's just plain satisfying to put your commission checks, bonuses, and hard-won earnings toward something that improves your life or the lives of the people you love. But the biggest reason to set goals—especially in sales—is that the sales profession is hard work and it can be brutal.  It's loaded with rejection. At every turn, we face potential “nos,” whether it's prospecting calls, asking for next steps, pushing to level up to a decision-maker, or closing the deal. We even face internal rejection when we try to sell a complex deal internally to our own company or get approval for special pricing. Rejection is everywhere, and the fear of rejection—or avoiding it—is the number one reason salespeople fail to perform. Add to that the grind: making call after call, stuffing data into the CRM, pushing through proposals, handling endless follow-ups, and selling becomes tedious, hard, rejection-dense work. For this reason, it requires discipline to stay on track and keep grinding day after day and month after month over the course of the sales year. But here's the rub: discipline can wane, especially if we're not hyper-focused on a bigger prize. Goals Give You the Discipline to Do the Hard Things I want you to pay attention to this next part because understanding the real definition of discipline is critical.  Discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. Human nature wants easy. We'd rather that customers call us than have to chase them. We'd rather deals close themselves than invest hours into multi-step follow-ups. We don't want to face that “no.” But success in sales is paid for in advance, with facing rejection and hard work. Therefore, if you don't have a clear, compelling reason—something you want most—it's easy to cave in and take the easy route instead of doing what really needs to be done. This is the reason why having a strong set of personal goals is crucial for sales professionals. You need that powerful “why” to keep grinding when the going gets tough. When the pipeline's not as full as you'd like or you're hitting roadblocks, you need something more important than convenience to drag you back into the fight. A Tactical System for Setting Winning Goals Let's jump into the tactics for actually doing this. If you've gone through any kind of SMART goal-setting course, some of this may sound familiar. But these basics are timeless and indispensable. To set effective goals, you need to ask and answer five basic questions: What Do You Want? Sounds simple, but for a lot of us, it's not. We're so busy scrolling through social media, bingeing on TikTok, or juggling daily distractions that we never pause to ask, “What do I really want from my life?” So step one is to get specific. Define it. When Do You Want It? Because we're talking about next year's personal goals, let's keep them within a 12-month horizon. But any truly effective goal requires a deadline or target date—otherwise, it's just a pipe dream. When you have a hard date, it creates urgency and focus. Is It Attainable? Be honest with yourself. If all your goals are ridiculously ambitious, you'll burn out or give up once it's clear you're not making meaningful progress. Stretch goals are great—big, hairy, audacious goals will push you—but balance those with goals you can realistically achieve. How Bad Do You Want It? This is the ultimate question. If your goal doesn't fire you up, if it's not something you'd move mountains to achieve, you won't push through the tough days. Remember, discipline means sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. If the desire isn't there, the sacrifices won't be made. How Are You Going to Get There? These are your steps to success—your system, your process, your roadmap. As James Clear says in Atomic Habits, you don't rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems. The idea is simple: if you have a crystal-clear process for what you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly, you'll keep moving toward the goal—even when life gets hectic. This is where your personal business plan and your personal goals intersect. For instance, if your to-do or to-have goal requires additional income—maybe you need a bigger commission check to afford that new pool or a bucket-list vacation—then you have to hit your sales targets. This means building a discipline system that ensures you're prospecting enough, qualifying enough opportunities, following up diligently, and negotiating effectively. Without a system and personal business plan, you are more likely to get random results. Stop Now and Build Your Goal Sheet Sit in silence. Turn off the noise, get away from distractions, and grab a notebook and pen. Write down what you want, when you want it, if it's attainable, how bad you want it, and how you plan to get there. Sketch it all out—just let the ideas flow. Once you've got it all down, build a formal goal sheet. Yes, I'm talking about physically writing it out. There's tremendous power in seeing your goals in black and white, or printing them out and pinning them above your desk. Countless studies show that written goals are far more likely to be realized than goals that just bounce around in your head. This goal sheet is your personal roadmap—put it into your personal business plan so everything stays in one place. Learn how to set winning goals and build your personal Goal Sheet in Jeb Blount's comprehensive course: The Essentials of Setting Winning Goals

Feeling buried under dashboards and drowning in data? You're not alone, and there is a better way.In this episode, Jonathan and Becky welcome back impact measurement expert Ori Carmel for a refreshingly honest conversation about shifting from “more data” to better decisions. Together, they unpack how nonprofits can move past performative reporting, reconnect with what truly matters, and focus on the metrics that actually drive mission-forward impact.Along the way, Ori shares candid stories, practical frameworks, and even a little Pearl Jam,  reminding us that impact work is as human as it is analytical. From uncovering your organization's unique strengths to making data feel less overwhelming (and more empowering), this episode is full of clarity, wisdom, and a few good laughs.If you're craving less noise and more meaning in how you measure success, this one's for you.Episode Highlights: Data Reckoning in Nonprofits (02:00)The Challenge of Impact Reporting (04:43)Asking Better Questions (08:54)Building Metrics with Meaning (18:36)What to Stop Doing in Data Management (23:39)The Importance of Stakeholder Mapping (30:28)Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/671Thank you to our partners

We unpack how AI turns Google reviews into real revenue by cutting leakage, lifting ad performance, and converting bottom-of-funnel readers with responses that actually inform and persuade. George Swetlitz of Right Response AI shares agentic workflows, CRM-powered personalization, and a playbook for multi-location growth.• Reviews as the true bottom of the funnel• Leakage defined and how to stop it• Personalizing review requests from CRM data• Reducing friction with prompts and draft assistance• Building a marketing fact library for replies• Agentic flows and narrow prompts for quality• Compliance checks for sensitive information• Case study from a 100‑location brand• Why more people read reviews than websites• Bringing website-level detail into review responsesGuest Contact Information: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/george-swetlitzWebsite: rightresponseai.comMore from EWR and Matthew:Leave us a review wherever you listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon PodcastFree SEO Consultation: www.ewrdigital.com/discovery-callWith over 5 million downloads, The Best SEO Podcast has been the go-to show for digital marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs wanting real-world strategies to grow online. Now, host Matthew Bertram — creator of LLM Visibility™ and the LLM Visibility Stack™, and Lead Strategist at EWR Digital — takes the conversation beyond traditional SEO into the AI era of discoverability. Each week, Matthew dives into the tactics, frameworks, and insights that matter most in a world where search engines, large language models, and answer engines are reshaping how people find, trust, and choose businesses. From SEO and AI-driven marketing to executive-level growth strategy, you'll hear expert interviews, deep-dive discussions, and actionable strategies to help you stay ahead of the curve. Find more episodes here: youtube.com/@BestSEOPodcastbestseopodcast.combestseopodcast.buzzsprout.comFollow us on:Facebook: @bestseopodcastInstagram: @thebestseopodcastTiktok: @bestseopodcastLinkedIn: @bestseopodcastConnect With Matthew Bertram: Website: www.matthewbertram.comInstagram: @matt_bertram_liveLinkedIn: @mattbertramlivePowered by: ewrdigital.comSupport the show

You are first on the list to know when you click here: https://johnbunn.myflodesk.com/mentorship  So many creatives are doing everything "right" and still feel stuck. They're talented. They care deeply. They work hard. Yet year after year, their business looks mostly the same. In this episode of the Shifting Focus podcast, John Bunn reflects on the past year and shares his vision for 2026. He talks honestly about the role rest and reflection played in gaining clarity, why the middle market is the most dangerous place for creative businesses, and why talent alone is rarely the problem. Most education in the wedding industry is built for beginners. But what happens when you're no longer new and still not where you want to be? This episode breaks down why so many capable creatives get stuck in the middle market, how misunderstanding your audience keeps you there, and why strategy matters more than effort at this stage. John also shares why he's launching a new mastermind focused specifically on helping creatives build a clear plan, get unstuck, and move forward with confidence. If you've ever felt like you're working hard but not making the progress you expected, this episode is for you. Today's Sponsor: ⭐️ Wanderlust Videos - Wedding Video Editing:  http://bit.ly/46JuGyF  - 10% Off discount code: JOHNBUNN10

3 Ways to Increase Revenue in 2026 - #317 Looking to make more money in your private or hard money lending business in 2026? In this episode of the Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Jason and Chris from Hard Money Bankers break down three proven ways to increase revenue right now—without chasing more leads just for the sake of it. This episode focuses on practical, real-world strategies that experienced lenders are using today to boost profitability, improve loan conversion, and maximize returns from both new and existing borrowers.

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson sits down with Gordon Coyle, a 40-year commercial insurance veteran, to demystify one of the most anxiety-inducing topics for founders and CFOs: business insurance. Drawing on decades of experience with startups, scaleups, and regulated industries, Gordon breaks down what leaders need to know about D&O, E&O, cyber, and general liability, why investor pressure is rising, and where “cheap and easy” online policies fail when real risk hits. Through real-world examples, they explore how claims arise, how defense costs erode limits, why cyber insurance is as much about response as reimbursement, and how to balance budget, risk tolerance, and peer benchmarks—treating insurance as a critical layer of protection, not a box-checking exercise.—SPONSORS:Abacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/run—LINKS:Gordon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordoncoyle/The Coyle Group: https://thecoylegroup.com/CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:The Coyle Group - Business Insurancehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheCoyleGroupNY—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Preview and Intro00:01:53 Sponsors — Abacum | Brex | Metronome00:05:39 Interview Begins with Gordon Coyle00:06:23 Gordon Coyle & The Coyle Group00:07:21 Explaining Insurance on YouTube00:08:40 Turning Education into Inbound Leads00:09:40 Content as a Pull Strategy00:10:53 Insurance Complexity for Tech Founders00:13:28 Why Investors Require D&O Insurance00:14:09 What D&O Covers and Why It Matters00:15:50 Sponsors — RightRev | Rillet | Tabs00:20:19 Who D&O Covers and Rising Investor Pressure00:22:37 D&O Limits and Cost Tradeoffs00:23:21 Panic Calls and Late D&O Purchases00:24:39 How Defense Costs Erode Coverage00:25:31 Common D&O Claims and Employment Risk00:27:08 D&O vs E&O Explained00:29:12 Cyber Insurance and Social Engineering00:31:59 AI's Impact on Cyber Risk00:33:50 Real-World Ransomware Stories00:34:17 Cyber Insurance as Money and Response00:35:29 Business Email Compromise Scams00:39:43 Why Tech Still Needs General Liability00:41:16 What a BOP Covers00:42:32 Convenience vs Proper Coverage00:44:29 Surprising General Liability Claims00:46:45 Insurance Costs for Startups00:47:36 Higher Costs in High-Risk Industries00:48:26 Balancing Budget, Risk, and Coverage00:50:39 PEOs, Workers' Comp, and EPLI00:54:39 Choosing the Right Insurance Partner00:56:42 End Credits#RunTheNumbersPodcast #StartupFinance #BusinessInsurance #RiskManagement #CyberRisk This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com

Episode Title: Rain Sounds for Sleeping and Mindfulness PracticeDescription:In this episode, we dive into the soothing world of rain sounds and how they can enhance your sleep and mindfulness routines. Discover why the gentle patter of rain is more than just nature's background noise—it's a powerful aid for relaxation and mental clarity. We'll share tips on using rain sounds to create a peaceful environment, improve focus during meditation, and foster deeper, more restful sleep.Make time each day to relax with the calming rhythm of rain—it's a simple yet effective step toward better well-being in our busy lives.Join us next time as we continue exploring ways to bring calm and balance into your daily routine.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Peaceful Thunderstorm Ambience for Calm and Restful NightsDescription:In this episode, we immerse ourselves in the soothing sounds of a peaceful thunderstorm to help you unwind and enjoy a restful night. Discover how the gentle rhythm of rain and distant thunder can create a calming atmosphere, perfect for easing stress, promoting relaxation, and improving sleep quality. Whether you're looking to quiet your mind after a busy day or simply want a natural soundscape for meditation, this episode offers a tranquil escape into nature's calming embrace.Remember to carve out a few moments each day to relax and recharge — sometimes all it takes is the soft patter of rain to bring peace to your evening.Join us next time as we continue to explore more ways to bring calm and relaxation into your daily life.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Soothing ASMR Personal Attention with Calm Thunderstorm NoisesDescription:In this episode, experience the gentle comfort of ASMR personal attention paired with the peaceful sounds of a calm thunderstorm. We guide you through soothing whispers and soft spoken moments designed to relax your mind and body. Let the natural rhythm of rain and distant thunder wash away stress, helping you find a deep sense of calm and restfulness. Perfect for unwinding after a long day or easing into a restful night's sleep.Take a few minutes to immerse yourself in this tranquil audio escape and give yourself the gift of calm amidst the chaos.Stay tuned for more episodes dedicated to helping you relax and recharge.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Soothing ASMR Personal Attention with Gentle Rainfall for Restful NightsDescription:In this episode, immerse yourself in a calming ASMR experience featuring gentle rainfall paired with personal attention triggers designed to help you unwind and prepare for a restful night's sleep. We guide you through soothing sounds and soft spoken moments that promote deep relaxation and peace of mind. Whether you're looking to reduce stress or simply enjoy a serene atmosphere before bedtime, this episode offers the perfect escape into tranquility.Take a few moments for yourself tonight — let the gentle rain and comforting ASMR sounds wash away the day's tension and invite calmness into your evening routine.Join us next time as we continue to explore peaceful ways to nurture your well-being.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Natural Rain and Thunder Ambience for Focused RelaxationDescription:In this episode of "Thunderstorm: Sleep and Relax in the Rain," immerse yourself in the calming sounds of natural rain and distant thunder, perfectly crafted to help you focus and relax. Whether you're working, studying, or simply seeking a peaceful moment, the gentle rhythm of raindrops combined with soft thunder creates an atmosphere that soothes your mind and enhances concentration.Let the steady rain wash away distractions while the occasional rumble of thunder adds depth and comfort to your environment. This episode is ideal for anyone looking to reduce stress, increase productivity, or drift off into a restful state of mind. Tune in and allow the tranquil storm to guide you into calmness and clarity.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Calm Thunderstorm Sounds to Promote Deep SleepDescription:In this episode, we dive into the soothing power of calm thunderstorm sounds and how they can help you achieve deep, restful sleep. Discover how the gentle patter of rain and distant rumbles create a peaceful atmosphere that encourages relaxation and eases your mind. We'll also share tips on using these natural sounds as part of your nightly routine to improve sleep quality and wake up refreshed.Take a moment tonight to unwind with the calming embrace of a thunderstorm's rhythm — your body and mind will thank you.Join us next time as we continue exploring simple ways to bring peace and balance into your daily life.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Personal Attention ASMR with Gentle Rain Sounds for Anxiety ReliefDescription:In this episode, we invite you to unwind with soothing personal attention ASMR paired with the calming sound of gentle rain. Experience a peaceful escape designed to ease anxiety and promote deep relaxation. Whether you're looking to reduce stress or simply need a moment of quiet, this blend of soft spoken care and nature's gentle rain will help you find your calm.Take a few minutes for yourself today—let these comforting sounds wash over you and bring tranquility to your mind and body.Stay tuned for more relaxing episodes as we continue to help you cultivate peace and well-being.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Relaxing Rain Ambience for Deep Meditation, Calm, and SleepDescription:In this episode, we immerse ourselves in the soothing sounds of rain, perfect for deep meditation, calming your mind, and drifting peacefully into sleep. Discover how gentle rain ambience can help reduce stress, improve focus, and create a serene atmosphere anytime you need a moment of quiet. Whether you're winding down after a long day or seeking a peaceful background for your meditation practice, this episode is your go-to source for relaxation.Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and let the calming rain wash away tension—these small moments of peace can have a big impact on your well-being.Join us next time as we continue guiding you toward serenity and balance.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Deep Sleep Rain Sounds with Thunderstorm AmbienceDescription:In this episode, we invite you to unwind with the soothing sounds of gentle rain combined with the calming ambience of a distant thunderstorm. These natural soundscapes are perfect for promoting deep, restful sleep and helping to ease stress after a long day. Whether you're looking to relax your mind, meditate, or simply drift off peacefully, let these rain and thunder sounds guide you toward tranquility.Take a moment for yourself tonight — immerse in the peaceful rhythm of nature and allow your mind to rest deeply.Join us in the next episode as we continue sharing calming experiences to support your well-being.DISCLAIMER

In episode 343, Steve talks about an IAQ concern that isn't mentioned very often and that's radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking. Radon is a gas that comes up through the soils in below your slab. You should have your home tested professionally every other year for radon with a CRM (continuous radon monitor). You can also purchase the luft to monitor the radon levels in your home. Copy and paste the link to purchase a luft with out affiliate link. https://www.sunradon.com/luft?aff_key=682KH51M Happy New Year to all of you and we hope you have a wonderful 2026! Stay safe and stay well.

In this episode of the Used Car Dealer Podcast, Zach talks with Paulo da Silva, who leads the digital commerce business at Cox Automotive—including e-commerce, CRM, marketing automation, and deal structuring—to unpack how transparency, omnichannel retail, and AI are redefining the car-buying experience for both dealers and consumers. Paulo shares his journey from strategy and M&A into building direct-to-consumer businesses at Whirlpool and then stepping in to help Cox Automotive launch fully automated e-commerce capabilities. He breaks down the major inflection points he's seen over the past decade—from the first dealer websites and early digital retailing to COVID and now AI—and what they've meant for used-car operations, dealer profitability, and consumer expectations around transparency. The conversation dives into the most common digital-retail mistakes dealers still make, how to align online and in-store processes, and why a single, continuous funnel is critical to trust. Paulo also talks about bridging sales and F&I, the next frontier in omnichannel, how AI-driven tools will change the game for dealers and consumers alike, and the one digital retail practice every used-car dealer should adopt today. ⏱️ Key Questions & Timestamps 00:29 – Intro & Paulo's background leading digital commerce at Cox Automotive 01:00 – What drew you into this space, and how has your background prepared you for the digital-retail challenge? 03:34 – What have been the key inflection points you've seen in automotive retail over the past 5–10 years? 06:02 – What are the most common digital-retail mistakes you see dealers make when they jump into online transactions? 09:29 – How would you describe your mission in terms of shifting the used-car business for dealers? 14:46 – How are you seeing dealers adapt to full omnichannel retailing from a process, culture, and technology standpoint? 18:29 – For independent and franchise dealers looking to ramp up their used-car business, which elements of the digital solution should they prioritize? 21:43 – From your perspective, how are AI-driven tools changing the game for dealers of all sizes? 25:22 – What are the key internal change-management or operational shifts dealers need to make to fully benefit from digital and omnichannel? 27:12 – How do you see the used-car retail landscape evolving for dealers who embrace digital vs. those who don't? 31:29 – How do you see dealer-lender relationships, F&I processes, and aftermarket service evolving in an AI-driven, omnichannel world? 35:00 – What is one digital retail practice every used-car dealer should adopt today? 

En este episodio de la serie El Laberinto del Seguimiento, descubres cómo usar inteligencia artificial y tecnología sin sentirte abrumado ni sonar robot. Aprenderás qué automatizar, qué nunca automatizar, y cómo integrar IA, WhatsApp y CRM para hacer seguimiento con claridad, criterio y humanidad. Este episodio te devuelve control sin quitarte presencia.

Welcome back to the Ultimate Guide to Partnering® Podcast. AI agents are your next customers. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX:https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this exclusive interview, Vince Menzione sits down with Darryl Peek, Vice President for Partner Sales (Public Sector) at Elastic, to decode how Elastic achieved the rare “triple crown”—winning Partner of the Year across Microsoft, Amazon, and Google Cloud simultaneously. Darryl breaks down the engineering-first approach that makes Elastic sticky with hyperscalers, reveals the rigorous metrics behind their partner health scorecard, and shares his personal “one-page strategy” for aligning mission, vision, and execution. From leveraging generative AI for cleaner sales hygiene to the timeless lesson of the “Acre of Diamonds,” this conversation offers a masterclass in building high-performance partner ecosystems in the public sector and beyond. https://youtu.be/__GE0r2fPuk Key Takeaways Elastic achieved “Pinnacle” status by aligning engineering roadmaps directly with hyperscaler innovations to become essential infrastructure. Successful public sector sales require a dual approach: leveraging resellers for contract access while driving domain-specific co-sell motions. Partner relationships outperform contracts; consistency in communication is more valuable than only showing up for renewals. Effective partner organizations track “influence” revenue just as rigorously as direct bookings to capture the full value of SI relationships. Generative AI can automate sales hygiene, turning scattered meeting notes into actionable CRM data and reducing friction for sales teams. The “Acre of Diamonds” philosophy reminds leaders that the greatest opportunities often lie within their current ecosystem, not in distant new markets. If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Keywords: Elastic, Darryl Peek, public sector sales, hyperscaler partnership, Microsoft Partner of the Year, AWS Partner of the Year, Google Cloud Partner, partner ecosystem strategy, co-sell motion, partner metrics, channel sales, government contracting, Carahsoft, generative AI in sales, sales hygiene, Russell Conwell, Acre of Diamonds, open source search, observability, security SIM, vector search, retrieval augmented generation, LLM agnostic, partner enablement, influence revenue, channel booking, SI relationships, strategic alliances. Transcript: Darryl Peek Audio Episode [00:00:00] Darryl Peek: I say, I tell my team from time to time, the difference between contacts and contracts is the R and that’s the relationship. So if you’re not building the relationship, then how do you expect that partner to want to lean in? Don’t just show up when you have a contract. Don’t just show up when you have a renewal. [00:00:13] Darryl Peek: Make sure that you are reaching out and letting them know what is happening. Don’t just talk to me when you need a renewal, right? When you’re at end of quarter and you want me to bring a deal forward, [00:00:23] Vince Menzione: welcome to the Ultimate Guide to Partnering. I’m Vince Menzi. Own your host, and my mission is to help leaders like you achieve your greatest results through successful partnering. [00:00:34] Vince Menzione: We just came off Ultimate Partner live at Caresoft Training Center in Reston, Virginia. Over two days, we gathered top leaders to tackle the real shifts shaping our industry. If you weren’t in the room, this episode brings you right to the edge of what’s next. Let’s dive in. So we have another privilege, an incredible partner, another like we call these, if you’ve heard our term, pinnacle. [00:01:00] Vince Menzione: I think it’s a term that’s not widely used, but we refer to Pinnacle as the partners that have achieved the top rung. They’ve become partners of the year. And our next presenter, our next interview is going to be with an organization. And a person that represents an organization that has been a pinnacle partner actually for all three Hyperscalers, which is really unusual. [00:01:24] Vince Menzione: Elastic has been partner of the Year award winner across Microsoft, Amazon, and Google Cloud, so very interesting. And Darrell Peak, who is the leader for the public sector organization, he’s here in the Washington DC area, was kind enough. Elastic is a sponsor event, and Darryl’s been kind enough to join me for a discussion about what it takes to be a Pinnacle partner. [00:01:47] Vince Menzione: So incredibly well. Excited to welcome you, Darryl. Thank you, sir. Good to have you. I love you. I love your smile, man. You got an incredible smile. Thank you. Thank you, Vince. Thank you. So Darryl, I probably didn’t do it any justice, but I was hoping you could take us through your role and responsibilities at Elastic, which is an incredible organization. [00:02:08] Vince Menzione: Alright. Yeah, [00:02:09] Darryl Peek: absolutely. So Darrell Peak vice President for partner sales for the US public sector at Elastic. I’ve been there about two and a half years. Responsible for our partner relationships across all partner types, whether that’s the system integrators, resellers, MSPs, OEMs, distribution Hyperscalers, and our Technology Alliance partners. [00:02:26] Darryl Peek: And those are partners that aren’t built on the Elastic platform. In regards to how my partner team interacts with our team. Our ecosystem. We are essentially looking to further and lean in with our partners in order for them to, one, understand what Elastic does since we’re such a diverse tool, but also work with our field to understand what are their priorities and how do they identify the right partners for the right requirements. [00:02:50] Darryl Peek: In regards to what Elastic is and what it does elastic is a solution that is actually founded on search and we’re an open source company. And one of the things that I actually did when I left the government, so I worked for the government for a number of years. I left, went and worked for Salesforce, then worked for Google ran their federal partner team and then came over to Elastic because I wanted to. [00:03:11] Darryl Peek: Understand what it meant to be at an open source company. Being at an open source company is quite interesting ’cause you’re competing against yourself. [00:03:17] Vince Menzione: Yeah, that’s true. [00:03:18] Darryl Peek: So it’s pretty interesting. But elastic was founded in 2012 as a search company. So when you talk about search, we are the second most used platform behind Google. [00:03:28] Darryl Peek: So many of you have already used Elastic. Maybe on your way here, if you use Uber and Lyft, that is elastic. That is helping you get here. Oh, that is interesting. If you use Netflix, if you use wikipedia.com, booking.com, eBay, home Depot, all of those are search capabilities. That Elastic is happening to power in regards to what else we do. [00:03:47] Darryl Peek: We also do observability, which is really around application monitoring, logging, tracing, and metrics. So we are helping your operations team. Pepsi is a customer as well as Cisco. Wow. And then the last thing that we do is security when we’re a SIM solution. So when we talk about sim, we are really looking to protect networks. [00:04:03] Darryl Peek: So we all, we think that it’s a data problem. So with that data problem, what we’re trying to do is not only understand what is happening in the network, but also we are helping with threat intelligence, endpoint and cloud security. So all those elements together is what Elastic does. And we only do it two ways. [00:04:18] Darryl Peek: We’re one platform and we can be deployed OnPrem and in the cloud. So that’s a little bit about me and the company. Hopefully it was clear, [00:04:24] Vince Menzione: I’ve had elastic people on stage. You’ve done, that’s the best answer I’ve had. What does Elastic do? I used to hear all this hyperbole and what? [00:04:32] Vince Menzione: What? Now I really understand what you do is an organiz. And the name of the company was Elasticsearch. [00:04:36] Darryl Peek: It was [00:04:37] Vince Menzione: elastic at one time when I first. Worked with you. It was Elasticsearch. [00:04:40] Darryl Peek: Absolutely. Yeah. So many moons ago used to be called the Elk Stack and it stood for three things. E was the Elasticsearch which is a search capability. [00:04:48] Darryl Peek: L is Logstash, which is our logging capability. And Cabana is essentially our visualization capability. So it was called Elk. But since we’ve acquired so many companies and built so much capability into the platform, we can now call it the elastic. Platform. [00:05:00] Vince Menzione: So talk to me about your engagement with the hyperscalers. [00:05:02] Vince Menzione: You’ve been partner of the Year award winner with all three, right? I mentioned that, and you were, you worked for Google for a period of time. Yes. So tell us about, like, how does that work? What does that engagement look like? And why do you get chosen as partner of the year? What are the things that stand out when you’re working with these hyperscalers [00:05:19] Darryl Peek: and with that we are very fortunate to be recognized. [00:05:23] Darryl Peek: So many of the organizations that are out there are doing some of the same capabilities that we do, but they can’t claim that they won a part of the year for all three hyperscalers in the same year. We are able to do that because we believe in the power of partnership, not only from a technology perspective, but also from a sales perspective. [00:05:39] Darryl Peek: So we definitely lean in with our partnerships, so having our engineers talk, having our product teams talk, and making sure that we’re building capabilities that actually integrate within the cloud service providers. And also consistently building a roadmap that aligns with the innovation that the cloud service providers are also building towards. [00:05:56] Darryl Peek: And then making sure that we’re a topic of discussion. So elastic. From a search capability, we do semantic search, vector search, but also retrieval augmented generation, which actually is LLM Agnostic. So when you say LLM Agnostic, whether you want to use Gemini, Claude or even Chad, GBT, those things are something that Elastic can integrate in, but it actually helps reduce the likelihood of hallucination. [00:06:18] Darryl Peek: So when we’re building that kind of solution, the cloud service provider’s you’re making it easy for us, and when you make it easy, you become very attractive and therefore you’re. Likely gonna come. So it becomes [00:06:28] Vince Menzione: sticky in that regard. Very sticky. So it sounds like very much an engineer, a lot of emphasis on the engineering aspects of the business. [00:06:35] Vince Menzione: I know you’re an engineer by background too, right? So the engineering aspects of the business means that you’re having alignment with the engineering organizations of those companies at a very deep level. [00:06:44] Darryl Peek: Absolutely. So I’m [00:06:45] Vince Menzione: here. [00:06:45] Darryl Peek: Yeah. And being at Elastic has been pretty amazing. So coming from Google, we had so many different solutions, so many different SKUs, but Elastic releases every eight weeks. [00:06:54] Darryl Peek: So right before you start to understand the last release, the next release is coming out and we’re already at 9.2 and we just released 9.0 in May. So it’s really blazing fast on the capability that we’re really pushing the market, but it’s really hard to make sure that we get it in front of our partners. [00:07:10] Darryl Peek: So when we talk about our partner enablement strategy, we’re just trying to make sure that we get the right information in front of the right partners at the right time, so this way they can best service their customers. [00:07:19] Vince Menzione: So let’s talk about partner strategy. Alyssa Fitzpatrick was on stage with me at our last event, and she Alyssa’s fantastic. [00:07:25] Vince Menzione: She is incredible. Yes, she is. She was a former colleague at Microsoft Days. Yes. And then she, we had a really interesting conversation. About what it takes, like being in, in a company and then working with the partners in general. And you have, I’m sure you have a lot of the similarities in how you have to engage with these organizations. [00:07:42] Vince Menzione: You’re working across the hyperscalers, you’re also working with the ecosystem too. Yes. ’cause the delivery, you have delivery partners as well. Absolutely. So tell us more about that. [00:07:50] Darryl Peek: So we kinda look at it from a two, two ways from the pre-sales motion and then the post-sales. From the pre-sales side. [00:07:56] Darryl Peek: What we’re trying to do is really maximize our, not only working with partners, because within public sector, you need to get access to customers through contract vehicles. So if you want to get access to some, for instance, the VA or through GSA or others, you have to make sure you’re aligned with the right partners who have access to. [00:08:12] Darryl Peek: That particular agency, but also you want domain expertise. So as you’re working with those system integrators, you wanna make sure that they have capability that aligns. So whether it is a security requirement, you wanna work with someone who specializes in security, observability and search. So that’s the way that we really look at our partner ecosystem, but those who are interested in working with us. [00:08:30] Darryl Peek: Because everybody doesn’t necessarily have a emphasis on working with a new technology partner, [00:08:36] Vince Menzione: right? [00:08:36] Darryl Peek: So what we’re trying to do is saying how do we build programs, incentives and sales plays that really does align and strike the interest of that particular partner? So when we talk about it I tell my team, you have to, my grandfather to say, plan your work and work your plan. And if you fail a plan, you plan to fail. So being able to not only have a strong plan in place, but then execute against that plan, check against that plan as you go through the fiscal year, and then see how you come out at the end of the fiscal year to see are we making that progress? [00:09:01] Darryl Peek: But on the other side of it, and what I get stressed about with my sales team and saying what does partners bring to us? So where are those partner deal registrations? What is the partner source numbers? How are we creating more pipeline? And that is where we’re now saying, okay, how can we navigate and how can we make it easier? [00:09:17] Darryl Peek: And how can we reduce friction in order for the partner to say, okay, elastic’s easy to work with. I can see value in, oh, by the way, I can make some money with. [00:09:25] Vince Menzione: So take us through, have there been examples of areas where you’ve had to like, break through to this other side in terms of growing the partner ecosystem? [00:09:33] Vince Menzione: What’s worked, what hasn’t worked? Yes, I’d love to learn more about that. [00:09:36] Darryl Peek: I’ll say that and I tell my team one, you partner program is essential, right? If you don’t have an attractive partner program in regards to how they come on board, how they’re incentivized the right amount of margin, they won’t even look at you. [00:09:49] Darryl Peek: The second thing is really how do you engage? So a lot of things start with relationships. I think partnerships are really about relationships. I say I tell my team from time to time, the difference between contacts and contracts is the R and that’s the relationship. So if you’re not building the relationship, then how do you expect that partner to want to lean in? [00:10:07] Darryl Peek: Don’t just show up when you have a contract. Don’t just show up when you have a renewal. Make sure that you are reaching out and letting them know what is happening. I like the what Matt brought up in saying, okay, talk to me when you have a win. Talk to me when you have something to talk about. [00:10:22] Darryl Peek: Don’t just talk to me when you need a renewal. When you’re at end the quarter and you want me to bring a deal forward, that doesn’t help ab absolutely. [00:10:28] Vince Menzione: So engineering organizations, sales organizations, what are, what does a healthy partnership look like for you? [00:10:35] Darryl Peek: So I look at metrics a lot and we use a number of tools and I know folks are using tools out there. [00:10:41] Darryl Peek: I won’t name any tools for branding purposes, but in regards to how we look at tools. So some things that we measure closely. Of course it’s our partner source numbers, so partner source, bookings, and pipeline. We look at our partner attached numbers and pipeline as well as the amount or percentage of partner attached business that we have in regards to our overall a CV number. [00:11:00] Darryl Peek: We also look at co-sell numbers, so therefore we are looking at not only how. A partner is coming to us, but how is a partner helping us in closing the deal even though they didn’t bring us the deal? We’re also looking at our cloud numbers and saying what amount of deals and how much business are we doing with our cloud service providers? [00:11:15] Darryl Peek: Because of course we wanna see that number go up year over year. We wanna actually help with that consumption number because not only are we looking at it from a SaaS perspective, but also if the customer has to commit we can help burn that down as well. We also look at influence numbers. [00:11:27] Darryl Peek: Now, one of the harder things to do within a technology business is. Capturing all that si goodness. And saying how do I reflect the SI if they’re not bringing me the deal? And I can’t attribute that amount of deal to that particular partner, right? And the way that we do that is we just tag them to the influence. [00:11:44] Darryl Peek: So we’re able to now track influence. And also the M-S-P-O-E-M work that we are also tracking and also we’re tracking the royalties. And lastly is the professional service work that we do with those partners. So we’re looking to go up into the right where we start them out at our select level, we go to our premier level and then our elite level. [00:12:00] Darryl Peek: But left and to the right, I say you gotta go from zero to one, one to five, five to 10, and then 10 to 25. So if we can actually see that progression. That is where we’re really starting to see health in the partnership, but also the executive alignment is really important. So when our CEO is able to meet with the fellow CEO of the co partner company that is really showing how we are progressing, but also our VPs and others that are engaged. [00:12:20] Darryl Peek: So those are things that we really do measure. We do have a health score card and also, we track accreditations, we track certifications as well as training outcomes based on our sales place. [00:12:30] Vince Menzione: Wow. There’s a lot of metrics there. Yeah. So you didn’t bring, you didn’t bring any slides with that out? [00:12:35] Darryl Peek: Oh, no. I’m not looking at slides, by the way. [00:12:40] Vince Menzione: Let’s talk about marketplace. [00:12:42] Darryl Peek: All right? [00:12:42] Vince Menzione: Because we’ve had a lot of conversations about marketplace. We’ve got both vendors up here talking about marketplace and the importance of marketplace, right? You’ve been a Marketplace Award winner. We haven’t really talked about that, like that motion per se. [00:12:55] Vince Menzione: I’d love to s I’d love to hear from you like how you, a, what you had to overcome to get to marketplace, what the marketplace motion looks like for your organization, what a marketplace first motion looks like. ’cause a lot of your cut a. Are all your customers requiring a lot of direct selling effort or is it some of it through Marketplace? [00:13:14] Vince Menzione: Like how does it, how does that work for you? [00:13:15] Darryl Peek: So Elastic is a global organization. Yeah. So we’re, 40 different countries. So it depends on where we’re talking. So if we talk about our international business, which is our A PJ and EMEA business we are seeing a lot more marketplace and we’re seeing that those direct deals with customers. [00:13:28] Darryl Peek: Okay. And we’re talking about our mirror business. A significant amount goes through marketplace and where our customers are transacting with the marketplace and are listing. On the marketplace within public sector, it’s more of a resell motion. Okay. So we are working with our resellers. [00:13:39] Darryl Peek: So we work our primary distribution partner is Carahsoft. So you heard from Craig earlier. Yes. We have a strong relationship with Carahsoft and definitely a big fan of this organization. But in regards to how we do that and how we track it we are looking at better ways to, track that orchestration and consumption numbers in order to see not only what customers we’re working with, but how can we really accelerate that motion and really get those leads and transactions going. [00:14:03] Vince Menzione: Very cool. Very cool. And I think part of the reason why in, in the government or public sector space it has a lot to do with the commitments are different. Absolutely. So it’s not government agencies aren’t able to make the same level of commitments that, private sector organizations were able to make, so they were able to the Mac or Microsoft parlance and also a AWS’s parlance. [00:14:23] Vince Menzione: Yeah, [00:14:24] Darryl Peek: definitely a different dynamic. Yeah. And especially within the public sector. ’cause we have Gov Cloud to work with, right? That’s right. So we’re working with Microsoft or we’re working with AWS, they have their Gov cloud and then we Google, they don’t have a Gov cloud, but we still have to work with them differently. [00:14:35] Darryl Peek: Yeah. Within that space. That’s [00:14:36] Vince Menzione: right. That’s right. So it makes the motion a little bit differently there. So I think we talked through some of this. I just wanna make sure we cover our points [00:14:43] Darryl Peek: here. One thing I’ll do an aside, you talked about the acre of diamonds. I’m a big fan of that story. [00:14:47] Vince Menzione: Yeah, let’s talk about Russ Con. Yeah, [00:14:49] Darryl Peek: let’s talk about it. Do you all know about the Acre Diamonds? Have you all heard that story before? No. You have some those in the audience. [00:14:55] Vince Menzione: I, you know what, let’s talk about it. All [00:14:56] Darryl Peek: See, I’m from Philadelphia. [00:14:57] Vince Menzione: I didn’t know you were a family. My daughter went to Temple University. [00:14:59] Vince Menzione: Ah, [00:15:00] Darryl Peek: okay. That’s all I know. So Russell Conwell. So he was, a gentleman out of the Philadelphia area and he went around town to raise money and he wanted to raise money because he believed that there was a promise within a specific area. And as he continued to raise this money, he would tell a story. [00:15:14] Darryl Peek: And basically it was a story about a farmer in Africa. And the farmer in Africa, to make it really short was essentially looking to be become very wealthy. And because he wanted to become very wealthy, he believed that selling his farm and going off to a long distant land was the primary way for him to find diamonds. [00:15:28] Darryl Peek: And this farmer didn’t sold us. Sold his place, then went off to to this foreign land, and he ended up dying. And people thought that was the end of the story, but there was another farmer who bought that land and one time this big, and they called him the ot, came to the door and said you mind if I have some tea with you? [00:15:43] Darryl Peek: He said, all right, come on in. Have a drink. And as he had the drink, he looked upon the mantle and his mouth dropped. And then the farmer said what’s wrong? What do you say? He says, do you know what that is? No. He said no. Do you know what that is? He says, no. He said, that’s the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen, and the farmer goes. [00:16:01] Darryl Peek: That’s weird because there’s a bunch right in the back where I go grab my fruits and crops every day. So the idea of the acre diamonds and sometimes that you don’t need to go off to a far off land. It is actually sometimes right under your feet, and that is a story that helped fund the starting of Temple University. [00:16:16] Vince Menzione: I’m gonna need to take you at every single event so you can tell this story again. That’s an awesome job. Oh, I love it. And yeah, they founded a Temple University. Yeah. Which has become an incredible university. My daughter, like I said, my daughter’s a graduate, so we’re Temple fan. That’s great story. [00:16:31] Vince Menzione: That is a very cool, I didn’t realize you were a Philadelphia guy too, so that is awesome. Go birds. Go birds. All right, good. So let’s talk, I think we talked a little bit about your ecosystem approach, but maybe just a little bit more on this, like you said, like a lot of data, a lot of metrics but also a lot of these organizations also have to under understand the engineering side of things. [00:16:53] Vince Menzione: Oh, yeah. There’s a tremendous amount to become. Not everybody could just show up one day and become an elastic partner [00:16:58] Darryl Peek: absolutely. Absolutely. So take us [00:16:59] Vince Menzione: through that process. [00:17:00] Darryl Peek: Yeah. So one of the things that we are trying to mature and we have matured is our partner go to market. [00:17:06] Darryl Peek: So in order to join our partner ecosystem, you have to sign ’em through our partner portal. You have to sign our indirect reseller agreement. ’cause we do sell primarily within the public sector through distribution. And we only go direct if it is by exception. So you have to get justification through myself as well as our VP for public sector. [00:17:21] Darryl Peek: But we really do try to make sure that we can aggregate this because one thing that we have to monitor is terms and conditions. ’cause of course, working with the government, there’s a lot of terms and conditions. So we try to alleviate that by having it go through caresoft, they’re able to absorb some, so this way we can actually transact with the government. [00:17:36] Darryl Peek: In regards to the team though we try to really work closely with our solution architecture team. So this way we can develop clear enablement strategies with our partners so this way they know what it is we do, but also how to properly bring us up in a conversation. Also handle objections and also what are we doing to implement our solutions within other markets. [00:17:55] Darryl Peek: So those are things that we are doing as well as partner marketing. Top of funnel activity is really important, so we’re trying to differentiate what we’re doing with the field and field marketing. So you’re doing the leads and m qls and things of that nature also with partner marketing. So our partner marketing actually is driven by leads, but also we’re trying to transact. [00:18:10] Darryl Peek: And get Ps of which our partner deal registration. So that is how we align our partner go to market. And that is actually translating into our partner source outcomes. [00:18:18] Vince Menzione: And I think we have a slide that talks a little bit about your public sector partner strategy. [00:18:23] Darryl Peek: Oh yeah. Oh, I share that. So I thought maybe we could spin it. [00:18:25] Darryl Peek: Absolutely. [00:18:25] Vince Menzione: I know you we can’t see it, but they can. Oh, they can. Okay. Great. [00:18:29] Darryl Peek: There it’s there. [00:18:30] Vince Menzione: It’s career. [00:18:31] Darryl Peek: One thing, I think this was Einstein has said, if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. So that was the one thing. So I always was a big fan of creating a one page strategy. [00:18:39] Darryl Peek: And based on this one page strategy one of the things when I worked at Salesforce it was really about a couple things and the saying, okay, what are your bookings? And if you don’t have bookings, what does your pipeline look like? If you don’t have pipeline, what does your prospecting look like? [00:18:51] Darryl Peek: Yeah. If you don’t have prospecting what does your account plan look like? And if you don’t have an account plan, why are you here? Why are you here? Exactly. So those are the things that I really talk to my team about is just really a, it’s about bookings. It’s about pipeline. It’s about planning, enablement and execution. [00:19:05] Darryl Peek: It’s about marketing, branding and evangelism, and also about operational excellence and how to execute. Very cool. So being able to do that and also I, since I came from Salesforce, I talk to my team a lot about Salesforce hygiene. So we really talk about that a lot. So make, making sure we’re making proper use of chatter, but also as we talk about utilizing ai, we just try to. [00:19:21] Darryl Peek: How do we simplify that, right? So if we’re using Zoom or we’re using Google, how do we make sure that we’re capturing those meeting minutes, translating that, putting that into the system, so therefore we have a record of that engagement with that partner. So this is a continuous threat. So this way I don’t have to call my partner manager the entire time. [00:19:36] Darryl Peek: I can look back, see what actions, see what was discussed, and say, okay, how can we keep this conversation going? Because we shouldn’t have to have those conversations every time. I shouldn’t have to text you to say, give me the download on every partner. Every time. How do we automate that? And that’s really where you’re creating this context window with your Genive ai. [00:19:53] Darryl Peek: I think they said what 75% of organizations are using one AI tool. And I think 1% are mature in that. But also a number of organizations, it’s 90% of organizations are using generative AI tools to some degree. So we are using gen to bi. We do use a number of them. We have elastic GPT. Nice little brand there. [00:20:11] Darryl Peek: But yeah, we use that for not only understanding what’s in our our repositories and data lakes and data warehouses, but also what are some answers that we can have in regards to proposal responses, RP responses, RFI, responses and the like. [00:20:23] Vince Menzione: And you’re reaching out to the other LLMs through your tool? [00:20:26] Darryl Peek: We can actually interact with any LLM. So we are a LLM Agnostic. [00:20:29] Vince Menzione: Got it. Yep. That’s fantastic. And this slide is we’ll make this available if you don’t have a, yeah, have a chance. We’ll share it. I [00:20:36] Darryl Peek: am happy to share, yeah. And obviously happy to talk, reach out about it. Of, of course. I simplified it in order to account for you, but one of the things that I talk about is mission, vision of values. [00:20:45] Darryl Peek: And as we start with that is what is your mission now? How is anybody from Pittsburgh, anybody steal a fan? Oh wow. No, there’s a steel fan over [00:20:54] Vince Menzione: here. There’s one here. There’s a couple of ’em are out here. So I feel bad. [00:20:57] Darryl Peek: The reason why I put immaculate in there is for the immaculate reception, actually. [00:21:00] Darryl Peek: Yes. And basically saying that if you ever seen that play, it was not pretty at all. It was a very discombobulated play. Yeah. And I usually say that’s the way that you work with partners too, because when that deal doesn’t come in, when you gotta make a call, when you’re texting somebody at 11 o’clock at night, when you’re trying to get that at, right before quarter end. [00:21:17] Darryl Peek: Yeah. Before the end of it. It really is difficult, but it’s really creating that immaculate experience. You want that partner to come back. I know it’s challenging, but I appreciate how you leaned in with us. Yes, absolutely. I appreciate how you work with us. I appreciate how you held our hand through the process, and that’s what I tell my team, that we have to create that partner experience. [00:21:32] Darryl Peek: And maybe that’s a carryover from Salesforce, Dave. I don’t know. But also when we talk about enhancing or accelerating our partner. Our public sector outcomes that is really working with the customer, right? So customer experience has to be part of it. Like all of us have to be focused on that North star, and that is really how do we service the customer, and that’s what we choose to do. [00:21:48] Darryl Peek: But also the internal part. So I used to survey my team many moves ago, and I said, if we don’t get 80% satisfaction rate from our employees how do we get 60% satisfaction rate from our customers? Yeah. So really focus on that employee success and employee satisfaction. It’s so important, is very important. [00:22:03] Darryl Peek: So being able to understand what are the needs of your employees? Are you really addressing their concerns and are you really driving them forward? Are you challenging them? Are you creating pathways for progression? So those are things that I definitely try to do with my team. As well as just really encouraging, inspiring, yeah. [00:22:19] Darryl Peek: And just making sure that they’re having fun at the same time. [00:22:21] Vince Menzione: It shows up in such, I, there’s an airline I don’t fly any longer, and it was a million mile member of and I know it’s because of the way they treat their employees. [00:22:29] Vince Menzione: Because it cascades Right? [00:22:30] Darryl Peek: It does. Culture is important. [00:22:32] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Absolutely. [00:22:32] Darryl Peek: What is it? What Anderson Howard they say what col. Mark Andresen culture eat strategy for [00:22:37] Vince Menzione: breakfast. He strategy for breakfast? Yes. Very much this has been insightful. I really enjoyed having you here today. Really a great, you’re a lot of fun. You’re a lot of fun. [00:22:43] Vince Menzione: Darry, isn’t you? Amazing. So thank you for joining us. Thank you all. Thank And you’re gonna be, you’re gonna be sticking around for a little while today. I’m sticking around for a little while. I’ll be back in little later. I think people are gonna just en enjoy having a conversation with you, a little sidebar. [00:22:55] Darryl Peek: Absolutely. I’m looking forward to it. Thank you all for having me. Glad to be here. And thank you for giving the time today. [00:23:01] Vince Menzione: Thank you Darryl, so much. So appreciate it. And you’re gonna have to come join me on this Story Diamond tool. Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for tuning into this episode of Ultimate Guide to Partnering. [00:23:12] Vince Menzione: We’re bringing these episodes to you to help you level up your strategy. If you haven’t yet, now’s the time to take action and think about joining our community. We created a unique place, UPX or Ultimate partner experience. It’s more than a community. It’s your competitive edge with insider insights, real-time education, and direct access to people who are driving the ecosystem forward. [00:23:38] Vince Menzione: UPX helps you get results, and we’re just getting started as we’re taking this studio. And we’ll be hosting live stream and digital events here, including our January live stream, the Boca Winter Retreat, and more to come. So visit our website, the ultimate partner.com to learn more and join us. Now’s the time to take your partnerships to the next level.

Check out the episode in its original version here : https://www.gdiy.fr/podcast/ivan-zhao-vo/« On essaie de ne pas être innovants. »C'est comme ça qu'Ivan Zhao a construit l'un des produits les plus innovants de la décennie.Notion n'est pas un outil de gestion de projet.Ce n'est pas un tableau excel, ni un CRM.Ivan l'appelle « le LEGO du software ».Né dans la campagne de Xinjiang, en Chine, où l'électricité est arrivée quand il avait 8 ans, Ivan dirige aujourd'hui une entreprise valorisée 10 milliards de dollars et utilisée par plus de 100 millions de personnes.À 17 ans, Ivan quitte la Chine pour Vancouver.À l'université, trois mondes se rencontrent : l'art, la philosophie et l'informatique.Cette rencontre le plonge dans une spirale qui le pousse à étudier l'histoire du web et de l'informatique. C'est là qu'il découvre une idée qui deviendra Notion.Mais l'histoire de Notion n'est pas celle d'une révolution. C'est celle d'un retour à cette idée : l'informatique devrait être aussi universelle que la lecture et l'écriture.Alors que la plupart des startups courent après les fonctionnalités, Ivan a passé 5 ans à la poursuivre. Ce chemin a failli tuer l'entreprise. Ivan a reconstruit Notion de zéro trois fois.Mais la vraie révolution se passe en interne.Notion consacre désormais l'essentiel de son temps à construire une infrastructure qui fonctionne avec tous les modèles d'IA pour libérer leur pleine puissance.Dans cet épisode, Ivan révèle :L'erreur qui a inspiré toute la philosophie de NotionLa stratégie du « brocoli sucré » : comment cacher la puissance de l'informatique dans des outils familiersPourquoi l'interface de Notion a mis 5 ans à devenir « simple »Pourquoi Notion ne construit aucun modèle d'IA mais les utilise tousComment 300 développeurs chez Notion font le travail de 3 000Le parcours d'Ivan prouve que les meilleurs produits viennent de la compréhension de l'histoire, pas de la course aux tendances.Une masterclass pour apprendre à construire des produits avec une approche philosophique.Vous pouvez contacter Ivan sur X.TIMELINE:00:00:00 : Le logiciel qui remplace tous les autres00:09:53 : Le choc culturel, entre “travailler pour vivretravailler” et “vivre pour travailler”00:27:39 : Comment l'art a façonné le design de Notion00:40:12 : L'informatique devrait être aussi universelle que la lecture et l'écriture00:52:49 : Les fondateurs oubliés de l'informatique01:01:08 : Le secret des grands produits : tout reconstruire de zéro01:09:36 : Le cerveau central de votre entreprise01:21:16 : Peut-on faire tourner une entreprise entière sur Notion ?01:30:36 : Le dilemme de l'IA : quel modèle choisir ?01:39:53 : Comment les agents IA révolutionnent le développement informatique ?01:48:18 : Créer ses propres outils avec NotionLes anciens épisodes de GDIY mentionnés : #487 - VF - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business et IA : rien ne sera jamais plus comme avant#487 - VO - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business, and AI: Nothing Will Ever Be the Same AgainNous avons parlé de :Les photos d'IvanLa théorie du système complexeLes recommandations de lecture :What Is a Complex System?, James LadymanVous souhaitez sponsoriser Génération Do It Yourself ou nous proposer un partenariat ?Contactez mon label Orso Media via ce formulaire.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Retrouvez l'épisode en version française ici : https://www.gdiy.fr/podcast/ivan-zhao-vf/"We try to be not innovative."That's how Ivan Zhao built one of the most innovative products of this decade.Notion isn't a spreadsheet.It's not project management.It's not a CRM.Ivan calls it "the LEGO for software".Born in rural Xinjiang, China, where electricity arrived when he was 8 Ivan now runs a $10 billion company used by more than 100 million people.At 17, Ivan left China for Vancouver.At university, three worlds collided: art, philosophy, and computing. That last one led him down a rabbit hole, he dove into the history of the web, then the history of computing itself. There, he discovered a forgotten vision that would become Notion.But Notion's origin story isn't about disruption. It's about bringing back that vision: computing should be as universal as reading and writing.While most startups chase feature lists, Ivan spent 5 years chasing that bigger idea. This path nearly killed the company. Ivan rebuilt Notion from scratch three times.Today, Notion consolidates several tools for companies like Qonto, L'Oréal, and Toyota, saving them time and money.But the real revolution is happening under the hood.Notion now spends most of its time building infrastructure that works with every AI model to unlock their full power for all customers.In this episode, Ivan reveals:The mistake that inspired Notion's entire philosophyThe "sugar-coated broccoli" strategy: how to hide computing power inside familiar toolsWhy Notion's UI took 5 years to become "simple"Why Notion doesn't build AI models but uses them allHow 300 Notion programmers do the work of 3,000Ivan's path proves that the best products come from understanding history, not just chasing trends.A masterclass in building products with philosophical depth.You can contact Ivan on X.TIMELINE:00:00:00 : The LEGO software that replaces them all00:09:53 : The culture shock: from "work to work" to "live to work"00:27:39 : How art shaped Notion's design00:40:12 : Computing should be as universal as reading and writing00:52:49 : The forgotten pioneers of computing01:01:08 : Great products' secret is rebuilding from scratch01:09:36 : The central brain for your entire company01:21:16 : Is it possible to run an entire company with Notion?01:30:36 : The AI dilemma, which model to choose?01:39:53 : AI agents are revolutionizing software development01:48:18 : Everyone can build their own tools with NotionWe referred to previous GDIY episodes : #487 - VF - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business et IA : rien ne sera jamais plus comme avant#487 - VO - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business, and AI: Nothing Will Ever Be the Same AgainA few recent episodes in English : #513 - VO - Jesper Brodin - IKEA - 40 billion in revenue empire with no bank loan#500 - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - How to master humanity's most powerful invention#487 - VO - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business, and AI: Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again#475 - VO - Shane Parrish - Farnam Street - Clear Thinking: The Decision-Making Expert#473 - VO - Brian Chesky - Airbnb - « We're just getting started »#452 - VO - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - L'humanité 2.0 : Homo technicus plus qu'Homo sapiens#437 - James Dyson - Dyson - “Failure is more exciting than success”#431 - Sean Rad - Tinder - How the swipe fever took over the worldWe spoke about :Ivan's photosComplex System TheoryReading Recommendations :What Is a Complex System?, James LadymanInterested in sponsoring Generation Do It Yourself or proposing a partnership ? Contact my label Orso Media through this form.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

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Episode Title: Positive Thoughts Carried by ThunderDescription:In this episode, we explore how the powerful sound of thunder can carry positive thoughts and create a peaceful mindset. Discover how thunder's natural rhythm can support relaxation and help you shift your focus to uplifting emotions. We share simple methods to use thunder sounds as a tool for calming the mind and enhancing your daily mental wellness routine.Take a moment today to listen and let the gentle rumble of thunder guide you toward positivity and inner calm. Small moments like these can bring balance to your busy life.Stay tuned for more ways to nurture peace and relaxation in upcoming episodes.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Calm Energy from Soft RainfallDescription:In this episode, we immerse ourselves in the gentle sound of soft rainfall and discover how it can bring calm energy to your mind and body. Learn how the steady, soothing patter of rain can help reduce stress, improve focus, and create a peaceful atmosphere for relaxation or work. We'll also share simple ways to include rainfall sounds in your daily routine to boost your well-being and foster a sense of serenity.Take a moment today to pause, breathe deeply, and let the calming energy of soft rain wash over you. Small moments like these can refresh your spirit and help you navigate life's challenges with ease.Join us next time as we continue exploring sounds and techniques that nurture calm and balance.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Peaceful Storm, Peaceful HeartDescription:In this episode, we dive into the soothing sounds of a peaceful storm and explore how its gentle rhythms can calm the mind and relax the body. Discover ways to use storm sounds as a tool for mindfulness and stress relief, helping you find balance amidst daily chaos. Whether you're looking to unwind after a long day or enhance your meditation practice, this episode offers simple techniques to bring peace to your heart through nature's calming presence.Remember to set aside a few moments each day to breathe deeply and let the storm's peaceful melody guide you to tranquility.Join us next time as we continue to share moments of calm and relaxation.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Thunder and Rain: Nature's TherapyDescription:In this episode, we dive into the soothing power of thunder and rain as a form of natural therapy. Discover how these calming sounds can help reduce stress, improve focus, and promote restful sleep. We also share tips on how to use thunderstorm and rain sounds in your daily relaxation practices, making it easier to find peace amid a busy day.Take a moment for yourself today—let the gentle patter of rain and distant rumble of thunder guide you toward a calmer mind and a more relaxed body.Join us next time as we continue exploring simple ways to bring more tranquility into your life.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: Embrace Stillness During Thunder RollsDescription:In this episode, we invite you to find peace amidst the powerful sounds of thunder. Discover how the deep rumble of thunder can help center your mind and encourage stillness in your busy day. We'll share techniques to use thunder sounds as a calming backdrop for meditation and relaxation, helping you reconnect with a sense of calm no matter the chaos around you.Take a moment for yourself today—close your eyes, listen to the thunder, and breathe in tranquility. These brief pauses can bring balance and clarity to your life.Stay tuned for our next episode as we continue exploring simple ways to nurture calmness and relaxation.DISCLAIMER

Episode Title: I Am Gentle Like RainfallDescription:In this episode, we invite you to embrace the soothing calmness of gentle rainfall. Discover how the soft patter of rain can help ease your mind, reduce stress, and bring a sense of peacefulness to your day. We explore practical ways to use rainfall sounds for relaxation, meditation, and improving your overall mental well-being. Let the gentle rhythm of rain remind you to be kind and gentle with yourself.Take a few moments today to breathe deeply and listen to the calming sounds of rainfall—it's a simple yet powerful way to create calm in your busy life.Join us next time on Be Calm and Relax Podcast as we continue finding peace in everyday moments.DISCLAIMER

Pest Control Marketing Tactics in 2026Podcast Season 5, Episode 1 AI Overviews + Voice Search: How Pest Control Companies Win Local Visibility in 2026Google is changing the way customers find local service providers—and pest control is right in the middle of it. In this episode, we break down what AI Overviews mean for local search, how voice assistants (Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant) choose who to recommend, and the exact strategy mid-size pest control companies can use to stay visible and keep leads flowing in 2026.If you've noticed fewer clicks, more “zero-click” searches, or tougher competition in Maps and Ads, this one is your playbook.What we cover1) How AI Overviews are changing the customer journeyWhy more searches get answered without a website clickWhat types of pest control queries trigger AI answers vs “call now” intentThe new goal: becoming the trusted, citable local source2) The “two-layer” strategy that wins AI + voice searchLayer 1: Verified local truth (listings + consistency)Layer 2: Quote-ready expertise (answer-first content + real field credibility)3) Voice search: how Siri, Alexa, and Google decide who to recommendWhy most voice searches are “one-answer” situationsThe local data sources that matter (Maps, business listings, reviews, consistency)4) Practical steps pest control operators can implement this monthListing optimization prioritiesThe right way to build FAQs that match real voice queriesHow to protect your phone number, brand trust, and lead qualityVoice search rewards accuracy + trust: consistent business info + strong reviews often beats “more content.”AI Overviews reward clarity + structure: answer-first sections, real expertise, and easy-to-lift explanations.Local entity > just a website: your business listings, reviews, and service-area signals are now a major “ranking system.”The winners in 2026 will be the companies that build a repeatable visibility + conversion system, not just more pages.✅ Audit Google Business Profile: categories, services, service areas, photos, Q&A✅ Ensure your business info is identical everywhere (name, address, phone, hours)✅ Build 10–20 voice-style FAQs based on real calls (“Do scorpions climb beds?”)✅ Add “answer-first” sections to your top service pages (30–60 word direct answers)✅ Make trust obvious: license #, guarantees, technician credibility, real photosGoogle Business Profile (Maps)Apple Business Connect (Apple Maps / Siri)Yelp + Bing Places (ecosystem visibility)FAQ strategy + structured content (for AI extraction)CRM + pipeline tracking (to measure what's actually producing booked jobs)Key takeaways, Quick action checklist (do this first), Tools & platforms mentionedGoogle Business Profile (Maps)Apple Business Connect (Apple Maps / Siri)Yelp + Bing Places (ecosystem visibility)FAQ strategy + structured content (for AI extraction)CRM + pipeline tracking (to measure what's actually producing booked jobs)

Episode Title: I Am Present in the Rain's FlowDescription:In this episode, we invite you to embrace the soothing presence of rain and its gentle rhythm. We explore how tuning into the sound and sensation of falling rain can help ground your mind, reduce stress, and bring you into the present moment. Discover simple mindfulness techniques to deepen your connection with nature's calming flow and learn how to let go of distractions by focusing on the rain's steady beat.Take a few moments with us to breathe, listen, and be fully present—finding peace in the natural world around you. Let the rain wash away your worries and refresh your spirit.Join us next time on Be Calm and Relax Podcast as we continue our path toward inner calm and relaxation.DISCLAIMER

Do you plan to hit your sales goals, or just hope you will? You set goals in January. By March, they are forgotten. It's because most salespeople confuse wanting something with planning for it.  “I want to close more deals this year.” That is not a goal. That is a wish. “I want to be better at prospecting.” Still not a goal. Just a vague intention that leads nowhere. Real sales goals require a system. Not motivation. Not inspiration. A repeatable process that turns big numbers into daily actions you can actually execute. This four-step sales goal planning system turns annual quotas into weekly, executable actions that salespeople can control and measure. Why Most Sales Goals Fail Before February Most salespeople treat goal-setting like a New Year's resolution. They write something down, feel good about it for a week, then watch it disappear under the weight of quota pressure and full calendars. Three things kill sales goals before they have a chance: Lack of specificity. Your brain cannot attach to something vague. There is no finish line, no way to measure progress, and no emotional connection to the outcome. No breakdown. Big numbers paralyze you. Looking at an annual quota feels impossible. Your brain shuts down. You don't know where to start, so you don't start at all. Zero accountability. Goals that live only in your head are easy to abandon. There is no consequence for missing them because nobody, including you, is really tracking them. Research consistently shows that people who write down specific, challenging goals and track them perform significantly better than those who rely on vague intentions or hope. The difference between hitting your number and missing it is having a systematic approach to sales goal planning and the discipline to execute it. Step 1: Identify Your Major Milestones Big goals overwhelm you. When you stare at “close $1.5 million this year,” your brain checks out. It feels too big, too far away, and too abstract. The first step in effective sales goal planning is breaking that number into key checkpoints. These milestones tell you whether you are on track or falling behind. For a $1.5 million annual goal: Q1: $375K Q2: $375K Q3: $375K Q4: $375K Now you are not chasing $1.5 million. You are chasing $375K this quarter. Still significant, but manageable. Take it further. What does $375K mean for your pipeline? If your average deal size is $50K, you need eight closed deals per quarter. If your close rate is 25 percent, you need 32 qualified opportunities in your pipeline each quarter to close those eight deals. Suddenly, that intimidating annual number becomes a concrete monthly target of roughly 11 qualified opportunities. You cannot control whether a deal closes, but you can control how many qualified opportunities you put in your pipeline. That is the number you chase. Step 2: List Your Specific Tasks Milestones tell you where you need to be. Tasks tell you how to get there. These numbers will vary based on your market, deal size, and conversion rates. The point is forcing your goal all the way down to weekly actions you can control. This step requires brutal honesty about the activities that actually generate results in your sales process. If you need 11 qualified opportunities per month and your prospecting-to-opportunity conversion rate is 10 percent, you need 110 prospecting conversations monthly. What does that look like in weekly tasks? 30 outbound calls 15 LinkedIn connection requests with personalized messages 10 follow-up emails to lukewarm prospects 3 referral conversations Assign realistic timeframes to each task. Making 30 calls doesn't require four hours. It requires 45 minutes of focused effort. Block the time, make the calls, move on. The more specific you get, the less room there is for excuses. You either completed the tasks or you did not. You are either on pace or you are behind. If you cannot list the specific weekly tasks required to hit your goal, you do not have a sales goal. You have a hope. Step 3: Consider Obstacles and Resources Every goal has obstacles waiting to derail it. Ignoring them does not make them disappear. Identify what will try to stop you, then plan around it. The biggest time killers in sales are rarely mysterious. Meetings that don't move deals forward. Prospects who will never buy but keep you engaged. Administrative tasks that someone else should handle. Reorganizing your CRM instead of filling it with opportunities. Here is how to expose them. Track your time for one week. Write down every activity in 30-minute blocks. No editing. No judgment. Just honest data. At the end of the week, categorize everything: Income-producing activities like prospecting, discovery, and closing Income-supporting activities like proposals, follow-up, and research Waste, which is everything else Most salespeople discover they spend less than 30 percent of their time on income-producing activities. If that is you, you just found out why you are not hitting your goals. Once you know where your time actually goes, you can protect the activities that matter. Block prospecting time before meetings start. Batch administrative work. Decline meetings where your presence adds no value. Now identify resource gaps. What do you need that you don't have? Skills you need to develop. Tools that would improve your results. Support from leadership to open doors with key accounts. Find these gaps early. Discovering you lack a critical skill in November is too late. Step 4: Stay Flexible Without Lowering the Goal Sales goal planning requires flexibility in tactics, not flexibility in commitment. Markets shift. Buyers change. Your original plan may need adjustment. That does not mean the destination changes. Review your goals monthly and let the data guide you. Ask three questions: Am I on track What's working What's not working If something is working, do more of it. If something isn't working, adjust your approach. For example, your data might show inconsistent execution, poor list quality, or weak follow-up. The answer is not abandoning foundational activities like cold calling. The answer is tightening your process, improving targeting, or reinforcing outreach with disciplined follow-up. Flexibility means adjusting how you execute, not lowering the standard because the work is harder than expected. Salespeople who hit ambitious goals stay flexible in their methods and uncompromising about the outcome. Monthly reviews keep you honest. They prevent you from wasting months on ineffective activity before realizing you are off track. Execute Your Sales Goal Planning System Take one goal right now. Write it down with a specific number and a deadline. Break it into three to five milestones. List the weekly tasks required. Identify your two biggest obstacles and the resources you need to overcome them. Then execute. Review weekly. Adjust monthly. Never stop driving toward the outcome. This system works because it eliminates ambiguity. You know what needs to happen this week. Obstacles don't blindside you because you planned for them. You aren't following a broken plan for six months because you built in regular reviews. While other salespeople hope for a good year, you will be executing a plan. While they react to whatever fires pop up, you will be proactively driving toward measurable outcomes. The difference between salespeople who hit their goals and those who do not is not talent or luck. It is having a systematic process for turning big goals into daily actions and the discipline to follow through when motivation fades. Sales goals don't fail because you lack desire—they fail because the plan isn't specific enough to execute. Download the FREE Goal Planning Guide to turn your sales goals into results. 

In this episode of Ship Happens, Brad Guinane (CRO, SONAR) and Julie Van De Kamp (CCO, SONAR) sit down with industry leaders to discuss the current state of logistics and their outlook for 2026. Recorded during the annual F3 Event, this episode features interviews with: Ryan Sharp, Senior Manager of Logistics Strategy at Nevados Engineering Josh McGrath, North American Logistics & Transportation Purchasing Senior Manager at Electrolux Brendan Stinson, Director of Transportation Services at Shaw Industries Key Topics Include: The Power of Data: How shippers are moving away from siloed operations to leverage real-time data for better negotiations and predictive analysis. Market Volatility & Tariffs: Strategies for navigating fluctuating market conditions and the shifting landscape of international tariffs. 2026 Market Predictions: Expert takes on when the freight market will reach equilibrium and the potential for a drop in capacity later this year. Handling the Unexpected: Guests share their "Ship Happens" moments—from navigating supply chain disruptions during COVID-19 to managing the fallout of a major bridge collapse in Baltimore. Learn how the implementation of ERP and CRM integrations with SONAR data is giving companies a strategic advantage in an increasingly complex global supply chain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textStop chasing silver bullets and start stacking real wins. We're taking you through the most useful, unfiltered moments of 2025—what worked for contractors, what flopped, and how to build a brand that outlasts any algorithm. From booking rate benchmarks to campaign thinking, we connect the dots between operations, marketing, and customer experience so your plan actually matches your revenue goals.We kick off with a reality check on trends: if your call center isn't converting near 85 percent and your pricing isn't clear, AI won't save you. Tom breaks down short vs long purchase cycles with a simple example you won't forget, and we translate that into a durable media plan that compounds over quarters. Jess gives “CRM therapy” on why one bad workaround ruins reporting and targeting, while Jen's 3S framework—show up, stand out, scale—keeps your content engaging without flooding feeds with offers no one wants to share.Then we get into brand, community, and campaigns that actually convert. The loudest ads didn't win—showing up locally did. We call time on the$49 tune-up crutch and show how story, team, and visuals make offers believable. We also look ahead to geothermal and high-performance HVAC as differentiation plays rooted in measurable savings, not hype. The throughline is simple: diversify, stay consistent, and align your brand voice from the truck to the phone to the technician at the door.If you want 2026 to be a breakthrough year, start with strategy, budget with courage, and keep your customer experience on-brand at every touch. Subscribe, share this with a friend in the trades, and leave a quick review to tell us the first fix you're making. Your move.If you enjoyed this chat From the Yellow Chair, consider joining our newsletter, "Let's Sip Some Lemonade," where you can receive exclusive interviews, our bank of helpful downloadables, and updates on upcoming content. Please consider following and drop a review below if you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. From the Yellow Chair is powered by Lemon Seed, a marketing strategy and branding company for the trades. Lemon Seed specializes in rebrands, creating unique, comprehensive, organized marketing plans, social media, and graphic design. Learn more at www.LemonSeedMarketing.com Interested in being a guest on our show? Fill out this form! We'll see you next time, Lemon Heads!

It’s our annual Bold Predictions episode. We score our 2025 calls (BCE’s dividend cut, the CAD move, and the SHOP vs. RY market-cap battle), then lay out measurable 2026 predictions: mega-cap AI names potentially facing capex fatigue, an “anti-AI” basket of incumbents looking set for mean reversion, a possible management reset at CNI with buybacks paused to prioritize debt reduction, and Dan’s call for the TSX to beat the S&P 500 and Nasdaq again. We close with Braden’s spiciest take: despite incredible momentum, Palantir’s valuation leaves it vulnerable to a sharp drawdown in 2026. Tickers of stocks discussed: BCE.TO, SHOP.TO, RY.TO, NVDA, GOOGL, MSFT, AMZN, META, ORCL, INTC, AIQ, CSU.TO, DSG.TO, TRI, ADBE, CRM, ACN, QXO, CNR.TO, CP.TO, UNP, CSX, WSP.TO, PLTR, DKNG, FLUT, HOOD, COIN, CME Our New Youtube Channel! Check out our portfolio by going to Jointci.com Our Website Canadian Investor Podcast Network Twitter: @cdn_investing Simon’s twitter: @Fiat_Iceberg Braden’s twitter: @BradoCapital Dan’s Twitter: @stocktrades_ca Want to learn more about Real Estate Investing? Check out the Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast! Apple Podcast - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Spotify - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Web player - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Asset Allocation ETFs | BMO Global Asset Management Sign up for Fiscal.ai for free to get easy access to global stock coverage and powerful AI investing tools. Register for EQ Bank, the seamless digital banking experience with better rates and no nonsense. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.