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What do Walmart, Amazon, TikTok, and your favorite YouTuber have in common? They're all players in the growing world of retail media. Today's guest, Mike Feldman from VaynerMedia, knows exactly how to make them work for your brand.In this episode of Mastering eCommerce Marketing, host Eitan Koter chats with Mike, who leads global retail media at Vayner. Mike's done it all, from building media teams at Dentsu to running shopper marketing at Georgia-Pacific, and he brings real perspective on what's working (and what's not) in today's fast-changing commerce space.They talk about why ROAS can be a trap, how most brands are spending big on sponsored search without real impact, and why creators and affiliates are the ones to watch right now. Mike shares why live shopping isn't just a trend, and how retailers can use social content to drive real results, without overthinking it.If you've been hesitant to jump into video, creator-led campaigns, or live selling, this conversation will make you think twice. It's full of simple, actionable ideas and no-BS takes on where retail media is headed next.Also… yes, Mike journals every day. And once you hear him talk about strategy and connection, that fun fact will make total sense.Hit play and get ready for a fresh look at how retail, social, and content are coming together in 2025.Website: https://www.vimmi.net Email us: info@vimmi.net Podcast website: https://vimmi.net/mastering-ecommerce-marketing/ Talk to us on Social:Eitan Koter's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eitankoter/ Vimmi LinkedIn: https://il.linkedin.com/company/vimmi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VimmiCommunications Guest: Mike Feldman, SVP, Global Head of Retail Media at VaynerMediaMike Feldman's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-feldman-9962b230 VaynerMedia: https://vaynermedia.com/ Watch the full Youtube video here:https://youtu.be/yW-iHSr6QUcTakeaways:Connection, creativity, and charisma are essential for success.Retail media is thriving despite economic challenges.Success in retail media is defined by revenue and margin growth.Data plays a crucial role in targeting and measurement.Social commerce is a significant opportunity for brands.Creator affiliates can drive sales and engagement effectively.Retail media strategies must be integrated across teams.Live shopping creates emotional connections with consumers.Retail media is a mature market, accounting for 30% of digital spend.Future trends include a focus on platform mastery and content to commerce.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Retail Media and Personal Mantras04:18 Current State of Retail Media06:03 Defining Success in Retail Media09:43 Challenges in Offline Retail Media11:22 The Role of Data in Retail Media13:28 The Rise of Social Commerce16:22 Creator Affiliates and Content to Commerce20:19 Integrating Retail Media Strategies22:26 VaynerMedia's Approach...
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Selamat datang di Ngobrol Sore Semaunya Episode 183!Episode kali ini kita kedatangan seorang sosok hebat di dunia advertising, Defri Dwipaputra, Executive Creative Director Dentsu Creative Indonesia. Banyak obrolan menarik seputar advertising, kreatif dan dunia agency. Penasaran bagaimana sih kehidupan orang-orang kreatif di agency? Yuk ikuti keseruan obrolannya!Follow Us!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngobrolsoresemaunyaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ngobrolsoresemaunyaNgobrol Sore Semaunya hadir setiap Kamis jam 18.00 WIB hanya di cxomedia.id & YouTube CXO Media#NgobrolSoreSemaunya #PutriTanjung #DefriDwipaputra #DentsuIndonesia
Brent Koning is Dentsu's EVP for global gaming and spent six years at Electronic Arts, where he was Commissioner of the EA Sports FIFA Global series and was the first employee of EA's football esports team. Brent joins us to build a winning gaming strategy for his own fictitious football club, including... Where does gaming sit within a marketing strategy Roblox, Fortnite, EAFC? Which games should clubs get involved with YouTube or Twitch - Where are the fans? How do you see an ROI on gaming? The role of competitive gaming? And, what games has brent played more than 1,000 hours of?
Vivek Bahl is a social media genius who has been running his own social media marketing agency since 2011. Before this he was Creative Director at Cheil and Dentsu and has also worked in Grey, besides being in the Brand Team at The Times of India and Head of Marketing at PVR Cinemas. He launched India's first talent based social network in the fields of modeling, fashion photography and Bollywood dancing. Here are some key insights from this week's show: - Inner voice leads down the right path. - Play for yourself, not just to win every time. - Don't let external parameters define your accomplishments. - Overthinking is overrated. - Why put out thoughts on a pedestal to judge ourselves? - Do not look back to regret the choices made in the past. - Live life now. Please Subscribe to the Secrets to Win Big® Podcast! #podcast #podcasts #success #leader #leaders #new #newepisode #win #secret #thoughtleader #leadership #business #businesspodcast #listen #launch #episode #unquitforever #unquitter
In this very special IRL episode, Barry and Phil come to you LIVE from SXSW 2025 in Austin, Texas. In this first in-person episode in 6 years of "What Bubbles Up", and in preparation for their panel, "Enterprise Design: The Death of Innovation?", Barry and Phil recap their experiences and learnings from their first day at the Festival of Creativity. We also hear from Lindsey Scales, Assoc. Director Acne Care at Galderma; Estelle Raffaele, International Business Partner and Media Architect at Dentsu; and returning champion and fellow co-panelist Val Vacante, VP of Solutions Innovation at Dentsu, fresh off their panel, "Pixels to Reality: How Gaming Is Transforming Our World". We talk about their impressions from Day 1, and share the varying definitions of the word "Innovation". Enjoy!Drinks: Coffee. Just coffee.Links: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2025/speakers/2065159https://www.galderma.com/, http://www.dentsu.comhttp://www.wongdoody.comhttp://www.merkle.com
Global consulting group Sia has announced the acquisition of The Upside, a British consulting agency, as part of the firm's strategic expansion in the UK market. As part of this investment in The Upside, Sia is deepening its focus on brand, innovation, and culture in the UK. The acquisition also strengthens Sia's presence in the global tech sector, which will now represent 12% of the firm's worldwide turnover. This follows a €250 million minority investment from funds managed by Blackstone's private equity strategy for individual investors in January, to support Sia's continued growth. The Upside Founded in 2013, The Upside has built a strong reputation as a trusted partner among some of the leading companies in tech, retail, and consumer goods. It delivers a broad range of projects, from brand positioning, product and service innovation, sustainability and cultural impact, and the strategy behind leading consumer product launches. With a team of 20 strategists, The Upside generated £6.2M (€7.2M) in revenue in FY24. Niku Banaie, founder of The Upside, will lead this initiative and join the Sia leadership team as Partner. Additionally, Nigel Morris, Chairman of The Upside and former Executive Director at Dentsu, will take on the role of Senior Advisor to Sia in the UK and globally. "This acquisition underscores our commitment to the UK as a key market for growth and innovation. With its dynamic business landscape and rich creative ecosystem, the UK is an ideal environment for our strategic expansion." said Gary O'Sullivan, Managing Partner for SIA, UK & Ireland. "The Upside's mission to drive better business growth by uniting culture, commerce and creativity aligns with our vision. We're excited about the opportunities this partnership unlocks and the enhanced capabilities we can now offer." Niku Banaie, CEO & Founder of The Upside said: "From the start, The Upside has been driven by a desire to challenge conventions and create meaningful impact. Joining Sia is an exciting next step, not just because of our shared ambition, but because of the depth of expertise they bring - particularly in AI, which is world-class. Their capabilities will enhance what we do and open new possibilities for our clients. This marks the beginning of an exciting journey and I look forward to what we can build together." See more stories here.
Advertising giant Dentsu Inc. and two other Japanese companies have been found to be reluctant to accept price hikes by their business partners, the Fair Trade Commission said Friday.
Imagine landing a large contract with a Fortune 500 company without having to pitch for the business. That's what happened to Feras Alhlou when Google referred Salesforce to his company. In this episode of How to Sell More, Mark Drager and seasoned entrepreneur and business advisor Feras Alhlou explore how strategic partnerships can unlock higher-quality leads, increase deal size, and create premium positioning to differentiate your company from competitors. In Episode 102, you'll learn: ✅ The power of starting small and persisting through difficult times ✅ How a growth mindset helps you continuously move upmarket to larger, more profitable clients ✅ Why niching down your business can drive massive growth ✅ Why you must treat partnerships like a primary marketing channel ✅ The power of becoming an evangelist of your partner's products or services ✅ How to build valuable and strategic relationships so partners refer qualified leads ✅ The crucial difference between passion and skill and why passion isn't enough Meet Today's Guest: In 2004, Feras Alhlou drained his 401(k) to start a digital marketing company. In 2019, he sold that same company for eight figures to Dentsu, one of the world's largest marketing firms. His company's success didn't come down to luck—growth came from making strategic decisions, taking consistent action, and building lasting relationships. Are you ready to build and leverage partnerships to get high-quality referrals and sell more? Listen to the full episode now!
Retail touchpoints for cosmetic and personal care brands today extend well beyond stores with doors and conventional print and outdoor advertising. Beauty brands are reaching consumers in experiential and engaging ways with the help of digital ad tech firms. This week on the CosmoFactory podcast, we hear about imaginative ways that brands are connecting with and educating consumers on the platforms, apps, sites, forums, etc. where they are already spending their time online. Our guest is Val Vacante, VP of Solution Innovation at the integrated marketing, public relations, and advertising firm Dentsu. Based in Tokyo, Japan, and founded in 1901, Dentsu partners with tech leaders including Adobe, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, and more, as well as with bold startups to create campaigns. If you appreciated this episode:SUBSCRIBE to the CosmoFactory podcast & please LEAVE US A REVIEW today. With your help, even more cosmetic industry professionals can discover the inspiring interviews we share on CosmoFactory! ABOUT CosmoFactoryBeauty industry stakeholders listen to the CosmoFactory podcast for inspiration and for up-to-date information on concepts, tactics, and solutions that move business forward. CosmoFactory – Ideas to Innovation is a weekly interview series for cosmetics and personal care suppliers, finished product brand leaders, retailers, buyers, importers, and distributors. Each Tuesday, CosmoFactory guests share experiences, insights, and exclusive behind-the-scenes details—which makes this not only a must-listen B2B podcast but an ongoing case study of our dynamic industry. Guests are actively working in hands-on innovation roles along the beauty industry supply chain; they specialize in raw materials, ingredients, manufacturing, packaging, and more. They are designers, R&D or R&I pros, technical experts, product developers, key decision makers, visionary executives. HOST Deanna UtroskeCosmetics and personal care industry observer Deanna Utroske hosts the CosmoFactory podcast. She brings an editorial perspective and a decade of industry expertise to every interview. Deanna is also Editor of the Beauty Insights newsletter and a supply-side positioning consultant. She writes the Global Perspectives column for EuroCosmetics magazine, is a former Editor of CosmeticsDesign, and is known globally for her ability to identify emerging trends, novel technologies, and true innovation in beauty. A PRODUCTION OF Cosmoprof Worldwide BolognaCosmoFactory is the first podcast from Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, taking its place among the best B2B podcasts serving the global beauty industry. Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is the most important beauty trade show in the world. Dedicated to all sectors of the industry, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna welcomes over 250,000 visitors from 150 countries and regions and nearly 3,000 exhibitors to Bologna, Italy, each year. It's where our diverse and international industry comes together to build business relationships and to discover the best brands and newest innovations across consumer beauty, professional beauty, and the entire supply chain. The trade show includes a robust program of exclusive educational content, featuring executives and key opinion leaders from every sector of the cosmetics, fragrance, and personal care industry. Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is the most important event of the Cosmoprof international network, with exhibitions in Asia (Hong Kong), the US (Las Vegas and Miami), India (Mumbai) and Thailand (Bangkok). Thanks to its global exhibitions Cosmoprof connects a community of more than 500,000 beauty stakeholders and 10,000 companies from 190 countries and regions. Learn more today at Cosmoprof.com
“I've always been a person who has strong opinions. But having an opinion is not always the same as making a decision… I try to balance gut instinct with data.” In this episode, Womenheard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Leah Meranus, CEO, North America of dentsu X - a global media agency within dentsu, known for its unique ability to defy convention to deliver meaningful outcomes for leading brands. She leads over 1,000 people - no small task! Listen to this episode for tips on maximizing your decision-making power and how to avoid listening to a “focus group of one”.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute:Bloomingdale's to Close San Francisco Location – Bloomingdale's departs San Francisco Center after nearly 20 years, reflecting ongoing struggles in urban retail and the uncertain future of the mall under receivership.Amazon Go Shrinks Brick-and-Mortar Footprint – Amazon announces the closure of its Woodland Hills Amazon Go store, as part of broader cost-cutting measures, while doubling down on Just Walk Out technology and Amazon Fresh expansion.Hy-Vee Launches Red Media Targeting Solution – Hy-Vee introduces Hy-Vee ID in collaboration with Dentsu, offering brands advanced audience targeting capabilities through digital TV advertising and enhanced shopper alignment.Stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights. Be careful out there!
WARC's Alex Brownsell talks to dentsu's Dan Calladine, head of media futures, about media trends in 2025. Discussing AI's actual impact, the role of storytelling in the algorithmic era, the quest for quality in media buying, and how the world may become more unevenly distributed.
Send us a textIn this inspiring episode of the Joint Dynamics podcast, JD podcast host Andrew Cox sits down with Will Travis, the visionary founder of The Elevation Barn. Will and Andrew explore the transformative power of community and personal growth through Will's unique approach to life and business (and even parenthood).Will shares his journey as an internationally respected brand builder and social connector in global branding/advertising agencies ATTIK, DENTSU and SidLee as CEO. For over 25 years he led teams working with Toyota, Facebook, Apple, Nike, Coca Cola, Netflix, Absolut and more! He then discusses transitioning to an entrepreneur, revealing how he created (almost stumbled upon) the Elevation Barn with six of his close friends. The Elevation Barn has since grown to become a sanctuary for individuals seeking to elevate their lives, in the process uniting diverse industry leaders, to gain a deeper confidence in their personal, business, and social impact strategies discovering the importance of connection, vulnerability, and collaboration in achieving personal and professional success.Listeners will gain valuable insights into the significance of mentorship, self-discovery, and the power of intention. Whether you're looking to ignite your passion, build stronger relationships, or find your purpose, this episode is packed with actionable advice and motivational stories that will inspire you to take the next step in your journey.Tune in to discover how you can become the architect of your own life and elevate your potential with the guidance of Will Travis. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the leaders in personal development and community building.Listen now and start your journey toward elevation!*show sponsor Muvitality Medicinal Mushrooms for modern day health and wellness | Mu …Go to muvitality.com and use the code JD10 to receive a 10% discount on your purchase of Functional mushrooms such as Lions Mane, Cordyceps, Chaga, Reishi, and Turkey tail Here are some useful links for this podcasthttps://www.willtravis.com/https://www.elevationbarn.com/(@elevationbarn) • Instagram photos and videosRelevant episodesEpisode 101 - Freediving Champion, & Ocean Ambassador, Alexey Molchanov https://podcasts.apple.com/hk/podcast/episode-101-freediving-champion-ocean-ambassador-alexey/id1527374894?i=1000656884426J Episode 98 - South African combat officer to performance psychologist Henry Chamberlain on leadership, transformation & human development - https://podcasts.apple.com/hk/podcast/episode-98-south-african-combat-officer-to-performance/id1527374894?i=1000652472671JOINT DYNAMICS links:Joint Dynamics Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JointDynamicsHongKong/Joint Dynamics Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/jointdynamics/Joint Dynamics Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQZplKxZMSvtc6LxM5Wckw Host - Andrew Cox -
Neil Patel, one of the most recognized names in digital marketing, pulls back the curtain on how he scaled his agency, NP Digital, to over $100 million in revenue. Neil shares his insights into building and managing a global agency, transitioning from small business clients to enterprise giants like LVMH, Panasonic, ESPN, and CNN, and the strategies he uses to reduce churn and maintain client relationships. In this episode, you'll learn: 00:00 Introduction 01:12 How Neil makes his money 06:35 Why Neil doesn't sell courses anymore 15:04 How Neil scaled his agency 21:14 Shifting from SMBs to large enterprises 33:32 The mistake a lot of agencies make 42:08 How to land big enterprise clients 46:20 Customer acquisition strategies 55:15 Relationship building for customer acquisition 1:02:35 Taking the "Neil Patel" out of NP Digital 1:05:00 Personal branding decisions 1:10:54 Strategic vs tactical content 1:14:05 The role of a team within a personal brand 1:33:01 Neil's visibility and putting his face on "everything" 1:44:35 Partnership ( @marketingschoolpod ) with Eric Siu ( @LevelingUpOfficial ) 1:50:34 How Ubersuggest is doing 2:00:47 The time Neil spent $162K on clothes 2:04:52 Outro We hope you enjoyed this episode of Ahrefs Podcast! As always, be sure to like and subscribe (and tell a friend). Where to find Neil: X: @neilpatel LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkpatel/) Website: https://npdigital.com/ Where to find Tim: LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/) X: @timsoulo Website: https://www.timsoulo.com/ ------------------------- Referenced: • Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee): garyvaynerchuk.com @garyvee • Tony Robbins: tonyrobbins.com @TonyRobbinsLive • LVMH: lvmh.com • Dentsu: dentsu.com • WPP: wpp.com • Publicis: publicisgroupe.com • ByteDance: bytedance.com • Nestlé: nestle.com • Panasonic: panasonic.com • Philips: philips.com • ESPN: espn.com • CNN: cnn.com • Salesforce: salesforce.com • Tai Lopez: tailopez.com @tailopez • Sam Oh: @AhrefsCom
Host Rob Reed welcomes some serious local retail powerhouses to the Clicks to Bricks podcast today: Alex Nocifera and Brian Monahan. Alex, a serial entrepreneur Rob has known for over a decade, returns to the show. Following a successful exit in local marketing and founding Field Day, which was featured in episode 29, he's now focused on his latest venture, LOMA, which he co-founded with Brett Campbell, another former guest from episode 30. Joining him is Brian Monahan, Global Client President and Head of Retail Media Solutions at the agency powerhouse Dentsu. Together, they discuss the shift toward local store marketing, exploring how local activations and media drive foot traffic, boost frequency, and connect businesses with the communities they serve. This is a great episode in a new format we are exploring, so be sure not to miss out. Thanks for listening!Key Points From This Episode:Where guests are joining us from today.A fun fact about Brian Monahan that most people might not know.What Alex has been up to since Field Day and more about LOMA.How Brian ended up at Dentsu and what they do there.Alex speaks to where the pain is that's preventing franchise brands from unlocking the potential of local.Brian shares his thoughts on the idea of mistaking activity for impact; what is the unlock?Alex shares why they're still working with paper mail and how influence can come in many different ways.The franchise profile: dealing with the franchisee and the possible disconnect.We discuss the idea that retailers are becoming media networks.Brian's take on Walmart's store-level support through socials and why more retailers haven't followed it.LOMA being built to work for big companies: centralizing the workstream. Alex unpacks three core constituents in retail.Going back to the good old-fashioned match market test.Thoughts on trends and big shifts expected for 2025.Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Alex Nocifera on LinkedInLOMABrian Monahan on LinkedInDentsuEp 29: Alex Nocifera is the Founder and CEO of Field Day, the Local Marketing Activation PlatformField DayEp 30: Brett Campbell is Vice President of Field Marketing for Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and this episode is a deep dive into LSM: local store marketingGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't: 1Clicks 2 Bricks Marketing Leaders Coffee Chat
On today's MadTech Daily: DOJ Wants Google to Sell Chrome; Amazon Launches New App to Rival Temu and Shein; AUS Social Media Ban for Under 16s Not Backed by Parliamentary Inquiry; Dentsu's APAC Revenue Dips
On the eve of election day in the U.S, the number of news outlets reporting on the races is continuing to dissipate. A recent report from Northwestern University found 127 newspapers across America closed down in 2023, leaving nearly 55 million Americans with limited or no access to local news.This continues the expanding trend of news deserts we've seen over the years, as now more than half of counties in the U.S. have one or zero local news outlets.Still, the report finds there is some room for optimism. 81 standalone digital local news sites opened in 2023, increasing the total number of those sites to 740.A persistent challenge for news publishers has been capturing advertisers dollars. Multiple recent studies are hoping to turn that tide, showing it's safe and valuable to advertise alongside news coverage.The latest success story comes up north in Canada, where Dentsu found some big time results for the effectiveness of local news.The holding company's VP of performance and platforms, Fil Lourenco, shared those results with me during our conversation. _______To read the full stories included in this episode:Medill report shows local news deserts expanding: https://bit.ly/48E4LYaMost U.S. counties have little to no local news sources: https://bit.ly/48ygFT4US Sports Streaming 2024. Women's Sports and Gambling Drive Viewership Gains: https://bit.ly/48zxInP_______The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what's happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH_______Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world's most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR
In this episode executive director for global advertising giant Dentsu, Yoshihiro Yagi talks about the importance of creativity and art in advertising campaigns noting Grand Prix award winner Pocky the Gift. For more information please visit https://www.instagram.com/yoshihiro_yagi/
On this episode, ExchangeWire's Mat Boughton is joined by Ganga Chirravuri, president product and development, dentsu APAC, to discuss how the advertising industry is evolving, how the programmatic sphere developing and the key strategies brands should adopt to stay competitive
Kevin Chesters has CSO'd it all - Ogilvy, Wieden + Kennedy, Dentsu and more. He's started a business. He's sold a business. He's also started writing a book and finished writing a book, which is the hardest part of starting to write a book. It's called The Creative Nudge. Kevin is speaking at our fourth Sweathead Do-Together about how to say your ideas in a few words. In this chat, we touch on this topic but we spend a lot more time on being diagnosed with being on the autism spectrum as an adult. Links: Kevin: http://www.kevinchesters.com Mark: http://www.instagram.com/markpollard The Sweathead Do-Together: http://www.sweathead.com
Mastering Entrepreneurship: Overcoming Challenges and Building Success with Feras Alhlou Startupwithferris.com blackbeltstartup.com About the Guest(s): Feras Alhlou is a seasoned entrepreneur, author, and business mentor. He is the founder of Startup with Feras Alhlou, where he helps entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses to reach seven and eight figures. Feras Alhlou has an extensive background in the consulting and analytics space, having successfully sold a business to Dentsu, a global marketing giant. He is also the author of "Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact," published by Wiley in 2016. Episode Summary: In this engaging episode of The Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss sits down with Feras Alhlou to delve into the world of entrepreneurship, sharing invaluable insights from Feras Alhlou's journey. From the early days of adjusting to a layoff to building successful businesses, Ferris uncovers the challenges and rewards of the entrepreneurial path. Listeners are treated to a wealth of information on how to develop a resilient entrepreneurial mindset, the importance of networking, and practical strategies to navigate through the common pitfalls faced by early-stage startups. Feras Alhlou discusses the significance of bridging the gap for those new to business, emphasizing the need to cultivate sales and marketing skills. He shares his personal experiences of overcoming setbacks, underlining the essential role of resilience and adaptability in business success. Both Feras Alhlou and Chris explore themes such as leveraging the talents of team members and advisors, the modern challenges faced by executives entering entrepreneurship, and effective problem-solving as a CEO. As Ferris states, "With the help of others, you can get through challenges much more efficiently." Key Takeaways: Networking is crucial: Engage in local networking events to enhance sales and marketing skills. Transitioning executives often need support in adapting their skills to entrepreneurial ventures. Resilience is key: Approach failures as opportunities to learn and grow. Surround yourself with a supportive team and leverage their diverse skills for business growth. There's an abundance of resources available to entrepreneurs today—don't hesitate to seek help. Notable Quotes: "Sales and marketing are just muscles that you have to build gradually." "Passion is optional, but skills and sacrifice are not." "With the help of others, you can get through challenges much more efficiently." "The resilience in business is the ability to fail, learn, and not repeat the same mistakes." "If you have the skills and you're willing to sacrifice, your chances of making it increase significantly." Resources: Ferris Al Hulu's book: "Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact" Follow on YouTube: Startup with Ferris
Het Japanse media- en PR-bedrijf Dentsu zegt in een nieuw rapport dat de media volgend jaar getransformeerd gaat worden dankzij AI. Dit uur hoor je exact waar we op dat vlak op dit moment staan! Artificial Intelligence gaat de media dus veranderen, zeggen onderzoekers. En dat in de week waarin "AI" sowieso wat te vieren heeft: zowel de Nobelprijs voor Natuurkunde als die voor Scheikunde ging naar een ontdekking waarbij de techniek toegepast werd. Alle reden dus om de stand van zaken in AI-land door te nemen en specifiek in te zoomen op de betekenis er van voor de media. Zowel voor de makers als voor jou, als luisteraar, kijker of lezer. Dat doet Jan met AI-kenner Laurens Vreekamp en met journalistiek-docent en onderzoeker Nele Goutier.
Anneka Gupta is the Chief Product Officer at Rubrik, a cloud management and data security company with a US$6B market cap. Before Rubrik, Anneka spent 11 years leading various teams at LiveRamp, including product, go-to-market, and operations. In today's episode, we discuss: How LiveRamp went from $30M to $200M ARR in 3 years Anneka's jack-of-all-trades career Why specialist hires can backfire When leaders should get in the weeds One area every PM can improve in Rubrik's approach to building product Much more – Referenced: Acxiom: https://www.acxiom.com/ Acxiom's acquisition of LiveRamp: https://tinyurl.com/2shm83de Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ Auren Hoffman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/auren/ Dentsu: https://www.dentsu.com/ Dentsu's acquisition of Merkle: https://tinyurl.com/yvxe6fws James Arra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-arra-a43a06/ LiveRamp: https://liveramp.com/ Merkle: https://www.merkle.com/ Rubrik: https://www.rubrik.com/ Slack: https://www.slack.com/ Travis May: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stmay/ – Where to find Anneka Gupta: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annekagupta/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/annekagupta – Where to find Brett Berson: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson – Where to find First Round Capital: Website: https://firstround.com/ First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast – Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:11) Inside LiveRamp's unique growth journey (12:18) Anneka's first PM role (14:20) Leading LiveRamp's marketing function (16:17) Why the best product doesn't win (21:06) Crafting products for different personas (24:53) Transitioning Acxiom's customers to LiveRamp (33:54) Why Acxiom chose to buy not build (36:40) Anneka's leap to GM and product leader (38:22) How 17 diverse roles shaped Anneka's CPO approach (40:54) The hidden career growth hack (43:15) Where domain experience is overrated (50:33) Mastering the art of altitude shifting (53:54) PMs should undergo the same training as sales reps (59:37) Strategies for selling to new personas (62:40) Lessons from Anneka's mistake at LiveRamp (67:56) Who had an outsized impact on Anneka
In this episode, Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley are joined by Dentsu Benelux employee advocacy lead Maike Jansen. Together, they dive into the importance employee advocacy plays in maintaining brand consistency, safety, and suitability on social media.Maike shares real-world examples and proven strategies for managing employee-generated content, navigating intellectual property risks, and addressing security concerns across regulated and non-regulated industries. Learn how leading organizations ensure their brand message remains strong, safe, and authentic with the right tools, guidelines, and training.Resources:https://dsmn8.org/free-healthcheck-s3ep6https://dsmn8.org/Free-Social-Template Connect with us:Join the DSMN8 community: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-gray-dsmn8/Connect with Lewis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-gray-dsmn8/ Connect with Elliot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-elsley/Connect with Maike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maikejansen/This episode is brought to you by https://dsmn8.org/website #EmployeeAdvocacy #BrandConsistency #SocialMedia #BrandMessage #SocialMediaStrategy #EmployeeContent #AdvocacyProgram
In this episode of the Business Growth Talks podcast, host Mark Hayward welcomes Feras Alhlou, a seasoned entrepreneur and business mentor, to discuss his extensive journey in entrepreneurship and business growth. Feras Alhlou shares his insightful experiences from starting as a hardware engineer to transitioning into the business world, founding multiple companies, and ultimately selling his digital marketing firm to a major global player, Dentsu. Mark and Feras delve into the intricacies of developing a business mindset, emphasizing execution and the importance of balancing planning with action.Feras offers practical advice on scaling businesses, focusing on the transition from small business services to high-revenue corporate clients. The conversation also highlights the critical facets of financial management, talent retention, and building a growth-oriented company culture. Feras stresses the significance of doing thorough market research, maintaining profitability, and being ready to pivot when necessary. Throughout the episode, Feras's passion for giving back to the community through mentoring and supporting nonprofits is evident, reflecting his belief in the value of service and generosity.Key Takeaways:Execution Over Ideas: Feras underscores the importance of execution, stating, "I'm big on getting stuff done. I'm big on execution."Risk and Growth: Emphasizing calculated risk-taking, Feras shares, "You have to take some bold action. You got to go and explore the market, talk to maybe bigger companies than you're used to."Delegation for Scalability: Discussing growth, Feras mentions, "If you want to scale, you got to delegate, you got to hire, you got to bring others to do the things that you were doing."Importance of Market Research: Feras points out, "Do your due diligence. Do some market research. Look who else is offering this service."How To Come Up With A $19M Skincare Idea In A WeekThe unobvious benefits of having no experience in business when setting up a new startup Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showDo you want to be a guest on multiple podcasts as a service go to:www.podcastintroduction.comFind more details about the podcast and my coaching business on:www.businessgrowthtalks.comDo you want to be a podcaster? Sign up onwww.abmpodcastcourse.co.ukFind me onLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hayw...Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/markjhayward
This week, we went fishing in a Levi's Creek to catch TED speaker, co-author of ‘The Creative Nudge' and enthusiasm enthusiast, Kevin Chesters. His Twitter bio says he's a “tall bald bloke from Penzance”. And whilst that might be true, it does rather undersell the fact that perched atop that tall body, and in that bald bonce, are some serious smarts. For Kevin is a Chief Strategy Officer, formerly strategy head at Ogilvy, Wieden + Kennedy, Saatchi, Dentsu, with a client-side cameo at BT, a visiting lecturer in creativity at several universities, a TEDx speaker, co-author of ‘The Creative Nudge' and an absolute advocate for walking in stupid and talking in smarts. We discuss his journey from his beginning manning boying a vegetable stall, flirting with journalism, getting past ‘A' in the careers dictionary, the importance of fostering creativity in all fields (including muddy ones), executional skill, breaking category norms, sifting through the interesting to find useful, enthusiasm, neurodiversity, walking in stupid, finding the world endlessly fascintating, big agencies, little agencies and so much more. ///// Kevin's website Follow Kevin on LinkedIn Here's his book, co-written with the brilliant Mick Mahoney His TED Talk Levi's – Creek by BBH, 1993 ///// Timestamps (03:17) - Kevin's early jobs and first steps in the advertising industry (07:34) - His initial lack of interest in advertising and his pivot from journalism (10:04) - The impact of iconic ads like Levi's Creek on Kevin's career (19:04) - The value of diverse experiences in building a successful career (23:03) - Defining creativity and its importance in business and life (27:37) - Breaking category norms (31:06) - The concept of bravery in marketing (34:42) - Bringing Fresh Perspectives to Meetings (36:38) - Practical tips for fostering creativity in the workplace (45:05) - Listener questions including Mark Earls about the role of enthusiasm (47:08) - The impact of neurodiversity on Kevin's approach to strategy Kevin's book recommendations are: The Creative Nudge: Simple Steps to help you think differently by Kevin Chesters and Mick Mahoney The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage Legacy by James Kerr An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield The Rebuilders by Sara Tate & Anna Vogt (Sara's appearance on Call to Action® https://gasp.agency/media/call-to-action/sara-tate) ////
Google's guilty of monopoly practices, but the result will be unclear for some time. Elon Musk continues to go bonkers while raking in trillions, nonetheless, he is suing people who don't like him, like former advertisers and others unhappy with the lack of moderation on their platform. Meta shuttered Echo Arena, and now they're shuttering the studio that makes it, Ready at Dawn, which they acquired in 2020. Our guest is Val Vacante, VP of Solutions Innovation for Dentsu Advertising. She is based in Austin and advises the SXSW festival on programming. Val shares Dentsu's innovative approaches to problematic categories like retail, where many companies are in desperate need of reinvention. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you'll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- This week on The Exit: Steve Weiss, founder of MuteSix, a creative digital marketing agency he sold to Dentsu, shares his tumultuous journey from troubled youth to successful entrepreneur. After being robbed at gunpoint, Steve decided to make a major pivot in his life and dedicated himself to business, programming, and digital marketing. MuteSix began when Steve, pursuing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles, started running Facebook ads to promote comedy shows. This turned into a full-fledged agency, growing from 20 to over 500 employees in just four years. The company's success stemmed from integrating creative and paid media services, a novel approach at the time. In 2019, Dentsu reached out via LinkedIn, leading to MuteSix's acquisition after an 8-9 month process. Steve discusses the challenges of maintaining business growth during due diligence and emphasizes the importance of proper accounting, HR practices, and legal counsel in preparing for an exit. Steve advises entrepreneurs to plan for life after selling their business. Money doesn't provide purpose, so it's important to find the thing that does. -- Steve Weiss started MuteSix in 2013, where he saw that the structure of building integrated media teams was broken and needed to evolve rapidly. MuteSix sat at the intersection of creative, media buying, and data with a goal of disrupting the status quo and being an all inclusive growth solution. Their goal was to give leading native “Direct to Consumer” eCommerce brands the unfair advantage in quickly taking market share from leading enterprise competitors. As CEO along with his incredible team of 450+ MuteSix'ers, they were able to grow the company 25%+ every single year. This led to an acquisition by iProspect in 2019. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevejweiss/ Check Out Flippa's Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You'll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
Building Success from Adversity: Feras Alhlou's Insights This episode is brought to you by my favorite productivity and well-being app, Brain.fm* and my book on how to become a stellar speaker, Speak From Within. Discover the secrets to unlock your inner leader! Download the free confidence-building tip sheet now! Grab a complimentary 15-minute consultation with me. Leave me a voice message. Feras Alhlou is an inspiring entrepreneur whose journey from layoff to leadership will motivate you to take charge of your future. Discover how Feras turned a career setback into an opportunity, mastering new skills and persevering through challenges to build an eight-figure business. As the co-author of "Google Analytics Breakthrough" and a sought-after industry speaker, Feras shares invaluable insights on business growth, resilience, and the power of community service. We also explore how martial arts informs personal and professional success for both of us. Tune in to hear his story and learn how you too can transform obstacles into opportunities for success! Connect with Feras Website: www.StartUpWithFeras.com/daily-advisor YouTube: www.youtube.com/@StartUpWithFeras LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/FerasAlhlou Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartUpFeras Instagram: instagram.com/StartUpFeras Twitter: https://twitter.com/ferasa Connect with Izolda This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It's also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you've been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Support the show. Buy me a coffee. Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | Transcript The Creative Solutions podcast features interviews with innovative creative artists and entrepreneurs >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: You'd be a better leader, you'd be a better business owner, a better manager if you have an appreciation of what's involved. If you are more hands on. >> Izolda: Hi and welcome to the Creative Solutions podcast. I'm, your host, Isolde Trachtenberg. On the show, you'll hear interviews with innovative creative artists, entrepreneurs, business executives, and thought leaders. You'll have a front row seat as they explore their internal uncharted waters about what inspires them to grow, achieve, and innovation, innovate. Get their insights and realizations as I tease out answers to questions they've never pondered before. You'll also learn how to supercharge your innovative drive, mindfulness, and communication skills so you can succeed. This episode is brought to you by my favorite productivity hack, the Brain FM app. This podcast's host, Podbean, as well as my book, speak from within, Engage, inspire, and motivate any audience. Hello. Hello and welcome to the Creative Solutions podcast. I'm, your host, Isolde Trachtenberg. Thank you so much for taking the time to be here. I am super excited to bring you this week's guest. Let me tell you about Ferris Al Hulu. Faris is driven to support your success, and I love that it's right up front. He's, that's, that's the mission. And let me tell you why. A layoff in 2003 propelled him into entrepreneurship, where he acquired diverse skills really outside his comfort zone. He learned to persevere through challenges and adapted his vision when needed with dedication and learning. He became a top earner within a franchise, authored respected publications like Google Analytics Breakthrough, and spoke at tons of industry conferences. In 2019, he sold his own consultancy to Dentsu and committed to giving back. Ferris mentors new businesses, engages in community service, and offers expert guidance through startup with Ferris. Now, here's another thing that you don't know about him that is obviously very close to my heart. Ferris is also an aikido player. He is a, third don, which means he's a third degree black belt. And that's something that's part of my own journey that I love to talk about. And don't be surprised if in this conversation, we touch a little bit on how aikido relates to business and, heck, to all of life. Ferris, thank you so much for being here. Welcome. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Zola, thank you so much. I appreciate the kind introduction and really looking forward to our conversation. >> Izolda: I'm, I'm thrilled that you're here. Rena Friedman Watts talks about how she pivoted after being laid off And as always, I need to shout out Rena Friedman Watts, who is the person who introduced us. I am so excited to talk to you because you're a real, I mean, it's one of those true to life success stories. I would love for you, if you don't mind, to talk a little bit about how you went from I'm laid off to I've built an eight figure business. What were the pivotal moments or the decisions that led to this kind of decision to, to go and do and make something of it after a layoff? How did you manage that? What are your thoughts? What are your tips? What are your routines? Let's just go. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Sure, sure. A lot to cover there. But, you know, you're a martial artist. So this concept of pivoting, you avoid an attack. You pivot, you move m around, and it feels like after all these years, as we get older, you reflect on life, you reflect on business, and there were just a lot of pivots in my life, and I think in most people's lives, and some of them are intentional. Like, you want to get out of the way, and sometimes you have to pivot because something is coming at you like a ton of bricks. So the layoff, I mean, so we moved to the Bay area, to the Silicon Valley back in 1998. I got into, I moved with my employer at the time, got into the startup scene, and then I was a vp of a cutting edge tech company in 2003. We raised a lot of money. We raised $96 million as a company. And then, we could not sell, fast enough. We couldn't deploy. He run out of money. And then layoffs ensued. I was part of, I think, the one before last, before the company folded. So here I go. From a vp of a cutting edge tech company to a layoff husband, and a father of a young family. At the time, the job market was very dry, similar to what we're seeing today with the waves of layoffs around us. And I, you know, it took me, it took me. Sometimes I get emotional here. I mean, it took me a few days to recover, I m guess, emotionally, psychologically, you know, I'm this vp now I'm out of work. What is it that people are going to think about me? Why me? What did I do wrong? but, you know, two, three days into it, a couple of days into it, I gotta do something about it. So I updated my resume and I started to reach out. Six, seven weeks into this, trying to get an interview, nothing, zilch. so I ran across, I ran into a friend of mine who wanted to do his own business. We chatted for about a week, and we decided that, you know what? Let's join resources, let's join forces. Let's start a business. And that's how it all started. Ferris says layoffs make you question your sense of self I'm happy to go into more details, but let me pause and see if you have a question on that or you want me to dive into a specific part of this, initial recovery, after the layoff. >> Izolda: You know, it's funny that you paused where you did that moment of self doubt, really. It makes you question who you are. It, makes you question what you're capable of. And there are lots of people who would sort of let it bow them down and not really recover their sense of self. Can you talk a little bit about what had to happen inside you to be able to go, you know what? This is something I can recover from. This is something I can do something about. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Yeah. So I remember, I mean, I remember till this day when the CEO walked, in to my office and he said, ferris, tomorrow we have layoffs. And I had anticipated that that was about to happen. What I did not anticipate is that what he said next. And Ferris, you're part of it. You're impacted as well. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: And, my stomach dropped, my heart was racing. I felt like the blood's going to flow out of my skin and explode. All these feelings. And then, oh, my goodness, no way. How did I not see that? What did I do? We were about to deploy, like, go and do a major deployment for a major telco at the time, and I was part of this, so. But you know, at the end of this, in a way, like, business is business. When I went back home and I got home, I used to, you know, I was in a startup. This was one of those 1213 hours day startups. So I went home that afternoon and spoke with my amazing wife and she said, why are you here early? I said, well, let me share with you. I remember sitting on the couch there in the living room where at the time we rented. And, I said, yeah, that's what happened. I mean, she was extremely supportive. of course, we have three kids, young kids, and financials, the financial side of things. Always sort of top of mind. But that wasn't. I knew I'll figure something out. I knew that things will work out financially. But it was more to your point, like, oh, my goodness, like my self worth here, my reputation, like, it's the shame, all those feelings, all these emotions run through you. David Frum: Layoffs are hard on everybody, even strong men And I want to mention to if your listeners, some of your listeners or maybe someone in their family. If you're impacted by layoff today, it's hard. And I had to lay off people later when I was a manager and a business owner. Not a whole lot of times, but it's hard on everybody. So don't, I mean, take. It's okay to mourn. I always say that's okay. Even for strong men out there. It's okay to cry. If you can't cry in public, cry at night. get these emotions, let them flow. Let them go through these emotions. And I think the logical thing to do, which is really hard to do in the first few days, maybe the first couple of weeks. But at one point, you have to sit down and do an honest assessment of what led to this sometimes. And I always say there are two hard truths about layoffs. At times, top performers are let go because a whole branch is closed or a whole vertical or a whole product is discontinued, and everybody is let go. And a lot of times, and this is, maybe hard to say, and I say it with a lot of compassion, but a lot of time, and a lot of times, companies lay off the underperforming 5%, 10%, whatever it is. So I think after that emotional kind of struggle or those feelings that you go through, I think, do an objective assessment. Ask people. Look at your last performance review. This is going to be really hard. But if you're honest with yourself, if you want to move on and learn from that failure, if you want to call it as such, you got to do an assessment and see what is it that you could have done better. Not to dwell on the past, but to learn from it for the next time. Whether you go back into the work workforce for your next job and be better at it, or if you want to start your own business, you have to know your strength and your areas for improvement so you can build a solid business. So that all of that was sort of going on in my mind in the first couple of weeks. >> Izolda: I love that. And it's so funny how I had almost an identical story, back in. This would be 19, I want to say, 1990, 1989, similar thing happened to me where my boss, who was the president of a company, said to me, he took me, it was 03:00 on a Thursday. I'll never forget it. And, David, I'm shouting out you if you're listening to this. Cause he. He held it together to say, the company's going under completely. I'm not even legally allowed to tell you this. It's gonna happen tomorrow. We're all out of jobs. And what's interesting to me about that is, you know, he, he did cry. It was his baby, and it was just terribly sad. But what was interesting for me is my mindset went to, okay, I'm going to take a week, and I'm just going to party. I'm just going to go and I'm going to have all the fun in the world because I'm going to give myself a week to, you know, you mentioned morning, and I went the exact opposite way. I celebrated. I went, okay, I have freedom for a week to do whatever I want. I traveled. I had fun with my friends. And then exactly at 03:00 p.m. the following Thursday, I got a to work. You almost got fired for not working hard enough at a startup And the question I asked myself, and I would like you touched on it, and I'm very curious to see your thoughts on this. I looked at it as a lesson. It wasn't my fault. It was, I was not the president. I was not the decision maker for the company. But I still asked myself, what do I want to do differently next time? And so this is the question that I have for you, and I'm going to relate it a little bit to aikido, because when I, when I'm working with my sensei, for example, and she's amazing, shout out to Roma. She's an incredible, she's an 8th don, she's incredible. And she'll throw you 10ft and not blink an eye. But one of the things that she says every time we do it is how do you want to behave differently next time? How do you want to behave differently the next time you attack me? How do you want to do things differently so that you see a different result? So that's my question to you. When you were going through this, how did you do things differently? What kind of, not just mindset, but what kind of actions did you take to allow yourself to, again, pick yourself up and start something new that was different than what you had done before? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Yeah. And amazing example there with, you know, I think I might have been to that dojo. is it in Brooklyn or where's the dojo at? >> Izolda: No, it's in college park, Maryland. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Okay. Okay. I'm, maybe I'm confusing names, but no. So, I mean, one thing that I learned in that startup is I've always worked hard. I think after, well, the first couple years in my career, I almost got fired for not working hard enough. And I learned my lesson early on. But in that startup, it was true Silicon Valley. Again, I slept there a couple times. And so I learned that the value and the momentum and ah, the amazing things you can do with lower resources. So I learned that from that startup and then from the incident, from the layoff incident, I could have been a bit more hands on. So in your case, it sounded like the whole company folded. Right. And so everybody's gone. So they're not just picking on you. In my case there was told people I was let go and then the company was still around for I think like another six months or so. So it was me like what, why did they have not lay off this director and why it's me? And again, you go into, I don't want to, like, I never wanted to sort of blame others or say they're picking on me, not the other, but I was thinking in my mind which like, if had I been more hands on, because I started my career, career, being technical, and then I moved to people management, project management, account management, I love that stuff. But I stayed very, I think, very m far away from sort of the ins and outs of what my team that I manage was doing. And for me that was a very important lesson is that you'd be a better leader, you'd be a better business owner, a better manager, if you have an appreciation of what's involved. If you are a bit more hands on, at one point you have the delegate, you can't be doing the same thing over and over to grow your business. But if you don't have, I think, the hands on experience and you have some area where you really dig deep into and understand and be an expert at, in a way you could be replaceable. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: So that is, that was more of a, again, a, you know, just career, lesson, if you will, is no matter what, what, what you do, small company, big company, whatever department you work in, learning and staying close to your area of expertise and kind of mastering that domain, that was a very, very important lesson that I learned. again, not the mindset stuff, but on the technical field that I'm in. >> Izolda: It's interesting to me, in listening to what you're saying that it, because I think to me, mindset is so much of even the technical aspects, because how you approach problem solving, how you approach the decisions you make, is going to have to come from whether or not you have a mindset that is ready for them. You talk about being willing to learn about becoming an entrepreneur And so I'd love to ask you a little bit about the challenges you face during those initial stages of becoming an entrepreneur. How did they, how did those challenges shape your approach and contribute to your eventual success? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: So this might sound as a cliche, but without that failure, without that layoff, that was sort of wake up call, that, hey, you gotta continue to learn and be an expert in something. I don't think I would have been able to succeed in that very first business because we got into that business and this is 2003, and you remember those days, that was sort of the dawn of the Internet. >> Izolda: Oh, yes. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: And convincing a business owner, a small business owner to pay us money, so we built a website for them. That was hard. People might not relate to today, but, so learning, and I didn't know how to do websites, I don't know how to sell, I don't know how to market because I worked in a company for all those years, other people did that. I was good in terms of delivering a project once a project was sold. So, so I had to learn sales, I had to learn how to do online marketing, SEO, pay per click, all that Google stuff at the time and the Yahoo stuff at the time, and those skills or the habits that I learned from the previous, startup that I was laid off from exploring, learning on your own, having to wear multiple hats, all of those were very, very transferable to the new business that we started. So without that failure, without knowing that I have to learn and have that learning mindset and exploration and trying new things, there's no way that I would have been able to, sustain and grow that first business that we started. >> Izolda: Ah, failure, you know, I mean, it's very true. We, without, without those previous experiences, you don't have as good a blueprint, but also, you talk about being willing to learn, right? You said you had to learn marketing, you had to learn how to do all of this stuff at the same time, though, you still have to have, it's not an eye on the bottom line, it's almost like an eye on the strategy, an eye on the long term. And I'm going to go back to Aikido because I usually do, when I am grappling with someone or when we're doing any kind of work together, there is a give and take. There is this knowing sort of where you are in space, but also knowing where the other person is in space and making those transitions successfully. Who's giving, who's taking, who's taking, who's balance, what's happening. So you were going through all of this in this timeframe, the early aughts and the mid aughts. When you're doing these transitions and you were starting to get more successful. Can you talk a little bit about how you implemented those transitions? How did you need to pivot, how did you need to change how you were doing things as you went from serving some of those smaller companies to catering to like, let's say, Fortune 1000 or Fortune 500 companies. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Yes. In terms of mindset. >> Izolda: No, no, no, it doesn't have to be mindset. No, no. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: I was saying in terms of mindset, like, adaptability is another thing, flexibility is another thing. Because in the startup that before I was laid off, we were selling to Fortune five, we were selling to Fortune 100 with major telcos, the AT and T's of the world. And it was an infrastructure system. So imagine leaving that pitching and speaking with c suite CEO's and chief marketing officers, and chief technology officers, and then going, and now selling to small business owners, the local restaurants, the local dentists, the local, I don't know, dry cleaning. And that's what we did. We were knocking door, we're going door to door, knocking on doors to tell them about all this amazing thing called Google. You can get leads through Google, right? So that was a huge mind shift in terms of being ready to accept that. Yes. I used to sell to c level, now got to humble myself and learn and understand the pains and the pain points of these small business owners and be able to relate to them. So that was like, that was a big shift for me. Now, you can always examine what you did in the past and see how you can maybe repurpose it, repackage it for the present. So one thing that these business owners, the small business owners, they consistently told us that when my partner, business partner, I would go and meet with them, said, you both are so professional. You show up on time, well dressed, you do a follow up, you always meet your deadlines. Like all those skills that we had, we couldn't have sold or even spoke with Fortune 500 if we were not very polished on time. All the professional things you do with Fortune 500. So those habits, I would say, and those business skills did actually give us an advantage when we were selling small business owners. So that was really positive. Of course, other things don't apply to small businesses. So we had to learn those and learn the hard way and through the rejections. I mean, I never sold a thing, Zelda, before, before we started our first business. So learning how to, you know, how to follow up, you email them. Well, you call them. At the time, we had to do a lot of, things in person and going to a restaurant and waiting for the business owner to be done with him or her taking care of their clients. I mean, a sales pitch could take 3 hours just waiting for them to be available. We had nothing else to do. We got to sell. So then, as we grew, back to your question, as we grew and we started to specialize and we niched down on analytics within digital marketing, we really got into this analytics thing, and there was a wave of all these, big companies, Google and Microsoft and others, they were acquiring small analytics firms and repackaging those products and then offering them to the masses. So we, in a way, rode that wave. And as we became Google certified partners and got listed on their portal, the bigger leads started to come our way. So yet another pivot, another sort of reorientation, because what used to work with the small and mid sized business owners and we had to figure out how to sell and how to deliver to them. Now we're getting these leads from Fortune 500. So I had this amazing sense of excitement. Oh, my God, look at this lead we got. And then, oh, my God, how do I pitch to them? How do I sell to them? and we fumbled the first couple of leads and then we figured out that we have to, you know, do things differently. But, yeah, it's, it's, it's sort of, you have to roll with the punches in a way, and, and learn, you know, like, learn, learn from these days. There's a lot of resources. In the old days, we had to go and attend courses and read books and, and kind of talk to peers and people in the industry. That was a bit, I think that we had less access to resources. So that was, that was one of the challenges. >> Izolda: Yeah, it's, it is. How did you change your approach to talking to smaller businesses when developing skills I'm fascinated by this because I, in, in my own sales, I tend to want to ask all the, say, all the stuff early instead of asking questions. And so I want to ask you, when, you were doing this, when you were developing your skills, were there any creative ways that you implemented to talk to some of these smaller businesses as you were growing into the media business, how did you change your approach? How did you, what kind of innovations did you make in your own skillset in addition to, like, reading books, but on the fly, were there times or do you have a specific memory of something that you did that was just creative and out of the box in order to either make a connection or close a sale? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: You know, what's that saying? Good, artist borrow and great artists steal. I think it was Picasso said that. So maybe not the most creative person in that way, but I'm a sponge. and I think the sponge was the only species that survived, the massive mass distinction, way back then, because, it absorbs good things and fights off bacteria. But literally, I remember I would go to a networking event, which were very hard for me to do because I didn't know how to do that. But m, after you do a few, you get comfortable at it and tell people what you do. And then I would take notes, like on the back of the business card of, let's say I spoke with a lady who does x, y and z, and I would take notes. I'm like, oh, she's doing that. Let me, I can try it. I would talk to the other person and this gentleman is doing, this one guy told me that he would print a design, because we were selling graphic design and website design, and he would take two templates and show the business owner, because you're selling design, so you want to show them something visual. And he said, people really like that approach. So we implemented that the next day before we went and pitched. So, learning from others, people who are maybe in a similar phase in their journey, similar stage, people who, or maybe people who have been, I always say people who have been to where you want to go, learning from them, I think it's important. And then it's. I think learning, is education and application. So it's not about just reading books or talking to others. How do I take that and implement it in my business? And that stayed with me for the longest time. Even today, we hear a lot about AI. Some people are skeptical, others are using it. There are definitely ways for you to implement AI in the way you run your business, and there are ways to actually incorporate AI in the services that you're offering. So always I think that learning and applying what I learned, stayed with me till to this point is you don't have to figure things out on your own. Ah, tap into your network, into the resources, into even your competitors. I've had gracious competitors who had shared with me some amazing tips that helped a lot in our, in our business. >> Izolda: Ah, that's great. And I love that you said that, because the informational interview is king as far as I'm concerned. This notion of communication, of being willing to share. But also, I say this to prospective, the perspective clients in that they're in the field, for example, of where I'm aiming my business. But, I've said these very words to people. I've said, I'm not trying to pitch you, I'm trying to figure out how to pitch you. And it just puts people at ease. And I'm not trying to pitch them. I'm not trying to get their business. I'm trying to figure out how people who are like them want to be pitched right. And so there's nothing wrong with that. And interestingly, it has gotten me business with some of those people, but that's not my intent. So communication, to me is very key in any form of business and coming up with those innovations that allow you to do that. How do you ensure effective communication among team members when they're remote But you have, sort of multiple locations for your business now. And so I would love to talk to you about that notion of communication. How do you work within the team members, especially if they're in different geographical locations? How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration with all these folks? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Yeah. So I'll tell you one thing is that we, so after, when we started that first business, once we figured out sales again, it took us some time, not days, not weeks. I hear you. And then we started to use leverage contractors and, and part timers. And then we figured, you know what, we can also build a team, an offshore team who would support our businesses and then also potentially sell their services to, other companies. And we ended up, I think around 2008, 2009, building a company, offshore company. We grew it to 45 people. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: And in terms of communicating, this is way before Zoom, this is way before COVID and the whole remote culture. So we figure, again, we learned the hard way, you can't just build a team, even if they're an amazing team in a different geography. And if it's in a different country now, you have different culture, different business culture. You have to be close to the team. So we made a commitment, my business partners and I, we had four partners in that venture that we would commit this one year where we still maintained the business here in the US, and we had to sell and grow and deliver and also build that unit or that its own entity, overseas. And it took us, we know we got the go ahead from the folks at home, the bosses at home, and a lot of travel to stay with the team, especially in the formation phase. is still the values, the business culture that we wanted. and then we would work at night when we were there to catch up on us work. And then when we were back in the US, we were working early mornings and nice to communicate with the team over there. So constant. I think as a founder as a business owner, as a manager, you lead by example. You can give a lecture on whatever value, whether it's transparency or honesty or customer satisfaction. Yeah, you can preach on that all day long. But if you don't model it, if you don't show it, if you don't show your team how it's done by, your actions, then no one is going to really. It's not. It's just. It's just going to be, you know, like a slogan that no one really m applies. So. So I think what we've learned, from that first experience is that you have to be close to the team. It requires some sacrifices if they're in a different time zone. but that stayed with us. So. So even that analytics company that we ended up growing and selling to, Densu, the global media giant, we built a remote workforce by design. The whole entire company, the 40 plus people here in the US, we were hiring people remotely by design. This is 2013, 2014, way before this, thing became a commonplace. So we learned that you have to be intentional about it. You have to hire people on board them, have a whole lot of communication, have your one on ones with them on a weekly, bi weekly basis. You have to get together maybe once a year. We used to have an annual summit that everybody looked forward to attend. So you can't just hire people remotely and sort of leave them their own devices. You have to be very intentional about it. >> Izolda: Intentionality is so important. And to me, and coming back to Aikido, intentionality is part of it, but also receptivity. Roma says martial arts principles can apply to the business world So I would love to ask you about that aspect of identifying potential partners, identifying potential clients, nurturing those fruitful collaborations. Can you talk a little bit about, your process for doing that? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Yeah. And since you mentioned Aikido, we published a video on eight principles, eight martial arts principles for business. And one of them, I think the first one was, knowing, or know your opponent's mind. So, in aikido, and you train and you know that, you know, when someone is attacking, you know, you don't wait till you get hit, you react. You want. >> Izolda: Hopefully not exactly. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: I mean, you want to. You want to be this. This concept of. Of alertness, right? You're alert. not in a stiff way, and I. And sort of mechanical way, but you want to focus on the attacker and be aware of the surroundings, because there might be another attacker behind you, or they might have a wall behind you. You can't move. So knowing your opponent's mind and knowing what's going on? Are they coming in fast? Are they coming in slow? Do they have something in their hand, maybe like a knife? why are they attacking you in the first place? So that I think also knowing in the business, if you translate that to the business world, people are not opponents. But you have team players, you have your team, you have vendors, partners, you have customers, you have competitors. So I think here, consider the confrontations or these interactions from the opponents, from the other person's perspective. If you have an unhappy customer, like, why are they unhappy? Is it something maybe you did? Are they reasonable? Are they, are they just, are they unreasonable? Did they, did we m m miss a major deliverable for them? Did we not? Maybe, maybe it was just a bad day, you know, that the client had a bad day at home, and they're just frustrated. And so I think what I learned from all these years in martial arts is what she called the receptivity, or, like, really understand what could be behind this without judging and then receive it, like in aikido, this concept of harmony. I'm not necessarily going to block something. I'm going to blend with it. I'm going to receive it and then redirect it, re channel it. And that, I think people talk about empathy, people talk about Stephen Covey, one of my favorite books, the seven habits of highly effective Paul, he talked about, seek to be, seek to understand before you seek to be understood. So those concepts apply really well, I think, in life, in your relationships, your marriage, with your children, at work. Just understand where people are coming from. There's just so much going on these days, and there are mental issues, mental health issues, a lot of pressure. People sometimes are having difficulties. You just make ends meet. So understand, where people are coming from and why they're behaving in a certain way, and then apply the proper proportionate response. >> Izolda: Oh, that's beautiful. Understand where they're coming from, and then apply the proper proportionate response. I think that is a, an absolutely phenomenal way of looking at it. And what's interesting to me about that, again, I'll go back to my sensei. I'm talking a lot about Aikido with you. That's very interesting. but my sensei says, you know, meet them where they are. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Yes. >> Izolda: And then, and then join with them as they're going. Where they're going. And then help them go just a little further than they meant to. And that's, that's, that's how roman, spot on. The, that's how Roma does it. And so. You say entrepreneurship is five times harder than you think But you said something that struck me. You said that we're meeting all of these difficulties, and there are certainly challenges that we have from everything from mental health to the economy and all of that. But you work with entrepreneurs, you work with people who have decided, for whatever reason, that they want to strike out on their own. But you also talk about the fact that it's harder than you think. So can you talk a little bit about that? What are some specific aspects or challenges of being an entrepreneur that aspiring entrepreneurs kind of don't know about or underestimate? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: So I say, we have a bunch of black belt principles at startup with Ferris that we use. and one of them is entrepreneurship is five times harder than you think. So don't quote me on the number. It could be four times, six times, it doesn't matter. But it is much harder. >> Izolda: It's harder. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: I mean, if you think about it, you have to, let's say you've taken the leap and you started a business, so you've made that decision. So you have your domain. Let's say you want to do HR consulting or financial consultant or whatever the case might be. You know, that space. That's an assumption. But you haven't sold this thing. You haven't done marketing, you haven't done payroll or hr if you now are hiring people. So there's these other aspects of the business that you don't know. So there's a lot of learning going on, so you have to accommodate for it. Also, once you sell, you have to deliver. And if you're on your own, initially, most likely it's going to take you few times to really understand how to scope things properly, how to give the right estimate in terms of timeline and budgets. So there's just a whole lot of learning, learnings and a lot of, I think, entrepreneurs, they, there's maybe there's some romanticism about, about entrepreneurship, and they want to make it big and build a seven or an eight figure business. But initially, there's a lot of foundation building that is required, similar to anything martial arts. Of course, when you start, you know, white belt, you don't know how to move around, you don't know how to move your hands, your arms, your legs, your feet, all that same thing. I always remind entrepreneurs, look at the very first time, remember the very first time you swam or you rode the bike or you put your hands on the steering wheel. When you drove the first time, you were very stiff, you were very nervous, you were clunky, like you didn't know what to do. And then fast forward a year from then, and you were much comfortable, much natural at riding the bike or I rolling in aikido or maybe playing an instrument. So these systems, these things around us, art or science, business is the same way. You just got to put the hours, you got to put the reps, you got to pitch many times, and then it becomes natural. You got to deliver many times, and then you become better at it. You got to hire and learn how to be a good manager. So it just, it's a matter of, I think, understanding that it's going to be hard and getting ready to just get the reps. That's sort of one of the main messages I share and highlight with those who are about to start a business or those who started, and they're sort of overwhelmed. It's going to be overwhelming. There are a lot of unknowns, a lot of ambiguity. That's just part of it. But just, just go out, have a plan, and execute to that plan, and just, it's a matter of doing these repetitions and learning. Learning from the mistakes. >> Izolda: yes, learning from mistakes. It's interesting that you said that. I really agree with you about the fact that everybody, no matter what it is you're doing, you were once a beginner. No matter what it is, you once spoke for the first time, you once walked for the first time, you once fell for the first time. And that's something that my sensei does talk a lot about. And we spend a lot of time learning how to fall. You learn how to fall to save yourself. That's what you're doing. That's the point of it all. Falling. Failing is learning how to save yourself next time. 60% of Americans have a business idea, but only 9% actually act So talk to me a little bit about what advice you'd give to someone who's failed or who's just starting, who's considering starting their own business, but, but not know what are some of the steps they should be taking. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Yeah. And just, a data point here is that I believe, according to the labor of Bureau of Labor Statistics, don't quote me on the source, but 60% of Americans have a business idea, and I think 34% have multiple ideas, but only a mere 9% are the ones who actually act on this idea and turn it into a business. So I joke ideas are a dime a dozen. So if you have a business idea, there's the technical aspect of things, like you have to vet the idea, make sure that people who will buy what you want to offer, make sure you differentiate from your competitors, make sure you know what you can sell this for. So there's that technical vetting of the idea. and we have a lot of content on how to do that. The mindset, though, is failure is not if you will fail, it just going to happen. Just like riding the bike. Is that a metaphor? It is going to happen. So how do I learn from that? In the sense that, okay, one time I went to, this is a funny, real story. A funny story, a sad story. I went to a course, a sales course, three date sales course. At, the end of it, the sales coach, he gave us this list, a checklist of things you should learn about the lead before you send a proposal to your point. You know, you ask people like, let me know more about you and your challenges. So there was like 29 points, I think, on this checklist. He sold. I went to the next pitch. See, I applied quickly. I learned that I applied, and it was right after lunch at 01:30 p.m. i go into this office, in this conference room. And then I said, sales coach said, I gotta get all this information. So I started to ask these questions one at a time. Right. Without watching or listening to what the person is saying. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: I put the lead to sleep. I swear I'm not exaggerating. The guy sneezing off, it was so boring. I mean, I think he was so polite. He did not interrupt me. But you can't. I mean, you know, I mean, I laugh at it now. It was so embarrassing. and, you know, you learned later that you have to act on your feet if, if the client is not interested, if the lead, is sort of looking around on zoom, not focusing on like, you have to, you know, act on, on the body language. Right. And you don't. You. There's no way that you can learn how to do this initially. So learn that, I think, in the mindset wise, that just part of the journey that I have to go and pitch several times, and then I became better at it. And the same thing in aikido. My role, my first roll is going to be really clunky and then might leave a couple of bruises, but two, three months into it, I'm going to roll very smoothly. And then it becomes really natural and then I can sort of role without thinking about it. So, so I think it's, don't get discouraged if you get a rejection. Don't get discouraged if a client doesn't get back to you. Don't get discouraged if you run a marketing campaign that got you, that returned zero leads. Don't get discouraged if this big client that you just did an amazing job for did not renew. These things will happen if they're not happening. I don't think you're doing. You have a business, but learn from each one of them. Do an assessment at the end of the month, at the end of the quarter. Okay. What went well? Okay, I'm gonna. I'm going to me, my team and I were going to do this and do more of. And then what did not go so well? Why did we lose those. Those two clients? Why did I get, you know, I usually get maybe 20% rejections. I got 40% rejections this quarter. Learn from that, from that and apply it for the next, you know, for the next quarter. >> Izolda: This notion of application is fascinating to me because it, calls on us to be judgment free of our own failures. Right. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: You. >> Izolda: You go. I like to say, and I'm sure other people have said it before me, sometimes you win, sometimes you learn, and as opposed to losing, because it's not a loss. Last company was pitching again, Fortune 500, and we did not win So can you talk to me about a time when you really took what could have been considered as a failure and turned it into a real innovation or a real satisfying conclusion? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: I used to say, in the last company, I used to say we had a bunch of value. We had a value statement, and we have a number of principles. One of them was, Ah, easy. Ah, hard on the issues and hard on issues, soft on people. So at that time, 2014, 2015, we were pitching again, Fortune 500. And we get those rfps, those thick requests for proposals or requests for quotes, rfqs. And you have to apply. And you have. Is not like a quick proposal. These things take time. >> Izolda: Oh, they do. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: And we're talking about, by that time, six digit deals, $250,000, consulting gig in a multi year gig, engagement. So you'd put tens of hours to prepare the RFP, the request for proposal. And then in some cases, you have to go on site, multiple people, and pitch. And I remember this one was one of the, virgin, brand, one of their business units. And we prepared so hard for that one. Zelda, we put so much energy, we. And then three of us traveled to the east coast, and we did not win that deal. it was. I want to say it was devastating, because by that time, we were very profitable. And, you know, you win some, you lose some. But I, like, we did everything possible. We. Even when we walked in their building, like, we dressed the way they would dress like in their industry, and we had a lot of fun, fun story. Like, when you walk into that building, if you had a tie on it, they would actually take your tie, and they would cut it, and they would hang it on the wall of shame. And this is. I guess this is what Richard Branson does in these companies. So, luckily, I did not have a tie on. so we did everything we could, and later, when we heard the news that we did not win, I mean, it's hard. I don't want to say, no, it's okay. but there was no moment in time in my mind where I was going to blame someone on the team, on the account team that was pitching. There's just no way. So I shared the news with the team, and we had a quick huddle, virtual huddle, and I said, hey, folks, it is what it is. and I thanked everyone on the team for the amazing work that they've done to get us there. it's a privilege, in a way, to go and pitch to these big companies, and we were there, a contender. So I was very proud of that, and I was happy that we were in that position. And I said, okay, folks, let's now do everything in our capacity to figure out what happened. And it's not easy. a lot of these big businesses, they don't want to tell you their legal considerations, but we figure out ways to reach out to different attendees of that meeting from. From the client side to. To get information on why we were not chosen. And it was one thing. It was. He said, you scored well on everything, but this one stakeholder who was attending the meeting was kind of sitting a bit far away, and we didn't think he was part of the decision making process. So, m. We did not ignore him on purpose, but we did not give him any attention, sort of. I was focusing. I was there. I was focusing on the. On the highest, you know, sea level, and we sort of ignored this, this one influencer to the decision making process. And that was just bad preparation on our part, because we get a list of who's attending when you work with these big companies, and you should go to their LinkedIn profile and understand everything they do and what's important to them and also understand, learn about their personal life and go and network with them and connect with them. So that was a huge learning for us. Very expensive lesson. But, m, you bet. After that pitch, I made sure we used basecamp at the time. We had an action, like a list of things to do before a pitch and make sure we study every person who attends, a pitch meeting and be able to connect with them and understand their issues and their pinpoint. I would just be, you know, we didn't ignore them out of, like, we're disrespectful. It just, you know, it was a miss on our part. So. So, long story short, I would summarize is with your teams, with your customers, you have to, you know, prior preparation prevents, poor performance. So you cannot be over prepared when it comes to sales and pitching, especially as you get into bigger and bigger clients. So. So preparation and then going out there and giving it your best is important. And when things don't go, don't go in the direction that you're hoping. Just learn from that. >> Izolda: And I love that you said that. And because this little statement that you just made holds for every kind of business. And I work a lot with artists who are also entrepreneurs. That's a business as well. And there are lots of artists who don't understand those facets of their own businesses. I'm so glad you said that, because it relates to, if you're a singer or a musician, or a fine artist or a plumber or an architect, whatever it is, that preparation facet of working with your clients and customers cannot be overstated. So I'm super grateful that you said that. Ferris, I appreciate so much that you took the time to be here. This was such a great conversation. I could keep you here all day, and I have like 14 other questions we haven't even gotten to. So what I would love to do is invite you to come back sometime in the future and we'll delve more deeply into some of the work that you're doing. But if somebody wants to know more about you and the work you're doing and your aikido and going on hikes and all of that, all of the stuff that you do, how do they find you? What is the best way for someone to locate you before I ask you my last two questions? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Sure. Sure. Again, thank you for your kind words. And thank you for the amazing content that you produce, on just helping entrepreneurs and helping people in life and navigate life in general. So I appreciate that. So, yeah, people can, reach out at startup with ferris.com. and Ferris is spelled like my first name. F e r A s. We have a daily newsletter you can sign up for, and you can go on YouTube. Startup with Ferris. We have our channel with, I think, over 200 videos now on all things, all the things that entrepreneurs need from sales, marketing, choosing a partner, working with lawyers, working with accountants. So, yeah, help, you know, feel free to reach out and leave us a question, a comment. We have a weekly podcast, actually, livestream. Not, not a podcast, really. More of. We answer the questions that come our way from the community. So if you have a business, you're struggling with sales or marketing So if you have a business, you're struggling, maybe with sales or marketing or hr or back office or you have an idea and you're not sure how to turn it, or if you're the creative type and you're an artist and you're really struggling with, you know, some of the left brain stuff, there are ways to, you know, to find people to help you or maybe help you set up some checklist. So, yeah, reach out. I'll be more than happy to provide, guidance and support where I can. >> Izolda: Oh, awesome, Ferris, thank you so much for that. I appreciate it. As, as a creative myself who sometimes struggles with those facets, I'm gonna be. I've looked at a few of the videos on the YouTube channel. I'm gonna go through all 200. That's gonna be my. My lunchtime viewing is gonna be your. Your videos. and, and it's a great. I mean, that I'm trying to maximize my productivity and my creativity, and I'm spending my lunchtime trying to enjoy my food, but also listening to guidance from other people. So that's a, that's a great little time saver for me. it keeps me from. From watching television. Anyway, so I, again, I'm super grateful that you took the time. I love building. It's just something that I enjoy. And, uh, this is like my 7th venture now I have just two more questions. And the first question is, what is the thing that makes you get out of bed in the morning? And I don't just mean your alarm. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: You know, I like to. I like to get things done that just in general in my life, sometimes to my own detriment, sometimes you got to slow down and listen to your business partner or to your wife or your husband or partner. So, I love building. So even after the ventures I've had and selling the business, I did take a year and a half, a couple of years to actually volunteer, do pro bono work, to a few nonprofits. I'm so fortunate I was able to do that. But then my co founder and I, Eric, we decided to focus on startup affairs and provide, share our experience and our expertise with the community. Just working, you know, we spend most of our waking time at work, in all professions, so, so working with people who share the same values, who have the same passion. They want to build something and grow it it's just something that really gets me excited. And, this is like my 7th venture now. and I feel like, why do I do this to myself? Another startup? But it's just, it's fascinating to build something from the ground up and rally a few people initially to share your vision and help you build it and make it, materialize it. It's just something that I really enjoy. And then along the way, just something I'd like to share is that in this last venture we had that we sold to, densu, we made my partner, business partner, and I made a commitment three years before the acquisition. And we told the team that once we sell, once we get investors or we sell, so there's a huge financial upside, we will take a sizable percentage of that amount that we get and share with the team. And, obviously, when we sold the business and the financial transaction was completed, I was very happy. I felt amazingly, you know, I achieved something big, but I was as happy to take. And we're talking about millions of dollars and have that shared with the team, delivering on that commitment. And this is my advice to founders and business owners and people who have businesses. As you grow, as you become better at what you do, as you become more profitable, share with those around you, those who have helped you along the way. you couldn't have done it without them. So share with your team and send nice gifts to the partners. And also help nonprofits, a cause that you believe in, whether it's, an hour a week, or maybe a few hundred bucks a month, a year, whatever you can afford. But that concept of building something and growing that entity, and then the capitalist and me making a lot of money out of it, and then sharing, I think those, those are things that, that kind of keep me, keep me motivated, keep me running at, 1213, 14 hours a day. >> Izolda: Oh, that's a lovely sentiment. Ferris: Be of service to others can yield profound answers And you may have already answered this next question, because you just already said it, but I'm going to ask it anyway. This is a silly little question, but I find that it can yield some profound answers. And so here's the last question. If you had an airplane, environmentally friendly, of course, that could skyrite anything for the whole world to see, what would you say? >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Be of service to others? What Ralph Waldo Emerson said, life is not about just about being happy. It's about being compassionate, being useful, and, being honorable. So be of service to others. Just so many people help us. No one gets to the top on their own. No matter how difficult your situation is. If you just look around you, you don't even have to look overseas. And other people are struggling these days. So find something that you have and share some of it with others. I think that will do a lot, for our, our families, for our relationships, for our community and for the country. So, yeah, that would be. Be of help, be of service to others. It's not just about you and how big you can be and how wealthy you can be and all that. Just be of help to others. >> Izolda: That's beautiful. I love it, ferris. Thank you. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: I don't know where that came. I don't know where that came from, but, I truly believe it. Yeah. Thanks for kind of finding that somewhere. >> Izolda: That's what that question is designed to do. It's really. It's sort of coalescing. Coalesces your biggest beliefs into one sentence, and you did it. So thank you so much for that, ferris. I appreciate it. And I really appreciate you taking the time to be on the show. This is so great, and I can't wait to have you back. Thank you again for taking, for giving your wisdom and for talking aikido with me, which is so fabulous. >> Ferris Ahl Hulu: Thank you so much. As you said, we could have, probably can go for another 2 hours just talking about aikido. So I appreciate it is all done. Keep. Keep producing this amazing content, and if you're ever in the bay area, I'd love to meet you in person and take you out to lunch or dinner and connect at a different level. So thank you so much. >> Izolda: Oh, yeah, and I'm in the Bay area more than, more than, less than I want to be, and more often than you think. So that I will definitely get in touch. Thank you for that, Ferris. I appreciate it. Isolde Trachtenberg is the Creative solutions podcast host So if you've been listening to this, you know, you need to go check out Ferris Ahlulu and the work that he's doing to help entrepreneurs of all types, obviously, because listen to this episode. this is Isolde Trachtenberg for the Creative solutions podcast. You know what, the show is brought to you by. It's always brain fm, it's always podbean, and it's always my books speak from within, at least for the foreseeable future, until the next thing comes out. I, as always, remind you to be bold, be creative, and most of all, be kind. Thanks so much for joining me today. I really appreciate you being here. Please subscribe to the show if you're new, and it would mean the world to me if you told a friend about it. Today's episode was produced by Isolde Trachtenberg and is Copyright 2024. As always, please remember this is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results, although we can always hope.
How did Feras Alhlou transform a career setback into a multi-million-dollar success story? Discover the incredible journey of this Bay Area entrepreneur and consultant who rebounded from the dot-com bubble burst in 2003 to build and sell his company, Enor, to Dentsu in 2019. Ferris opens up about the emotional toll of being laid off, the invaluable lessons he learned, and how recognizing and leveraging transferable skills played a crucial role in his entrepreneurial success.Throughout our conversation, Feras emphasizes the importance of resilience and adaptability in overcoming life's unexpected challenges. From mastering sales skills to strategically outsourcing weaknesses, he provides actionable advice on how to navigate the ups and downs of business. Ferris also shares his insights on the necessity of clear job role definitions and smart hiring strategies, drawing on his extensive experience to offer practical tips for both budding and seasoned entrepreneurs.Finally, we explore the motivations behind Feras' decision to sell Enor, the significance of transparency and teamwork during tough times, and the profound impact of gratitude and service on building thriving communities. Ferris's story is a testament to the perseverance required for genuine growth and a reminder that success is often a result of dedication and hard work. Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your business, this episode is packed with inspiration and wisdom to guide you on your entrepreneurial journey.Join the What if it Did Work movement on FacebookGet the Book!www.omarmedrano.comwww.calendly.com/omarmedrano/15min
Chris Strahl welcomes Dave Calleja back to the podcast to discuss the changing nature of design systems, integrating AI into the human creative process, and how to use behavior data for real-time design adaptations. Dave shares his views on the importance of design systems to customer experiences and how modern tools help scale personalized experiences that align with brand vision. Tune in to discover how the future of design systems is being shaped by AI, automation, and personalized content.View the transcript of this episode.Check out our upcoming events.GuestDave leads the design practice at Merkle and dentsu in Australia-New Zealand as well as their Design Systems offering globally. He is deeply passionate about the role design plays creating in exceptional, memorable and transformative customer experiences. Right now, he's focused on helping teams deliver a clear experience vision to every moment in the customer journey. You can connect with Dave on LinkedIn.HostChris Strahl is co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, host of @TheDSPod, DnD DM, and occasional river guide. You can find Chris on Twitter as @chrisstrahl and on LinkedIn.SponsorSponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.TranscriptChris Strahl [00:00:00]:Hi, and welcome to the Design Systems podcast. This podcast is about the place where design and development overlap. We talk with experts to get their point of view about trends in design code and how it relates to the world around us. As always, this podcast is brought to you by Knapsack. Check us out at knapsack.cloud. If you want to get in touch with the show, ask some questions, or generally tell us what you think, go ahead and tweet us at thedspod. We'd love to hear from you. Hey, everyone.Chris Strahl [00:00:22]:Welcome to the design Systems podcast. I'm your host, Chris Strahl. Today I'm here with a repeat guest, Dave Calleja. Dave, it's so great to have you back. I know you're in the midst of a little bit of career reorganization, so why don't you talk about what you're doing these days?Dave Calleja [00:00:36]:Thanks, Chris. Really excited to be here again and really looking forward to the conversation. So my role has changed a bit since we last spoke. I'm responsible for experience design across Dentsu and Merkel in AnZ, and I'm also really excited to be leading our global design systems capability across Merkel.Chris Strahl [00:00:53]:Well, hey, it's great to have you back. It's been a long time coming. You were actually reminding me before the show that we used to record these asynchronously, like, with a ton of different software and everything like that. And, like, it's actually a different world of podcasting now that you've returned, so eager to have you back on, get kind of an update. And also, you know, one of the things that sparked this conversation was a post about the use of AI in design systems, and so I'm stoked to talk about it.Dave Calleja [00:01:18]:Yeah, likewise. You know, the world is changing so much faster since we last spoke. Like, we've been in contact on a number of different fronts, but since we last spoke, and what good looks like in the world of design systems and what p
Have you ever heard the stories of a business that promised employees a payout at the sale of it, only to have their promised share to be diluted or eliminated right before the sale happened? I know I have heard some of those before.Our guest today is Feras Alhlou who shares with us a wealth of great business growth information, but most importantly, how when he sold his business for 8-figures he kept his word to his employees.TODAY'S WIN-WIN: There are no shortcuts to success.LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:You can visit our guest's website at: https://www.startupwithferas.com/ Get a copy of our guest's book: CLICK HERE.Attend our Franchise Sales Training Workshop: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/franchisesalestraining/If you are ready to franchise your business or take it to the next level: CLICK HERE.Connect with our guest on social:YouTube: www.youtube.com/@StartUpWithFerasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/FerasAlhlouFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartUpFerasInstagram: instagram.com/StartUpFerasTwitter: https://twitter.com/ferasaABOUT OUR GUEST:Feras has founded, grown, and sold businesses in Silicon Valley and abroad, scaling them from zero revenue to 7 and 8 figures.In 2019, Feras sold e-Nor, a digital marketing consulting company, to Dentsu (a top-5 global media company).Feras has served as an advisor to 150+ founders. In his current venture, Start Up With Feras, he's on a mission to help entrepreneurs in the consulting and services space start and grow their businesses smarter and stronger. ABOUT BIG SKY FRANCHISE TEAM:This episode is powered by Big Sky Franchise Team. If you are ready to talk about franchising your business you can schedule your free, no-obligation, franchise consultation online at: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/ or by calling Big Sky Franchise Team at: 855-824-4759.
In this episode of "The Brand Called You" podcast, Umesh Shrikhande, Founder of NewAnswers Consulting and former CEO of Taproot Dentsu, shares invaluable insights into brand building, human behaviour, and the evolving landscape of digital marketing. With a wealth of experience in the advertising industry, Shrikhande offers perspectives on storytelling, culture integration, employee engagement, and the future trends shaping brand communication strategies. Let's delve into the key takeaways from their conversation. [00:34] - About Umesh Shrikhande Umesh is the Founder of NewAnswers Consulting. He is the Former Chief Executive Officer of Taproot Dentsu. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support
Are you aiming high enough? This episode is the fourth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're focusing on a study of leadership through a single lens. The impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Creative Industries. Are we moving fast enough? Are we going far enough? Is this an opportunity to fundamentally redesign the creative industries? Or should we adjust and iterate slowly and carefully? Do we follow the puck or skate to where it's going? There are opportunities and risks around every corner. Yasu Sasaki is the Global Chief Creative Officer of Dentsu. His company has a presence in over 145 countries and regions, and they've been working with artificial intelligence, in one form or another, since 2011. One of the main questions facing the creative industries is which companies will see AI as an opportunity to stretch the boundaries of human creativity. To recognize that the limitations in our creativity are no longer practical, financial, or time-based, but are, in fact, our own confidence in our capacity to think originally. We can also use this opportunity to create greater efficiency, a worthy ambition in a world in which resources are scarce and a life in which the time available to us is finite. In theory and in practice, we can both raise the bar and lower cost. But we must be careful how we do it. At the end of the series, I'll offer some thoughts on what we've heard and learned and where we might go from here. In the meantime, thanks for joining us.
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. Are you aiming high enough? This episode is the fourth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're focusing on a study of leadership through a single lens. The impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Creative Industries. Are we moving fast enough? Are we going far enough? Is this an opportunity to fundamentally redesign the creative industries? Or should we adjust and iterate slowly and carefully? Do we follow the puck or skate to where it's going? There are opportunities and risks around every corner. Yasu Sasaki is the Global Chief Creative Officer of Dentsu. His company has a presence in over 145 countries and regions, and they've been working with artificial intelligence, in one form or another, since 2011. One of the main questions facing the creative industries is which companies will see AI as an opportunity to stretch the boundaries of human creativity. To recognize that the limitations in our creativity are no longer practical, financial, or time-based, but are, in fact, our own confidence in our capacity to think originally. We can also use this opportunity to create greater efficiency, a worthy ambition in a world in which resources are scarce and a life in which the time available to us is finite. In theory and in practice, we can both raise the bar and lower cost. But we must be careful how we do it. At the end of the series, I'll offer some thoughts on what we've heard and learned and where we might go from here. In the meantime, thanks for joining us.
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. Are you aiming high enough? This episode is the fourth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're focusing on a study of leadership through a single lens. The impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Creative Industries. Are we moving fast enough? Are we going far enough? Is this an opportunity to fundamentally redesign the creative industries? Or should we adjust and iterate slowly and carefully? Do we follow the puck or skate to where it's going? There are opportunities and risks around every corner. Yasu Sasaki is the Global Chief Creative Officer of Dentsu. His company has a presence in over 145 countries and regions, and they've been working with artificial intelligence, in one form or another, since 2011. One of the main questions facing the creative industries is which companies will see AI as an opportunity to stretch the boundaries of human creativity. To recognize that the limitations in our creativity are no longer practical, financial, or time-based, but are, in fact, our own confidence in our capacity to think originally. We can also use this opportunity to create greater efficiency, a worthy ambition in a world in which resources are scarce and a life in which the time available to us is finite. In theory and in practice, we can both raise the bar and lower cost. But we must be careful how we do it. At the end of the series, I'll offer some thoughts on what we've heard and learned and where we might go from here. In the meantime, thanks for joining us.
The one where Ted Lau at Ballistic Arts chats with Stephen Kiely, CEO at dentsu Canada, about: Stephen's origin storyWhat brands have to watch out forWhat agency folks have to consider when moving up in their careersSign up for the Marketing News Canada e-newsletter at www.marketingnewscanada.com.–Special Offer for Marketing News Canada ListenersUnbounce can help you easily build landing pages, popups and sticky bars. Highly customizable and no coding required, anyone can get started on converting more traffic into leads, signups and sales. Try it yourself with a free 14-day trial and get 20% off your first three months now! https://unbounce.grsm.io/5cmrgz1mt3r6Thanks to our sponsor Jelly Academy. Jelly Academy has been helping professionals, students and teams across Canada acquire the skills, knowledge and micro certifications they need to jump into a new digital marketing role, get that promotion, and amplify their current marketing roles. Learn more about Jelly Academy's 6 Week online bootcamp here: https://jellyacademy.ca/digital-marketing-6-week-program–Follow Marketing News Canada:Twitter - twitter.com/MarketingNewsC2Facebook - facebook.com/MarketingNewsCanadaLinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/marketing-news-canadaYouTube - youtube.com/channel/UCM8sS33Jyj0xwbnBtRqJdNwWebsite - marketingnewscanada.com Follow Ted Lau: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ballisticarts/Website - https://www.ballisticarts.com/Follow Stephen Kiely & dentsu CanadaStephen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-kiely-6985a0120/ dentsu's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dentsu/ Website: https://www.dentsu.com/?global=trueAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Sameer welcomes special guest Varun Jindal, a seasoned marketer who has seen all sides of social marketing - from community management to brand partnerships - formerly at Dentsu, PepsiCo and TikTok. Varun and Sameer dive in on how far influencer marketing has come, and share some predictions of the future.
Are you ready to dive into the world of entrepreneurship with an expert? Join us in welcoming Feras Alhlou, an entrepreneur, author, speaker and board member who has not only founded and scaled businesses in Silicon Valley and beyond but also mastered the art of turning ideas into 7 and 8-figure ventures. In 2019, he made headlines by selling his digital marketing consulting company, e-Nor, to Dentsu, a top-5 global media company. In his current venture, Start Up With Feras, he empowers aspiring entrepreneurs in the consulting and services sector to kickstart and thrive in their ventures.With over 150 founders under his advisory wing, Feras brings a wealth of experience, insights, and a dash of martial arts prowess (yes, he's a 3rd-degree black belt in Aikido) to the table. Conquer Local is presented by Vendasta. We have proudly served 5.5+ million local businesses through 60,000+ channel partners, agencies, and enterprise-level organizations. Learn more about Vendasta, and we can help your organization or learn more about Vendasta's Affiliate Program and how our listeners (like yourself) make up to $10,000 off referrals.Are you an entrepreneur, salesperson, or marketer? Then, keep the learning going in the Conquer Local Academy.
David Berkowitz is the founder of the AI Marketers Guild, the FOAF.pro fractional CXO network, and the 4,000-member Serial Marketers community. Previously, he held marketing and strategy leadership roles with omnichannel ad tech platform Mediaocean, video production marketplace Storyhunter, social listening firm Sysomos, Publicis agency MRY, and Dentsu agency 360i. He has contributed more than 600 columns to outlets such as Advertising Age, MediaPost, VentureBeat, and Adweek, and he has spoken at more than 400 events globally. He lives in New York City right in the shadow of the Empire State Building.
According to Statista, the global influencer marketing market size has more than tripled since 2019. In 2024, the market was estimated to reach a record of $24 billion USD. It's not surprising that the job market is changing; in fact, I will be making a conscious effort to refer to jobs in the past tense. Why, you may ask? Well, I'm pretty excited about the future of work and what this could look like for all of us. I firmly believe we will be seeing more casual and ad-hoc, yet lucrative, opportunities. This episode is for anyone looking to explore a career avenue that perhaps isn't as common, but you may have an inkling that it could be significant or that your skillset would add great value to the industry. We get the inside scoop on how a former influencer manager at Gleam navigated her career to form TBH Talent. Having managed talent like Grace Beverley, supporting the conceptualization and birth of Beverley's VC-backed brand, TALA, and securing her book deal, among many other incredible achievements, Verity is the definition of a trailblazer. With a gut feeling that "Influencer" was going to be big and that Gleam was the place to do it, you'll hear how she actually landed the role at Gleam and what happened post Gleam's acquisition by Dentsu. We talk, the importance of having a personal brand, the future of the Influencer industry and where you should be focusing your attention if you want to win in this space. Hope you enjoy this conversation as much as i did, zero gatekeeping here! Follow Verity here: @tbhtalent Follow In Her Shoes here: @inhershoes_podcast Thank you to our partner @Huel for supporting our mission in discovering the women behind the titles and fueling our success.
Each year, for over a week, the city of Austin, Texas erupts into a cacophony of life, music, film premieres, comedy showcases, interactive tech demonstrations, and world-class exhibitions for the annual South by Southwest (SXSW). This year, amongst the chaos, community, and creativity of the festival, we recorded our first-ever episode of the podcast on stage in front of a live audience. Monotype's Bill Connolly gathered guests from different corners of the branding world and settled on stage in the balmy, Austin air to talk branding, design, and customer experience through each of their unique lenses. Tune in for a masterclass in branding that explores the visual elements and innovative technology driving how brands, advertising, and experiences influence our responses. Read more about the event here: monotype.com/resources/expertise/brandtalks-sxsw
On today's show, Jeff Park discusses "World Backup Day", held March 31 every year. how is AI massively increasing the demand for storage? What is the 3-2-1 backup strategy, and is it outdated? GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Jeff Park is Seagate's Country Manager for A/NZ, which makes consumer and business storage devices. Jeff began his journey with Seagate in South Korea in 2004, In 2007, Jeff relocated to Australia, becoming Country Manager in 2019. GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Daniel Hewitt is the CEO and Co-Founder of FutureLabs, a company that describes itself as "a creative technology partner transforming ambitious ideas into exciting realities". Its most recent project was the creation of an accessible easter egg for Cadbury, which relies on sound, rather than sight, to allow those who are blind or have low vision to participate in an Easter Egg Hunt. Dan studied IT and digital media in university. He started his own digital agency, which it was acquired by the Dentsu group. From there Daniel became involved in marketing and advertising and now applies his creative passions to talents to FutureLabs.
This week on the Million Dollar Mastermind podcast, host Larry Weidel is joined by Feras Alhlou, Co-Founder and Advisor for New Consulting Businesses at Start Up With Feras and author of “Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact.” Feras has built his wealth by founding and selling startups such as E-Nor to Dentsu, where it became a leading Google partner and reseller for Fortune 500 companies. He is recognized as a leading entrepreneurial voice on LinkedIn and actively participates in various social platforms. Feras was also among the top five finalists for the Most Influential Digital Analytics Agency. As the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board at e-CENS, he has made significant contributions to the field. Additionally, Feras co-authored a case study with Google, showcasing how E-Nor leveraged our analytics to align the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's (SFMOMA) business goals with their online strategy.
This week on the Million Dollar Mastermind podcast, host Larry Weidel is joined by Feras Alhlou, Co-Founder and Advisor for New Consulting Businesses at Start Up With Feras and author of “Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact.” Feras has built his wealth by founding and selling startups such as E-Nor to Dentsu, where it became a leading Google partner and reseller for Fortune 500 companies. He is recognized as a leading entrepreneurial voice on LinkedIn and actively participates in various social platforms. Feras was also among the top five finalists for the Most Influential Digital Analytics Agency. As the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board at e-CENS, he has made significant contributions to the field. Additionally, Feras co-authored a case study with Google, showcasing how E-Nor leveraged our analytics to align the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's (SFMOMA) business goals with their online strategy.
This week on the Million Dollar Mastermind podcast, host Larry Weidel is joined by Feras Alhlou, Co-Founder and Advisor for New Consulting Businesses at Start Up With Feras and author of “Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact.” Feras has built his wealth by founding and selling startups such as E-Nor to Dentsu, where it became a leading Google partner and reseller for Fortune 500 companies. He is recognized as a leading entrepreneurial voice on LinkedIn and actively participates in various social platforms. Feras was also among the top five finalists for the Most Influential Digital Analytics Agency. As the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board at e-CENS, he has made significant contributions to the field. Additionally, Feras co-authored a case study with Google, showcasing how E-Nor leveraged our analytics to align the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's (SFMOMA) business goals with their online strategy.
In the engaging world of social media, CEOs find themselves at a crossroads between opportunity and caution. A recent conversation between Alice Heiman and Scott Gillum on "Sales Talk for CEOs" podcast sheds light on this very issue, offering a blend of strategies, insights, and anecdotes that CEOs can't afford to ignore. The discussion delves into the transformative power of social media for personal branding and the pivotal role CEOs play in this dynamic landscape.The CEO's Role in Social Media: A Strategic ImperativeThe conversation with Scott Gillum reveals a critical insight: "There is a correlation between your online presence and revenue." This simple yet profound statement underscores the importance of a strategic social media presence, not just for the brand but for the CEO personally. It's about being where your customers are, engaging in meaningful conversations, and showcasing the human side of leadership.Embracing Training and Defining RolesOne of the first hurdles to overcome is the fear of the unknown and the potential for missteps online. Gillum points out, "They want training...they want to know how to do it right." This calls for a structured approach to social media engagement, where CEOs and senior management are clear on their roles - be it as content producers, sharers, or supporters. It's about empowering leaders with the skills and confidence to engage effectively, without risking the brand's reputation.The Power of Authentic EngagementGillum's work with a global law firm illustrates the tangible benefits of executive involvement in social media, highlighting "a direct correlation between revenue billings and their online presence and activities." This evidence supports the notion that when CEOs engage online, it not only enhances their personal brand but also contributes significantly to the company's bottom line.Strategic Content Creation and DistributionIn discussing content strategies, the importance of planning cannot be overstated. Gillum emphasizes the shift towards "planning a quarter out," allowing for higher production quality and more strategic content dissemination. This approach ensures that social media efforts are aligned with overall business goals, making every post part of a larger narrative that drives engagement and leads.Choosing the Right Platforms and FrequencyThe digital landscape is vast, with each platform offering unique advantages. From LinkedIn's professional network to Instagram's visually engaging stories, CEOs need to identify where their audience is most active. However, Gillum warns against over-posting, suggesting that "less is more" when it comes to frequency. The focus should be on quality, relevance, and strategic timing, ensuring that each post adds value to the conversation.The CEO as a Brand AmbassadorFinally, the discussion touches on the CEO's role as the ultimate brand ambassador. Whether it's championing STEM programs or highlighting community involvement, CEOs have the opportunity to use social media as a platform for sharing what they and their companies stand for. This authentic engagement not only humanizes the brand but also builds trust and credibility with customers and prospects alike.In ConclusionThe insights from Alice Heiman and Scott Gillum's conversation serve as a roadmap for CEOs navigating the social media landscape. By embracing training, defining roles, engaging authentically, and strategically planning content, CEOs can leverage social media to enhance their personal brand, amplify their company's message, and ultimately drive business success. The key is to be strategic, authentic, and always aligned with the company's values and goals. In the ever-evolving digital world, the CEO's voice can be a powerful catalyst for growth, innovation, and connection.Chapters00:00 Introduction - Dive into the evolution of sales strategies and the need for innovation in today's markets with Scott Gillum.01:01 Challenges in Sales & Marketing - Scott discusses ongoing issues in sales and marketing, underscoring the importance of continuous improvement.01:20 Ever-Present Marketing Problems - Revelations on the persistent challenges in the field despite decades of progress.02:52 Founding Carbon Design - Scott shares the unique inception of Carbon Design, highlighting its people-focused and flexible work ethos.04:05 Value Proposition Creation - Anecdotes on developing effective value propositions using challenger marketing techniques.06:29 The Essence of Sales & Marketing - Discussion on the critical gaps between sales and marketing efforts and customer acquisition processes.08:04 Social Media Strategy for Leads - Insights into using social media for lead generation and the common mistakes CEOs make.09:56 Executive Reluctance on Social Media - Exploring the challenges CEOs face with personal branding on social media platforms.11:25 Training Executives for Social Media - The benefits of social media training for senior management and their impact on corporate branding.12:33 Importance of Online Presence - Highlighting the direct correlation between an online presence and revenue generation.14:01 High-Quality Social Media Content - The shift toward strategic planning for content creation and distribution on social media.17:10 Platform-Specific Strategies - Unravel the nuances of different social media platforms for B2B engagement, from LinkedIn to Instagram and beyond.22:04 Social Media as a Strategic Tool - Advice for CEOs on the strategic importance of social media and tips on content categorization.25:44 Employee Role in Social Media - Encouraging a company-wide approach to social media participation and the specific roles employees can play.31:58 CEO Directions on Social Media - Suggestions for CEOs on how to effectively use social media for personal branding and promoting company values.About GuestScott is the Founder and CEO of Carbon Design, a Personality Based Marketing firm. Prior to founding Carbon Design, he was the President of the Washington, DC office for gyro (a Dentsu agency), the world's largest B2B agency.His career follows the pipeline. Starting at the bottom closing deals as a sales rep. Then as a management consultant after graduate school, helping clients build sales and marketing channels. Advertising broadened his knowledge and experience in building brands and creating awareness.Along the way, he's been the head of marketing for an Inc. 500 company, and an interim CMO for a Fortune 500 company. Today, Scott helps clients improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts up and down the funnel. From transitioning to digital to finding new ways to communicate, connect, and motivate audiences.Scott has been a member of the Gartner for Marketing Leaders Council and he writes a monthly column for several publications on business marketing. In the past, he has been a regular contributor to publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Adage, the Huffington Post and he has contributed to various books on marketing. Currently he writes a monthly column for MarTech. Finally, his work on sales and marketing integration was made into a Harvard Business School Case Study and is taught at leading business schools across the nation. Connect with Scott on Linked In(99+) Scott Gillum | LinkedInCarbon Design(99+) Carbon Design LLC: Overview | LinkedInConnect with Alice on LinkedIn:(99+) Alice Heiman | LinkedInCheck out Alice's website:Alice Heiman | Sales Consultant and Strategist for CEOs
Connect with Follow Tag on LinkedinHuge thanks to our sponsors:Get the dopest Packaging shirts at www.packagingfashion.comSpecright Summit is coming up soon! Are you going?Meyers Sustainable Packaging Guide eBookLabl - NEWEST sponsor and much more to come! eCommerce companies NEED to see what they're doing.Sustainable Packaging Podcast w/ Cory ConnorsPackaging Unbox'd with Evelio MattosBeyond the Shelf with Laura FotiSpecright and Packaging InfoBuy Packaging Peeks Kids bookShow notes from Deciphr.ai:About the Guest(s):On this episode of the People of Packaging Podcast, host Adam Peek is joined by a dynamic quartet from Tag, a global creative, production, and sourcing powerhouse for brands and agencies. Devin Nutter serves as the Director of Strategic Sourcing, pioneering sourcing solutions that make the dream work of product packaging come to fruition. Jan Stollerman leads as the Global Business Director, ensuring impactful content delivery for multiple brand categories across channels. Emily Stolarcyk, the Sustainability Director, guides brands towards successful sustainability practices while navigating regulations like EPR. Paul Lynch, the Head of Experience in Commerce for the UK and Ireland, brings in-depth knowledge of connected packaging and consumer engagement for brands to own their first-party data.Episode Summary:In this engaging episode of the People of Packaging podcast, host Adam Peek delves deep into the world of packaging with a focus on connected packaging and sustainability, two cornerstone topics that are rapidly reshaping the industry. The conversation uncovers how Tag, through its collaborative experts, caters to the full spectrum of packaging needs, from creation to sustainability compliance, and data-driven consumer engagement strategies.Tag's integrated approach is dissected, emphasizing how the company provides end-to-end solutions from the initial design to the delivery and monitoring of products and packaging. With a shift towards owning consumer data, brands are leveraging new technologies like QR codes, NFC tags, and RFID tags to create omnichannel experiences. The episode discusses how connected packaging is not only a tool for marketing but also a means for improving economic efficiency and consumer convenience in areas such as product lifecycle and recycling instructions.Key Takeaways:Connected packaging is becoming an increasingly important tool for brands to engage consumers, capture first-party data, and comply with sustainability regulations like EPR.Tag's comprehensive approach integrates creative design, strategic sourcing, and technology-driven solutions to meet and exceed brands' packaging needs globally.The inclusion of cutting-edge technologies such as QR codes, NFC tags, and RFID tags in packaging is driving a more sustainable and economically efficient future for brands.Brands are more willing to share sustainability practices and innovations in the pursuit of green goals, indicating a shift toward collective environmental responsibility.Tag's acquisition by Dentsu and synergy with Dentsu's other companies like Merkel is broadening the horizons for what they can offer in terms of connected and sustainable packaging solutions.Notable Quotes:"We're able to pull it together based on what Jan is able to produce, and then we hand it over. Paul and his team can provide some analytics on the marketing success aspect." - Devin Nutter"The pack sits at the center of everything that a marketer does… now with the connected pack, it could tell you, 'Hey, I'm getting ready to expire.'" - Jan Stollerman"Brands are responding with the rise of extended producer responsibility schemes, or EPR. It's no longer up to just the consumers of what happens to that package." - Emily Stolarcyk"We're seeing that our customers are actually looking to use the digital platform to change their campaigns and not necessarily continually reprint the packaging." - Paul LynchResources:Tag's website: tagww.comConnect with the guests on LinkedIn:Devin NutterJan StollermanEmily StolarcykPaul LynchListen to the full episode for a comprehensive view into the innovative and resourceful world of packaging that Tag is navigating. Stay tuned for more insights and episodes that push the boundaries of packaging as we know it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.packagingisawesome.com/subscribe
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