Podcasts about ecrm

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin takes the opportunity of RISKWORLD 2026 to interview on-site two session co-presenters, Sandy Avina and Angel Guerra, and a fellow podcast host, Joel Appelbaum. Sandy and Angel co-wrote a book, Riskfetti: Risk Management for the Rest of Us, which comes out on May 18th. They discuss their careers, how they came to team up to write, and why this book, now. Justin and Joel discuss Joel's career in risk, from underwriter to Chief Content Officer at the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) and podcast host of The Edge of Risk. Listen for thought leadership on communicating risk to business professionals and translating complex risk research into media content.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] About this episode of RIMScast. It was recorded live, on-site at RISKWORLD 2026, in Philadelphia. It's one of my favorite episodes of the year. We will be joined by a range of guests. But first… [:43] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Course will be on May 13th and 14th. The popular CBCP and RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Bootcamp will be held from May 18th through the 21st. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be held on June 9th and 10th. [1:02] Links to registration are in this episode's notes. [1:05] Webinars. On May 14th, Origami Risk will return with a new session, "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility." [1:17] On May 21st, GRC returns to present "Is Your Fire Protection Strategy Outdated? Emerging Risks Are Changing the Rules." [1:27] On May 28th, Zurich returns with "From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction." Register for webinars at RIMS.org/Webinars or through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:41] Folks, RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:00] On with the Show! We are live on the exhibit floor at RISKWORLD 2026 at the Philadelphia Convention Center. There's a lot of great energy. That energy transferred from the stage to our booth! My first guests are from our LA RIMS Chapter, Sandy Avina and Angel Guerra. [2:23] Sandy and Angel co-presented the session on Tuesday, May 5th, "Between Truth and Trauma: Investigating the Invisible." RIMScast caught up with them right after they came off the stage to discuss the state of mental health claims and get a preview of their new book. [2:37] Sandy and Angel co-authored the book coming out on May 18th. It's called Riskfetti: Risk Management for the Rest of Us. We're going to have a lot of fun! Let's get to it! [2:44] Interview! Sandy Avina and Angel Guerra, Welcome to RIMScast! [2:58] Angel says this is her third RISKWORLD and she loves it! She last attended two years ago in San Diego. Sandy says this is her first time at RISKWORLD. She's trying to experience everything, and it's like trying to put ten pounds of sugar in a five-pound bag. She's getting there. [3:17] Sandy is The Riskfluencer on TikTok. [3:25] Angel has a business, Beauty and Beast in Business. [3:28] Together, Sandy and Angel make Riskfetti. [3:41] Angel started in the mailroom of SRS 20 years ago, moved through Claims, Operations Management, and Global Risk Management, and is now a VP at Arrowhead Evaluation, which does independent medical and risk consulting. [4:11] Angel's variety of experiences lets her see everything and gives her knowledge of risk management and the ability to manage a program well. [4:31] Right out of college, Sandy joined California's workers' compensation state fund as an adjuster. She loved it and started to learn other lines. She now works for California Schools JPA, a public risk pool supporting K-12 and community colleges. [4:54] Sandy leads the California Schools JPA claims program for property liability and workers' compensation. She loves it. [5:03] Sandy and Angel connected through LinkedIn. [5:25] Sandy and Angel presented a RISKWORLD session on developing the defense for psychological claims. Sandy says we're seeing the change in legislation for allowing mental-mental claims and not just physical-mental claims. [5:35] Dr. Ron Heredia was also on the panel. He spoke on how to crack defenses and properly investigate. There are red flags and also very truthful claims. As professionals, check your unconscious bias. Think about fact-finding without a specific agenda. [6:12] Justin points out that May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S. Sandy partners wth Kind Souls Foundation, a non-profit that provides a warm, emotional support line for anybody with a work-displacing event. Sandy notes the struggles of the Sandwich Generation. [6:56] Angel says we see people are being a lot more open about mental health and self-care, but there's still a stigma to it. It's important to recognize that, not just in May, but throughout the year. [7:15] Justin mentions a guest from a couple of weeks ago who served in the Canadian military. He was very open about his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They had a wonderful conversation about it. Justin doesn't want to bring it up if somebody doesn't want to talk about it. [7:40] Sandy says, when you have the conversations more often, and they're more open, people feel more comfortable bringing it up. [7:50] Sandy and Angel's session was "Between Truth and Trauma: Investigating the Invisible." Angel says a lot of people told them they were very happy with the session. They see increases in legislation that allow for more mental-mental claims, and it's a challenge to keep up. [8:11] Angel says having Dr. Ron Heredia with them gave a view of what it looks like from the employer's side. Are you investigating those claims, recognizing the importance of very clear documentation? If it's not in writing, it didn't happen. Have a doctor help with questions to ask. [8:43] Riskfetti: Risk Management for the Rest of Us is coming out on May 18th. Sandy says she and Angel both started in claims, and they found that a lot of employers they spoke to didn't know risk management. They didn't understand their coverage or insurance, or how it works. [9:12] Sandy says a lot of the education in the industry today is very academic and is meant for the risk managers. Employers are not going to go get their CPCU or take webinars on coverage or understanding endorsements. They assign someone else to do it. It's split in the organization. [9:35] Sandy says nobody is speaking to that audience from a layperson's perspective in a way they'll be receptive to. Sandy said we wanted to make that information accessible, so we created a book that is fun, engaging, and more accessible for business owners. [9:49] Angel says they used case studies, fun stories of claims they had managed or others had managed. It's very engaging. People say they've read the book and laughed. It's for HR Managers, Safety Managers, and CFOs, who don't understand insurance but have responsibility. [10:41] Angel's advice for beginning risk professionals: Find a community of individuals who are willing to support you and talk about the hard things and cheer you on when you're not sure if insurance or claims is where you want to be. It's not an easy industry, but a wonderful industry. [11:00] Sandy's advice for the young generation is to make content about this industry. If you are working in this industry, make your TikToks and post on socials. We need to hear from that generation. It democratizes the flow of information. They already do it for their personal life. [11:18] Sandy says, talk about your experience. I want to know what it's like for somebody coming into the industry right now. I know what it was like 23 years ago; I want to know what it's like now. That's the best way to get that information out there. We want to know those opinions. [11:40] Justin says, I love what you're doing. You've got a lot of great energy! Angel, Sandy, thank you so much for joining me on RIMScast. You were wonderful guests! I hope to see you again next year. [12:04] A Quick Break! There are so many other wonderful RIMS events coming up in 2026. The 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes. [12:25] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, to be held from August 10th through 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. Advance rates are available through June 5th. [12:39] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026, in Chicago. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [12:53] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you can also submit a session. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [13:10] Save the dates October 18th through the 21st. We will be in Quebec City to celebrate the 50th Live RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are already open. The call for educational sessions has been extended to May 18th. Early-bird registration will open in June. [13:29] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni. [13:44] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 18th and 19th in Columbus, Ohio. Details will follow. [13:52] Our final guest is Joel Appelbaum, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer at IRMI, the International Risk Management Institute! Joel is the host of IRMI's podcast, The Edge of Risk. He was formerly a Chief Risk Officer. [14:10] We are going to talk all about our shared interests and the importance of risk management education, and some of the trends that are emerging, some that are overhyped, and what he's seeing on the risk landscape. Let's get to it! [14:23] Interview! Joel Appelbaum, Welcome to RIMScast! [14:28] Joel Appelbaum is the Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer for IRMI. Joel says he is used to asking the questions; he says it will be really cool to be asked the questions. [14:47] Joel is the host of The Edge of Risk. When they launched, six years ago, the idea was to come up with more relevant content, quickly, by talking to leaders. In the last year, it has grown by 60%. There's a need for insurance podcasts. It's still growing. [15:24] Justin notes that Elise Farnham was a recent guest. Elise teaches for RIMS. Justin says insurance podcasts share the same space, and there's some natural crossover. Justin and Joel sat together the day before at the main stage keynote. [15:53] Justin asks Joel about his having been an Enterprise Chief Risk Officer, when Enterprise Chief Risk Officers first came into vogue. He felt there were not a lot of resources for being a good ECRM, after coming from an underwriting background with CPCU and IRMI. [16:22] It was a challenging time. Joel cites Adam Grant's theme of low ego but honestly trying to help. Joel remembers bringing up to his boss that IT could be a risk, and being yelled at by his boss for about an hour for yellow-flagging IT. [16:53] Joel loves where Enterprise Risk Management has gone. It's necessary to identify risks in a positive way and deal with them proactively. [17:06] Joel says when it started, it was a rough job. Asking people what keeps them up at night, and sharing that with the board regularly, people weren't ready for it. It's a necessary and important job, but Joel found it to be one of the most challenging, alone on an island. [17:30] Joel thinks everyone who's been an Enterprise Chief Risk Officer or Risk Officer will tell you they do it with very few resources. Joel is glad to have an organization like RIMS to help. [17:50] Joel says he was in a lot of positions that IRMI serves. He was a Product Officer, an Enterprise Chief Risk Officer, a Chief Underwriting Officer, and a Chief Actuary. He did a lot of great things with a lot of great people. None of that prepared him to be a Chief Content Officer. [18:17] Being a Chief Content Officer is about writing and deep research. Joel works with people who research all day. [18:29] Joel learned that there's a disconnect between deep research and understanding coverage and analysis well, and practical insights and thought leadership for how it works in the real world. Parsing it and putting it together, and communicating it is the challenge. [18:53] Joel says it was a bit bumpy coming in and changing the way that IRMI approached things. Joel speaks of his joy of working for Jack Gibson at IRMI. [19:15] Joel says trying to put all the research into writing, keeping it up to date, making it useful, and changing it from just research to practical insights was challenging. It's been a great challenge, and he loves it. [19:29] Joel says he loves being at IRMI and working with people in the industry every day, trying to understand what they need. [20:16] Joel says he struggled with translating research into print, CE courses, and conferences. That takes time, and they need to be updated with the times, as well. A podcast can be simple. Yesterday, Justin and Joel came up with six or seven relevant questions and were ready to go. [20:48] Joel says podcasts fill the gap for the on-demand, necessary knowledge somebody might be seeking on the go. Joel's 30-something children listen to podcasts in the car or while they're exercising. You don't have to sit. Joel likes to do 20- or 30-minute Edge of Risk podcasts. [21:35] Joel says you can cover a very specific, timely topic. It doesn't take the effort of doing a research project or writing a book. Getting it to print takes time. If something changes in war, terrorism, or cyber, you can have a new podcast out in a day. [21:54] Justin says he finds it very gratifying when a guest's words on RIMScast are cited in a white paper. Seeing a reference to something he has done is very gratifying. Joel agrees. [22:10] Joel feels like it's such an honor to meet with thought leaders in the industry, sit down with them, and ask them questions. Joel says he gets great knowledge, meeting them, and learning a little bit about them personally. [22:43] Joel says it's gratifying when young professionals come up to him saying they know him from the podcast. Justin mentions people hearing him talking in the halls at RISKWORLD or RIMS events and recognizing him as the RIMScast guy or the webinar host guy. [23:26] Joel says AI has been a little overhyped. We all need to understand how to use it, but it isn't going to provide all the answers. A guest on his podcast told him at RISKWORLD they're going all in on AI for learning. [23:55] Joel says he gets that AI can be a quick fit for the answer you need. It's the right tool for the right time, but all risk managers know you have to have a lot of tools in your tool kit. AI doesn't replace foundational knowledge. [24:16] Joel's MBA helped him understand the other disciplines in the organization, to know when he was getting good information or bad information, and how to talk the language. [24:35] Joel believes that RIMS certifications and IRMI certifications help risk managers and insurance professionals understand the foundational knowledge. Then they know if they're getting a good answer from the AI. [24:50] Joel says that AI is trained on the internet. The internet has some flaws. Joel predicts AI will hit a learning curve. You're not getting the latest and greatest insights from RIMS or IRMI just writing a white paper on a new topic. Are you getting your AI from a reliable data source? [25:25] Joel advocates for using AI on IRMI material. They have an AI agent in beta now. IRMI has ReferenceConnect for its customers. AI is a good tool, but it's overhyped as a solution for everything. It's not going to solve all the problems. [26:00] It's a great tool if you're using it to gather data. Joel went to a great session at RISKWORLD with LineSlip about bringing all your different brokers' information together so you can get real insights. AI is a great tool to be used at the right place, at the right time. [26:23] You can't have it write all your letters because it doesn't sound like you. [26:37] Justin says an issue that's top of mind for him is PFAS, forever chemicals, because we need water to live. The second our water supply is bad, we've got much bigger problems. [26:52] Joel says Marsh did a presentation at an IRMI conference talking about how widespread the PFAS problem is. It should be on everybody's risk radar. Joel has put more filters in all of his houses. [27:21] Justin says Third-Party Litigation Funding is an emerging risk for RIMS. Joel has also done several podcasts on that. Liberty Mutual likes to call it Legal System Abuse. They had a great podcast on it with The Edge of Risk. [28:04] Joel says the concerning aspects are inflated awards and nuclear verdicts. ISO has introduced a new endorsement on disclosing third-party litigation funding. We've always needed tort reform. Joel thought that as an Enterprise Risk Manager, 20 years ago. [28:39] Joel says if you look at how all the other countries do it, the United States has a problem. It's really important to solve it. Insurance is a fundamental backstop and assistance to business. If the problem continues, insurers may start declining. How do you find solutions? [29:10] Joel thinks one of the solutions is to determine the appropriate amount of an award. Does $200 million make up for something where $2 million would suffice? [29:33] Justin says that he and Joel met up at the keynote with Adam Grant. They both enjoyed the keynote. Adam Grant spoke of unpleasant truths we may not want to hear. There's a difference between being loyal and being honest. [30:26] Joel doesn't have a problem delivering the unpleasant truths, but it has not always been great for his career. Joel says that in a lot of big corporate organizations, people want their allies with them. A new Chief Officer comes in and brings loyal friends with him. [30:54] Four or five years of being coddled later, the officer is gone. Joel worked for CNA for four different CEOs. Joel learned that integrity matters. He says if you communicate out of frustration or anger, it comes across wrong. [31:35] Joel says what he loved about Adam Grant's message is that people need to deliver the truth in a way that is kind and fair, and not fake. The people who tell you what you want to hear and that you're the greatest ever are the people you need to "get rid of." [32:08] Joel tells people that the knife gets sharper against the steel. Joel wants somebody who's sharpening the skill. He has to work harder for it. That's who he likes to surround himself with. Joel has his "board of governors" he goes to for help as a sounding board. [32:58] Leaders who surround themselves with yes-people are not going to last long. Justin asks about the compliment sandwich. Joel likes it if it doesn't come off as fake. Ask AI what's a fair way to deliver this, a compassionate way to give feedback. AI can give unbiased feedback. [33:45] Justin shares an experience where he successfully used AI to shorten and change the tone of an angry email message before he sent it. He was very pleased with the result, and the response was "OK." Joel admits he has delivered a lot of career-shortening emails. [34:44] AI should be thought of as a sounding board. Justin thinks the students coming into the profession probably already do so. Joel says certain types he has worked with don't handle negative feedback well from their peers. AI might be the best way for them to respond. [35:25] Joel has been to about 10 RISKWORLDs. He says the vibe this year is awesome. He feels there's a lot more opportunity for small connections. He loves the smaller talks. The conversation pods are great. There's always lots to learn, interesting people, and friends. [36:07] I love what you do at IRMI. Thank you for joining our show, RIMScast! I think very highly of your show. We've had a lot of the same guests. You're wonderful, and I appreciate all of your support! [36:35] Thanks again to all of our guests here on this special episode of RIMScast, produced live on-site at RISKWORLD 2026. We look forward to seeing you all in New Orleans next year for RISKWORLD 2027! [36:47] Be sure to check out last week's episode of RIMScast, featuring Risk Manager of the Year, Jeff Bray of Prologis. [36:53] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [37:22] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [37:40] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [37:58] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [38:14] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [38:28] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [38:40] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!   Links: RISKWORLD Playlists:

On today's episode of CPG Insiders, Mark + Justin are joined by frequent guest and veteran CPG expert David Biernbaum to discuss the do's and don'ts of preparing for ECRM meetings and the critical importance of a solid marketing plan. They dive into how retailers evaluate new products, and common mistakes to avoid, and how to ensure your product gets and stays on the shelf. Learn how ECRM can be a game-changer for brands that are ready to present themselves professionally and effectively.

This episode, Mark + Justin welcome back master broker, David Biernbaum, to discuss his experience with ECRM (Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing) and its impact on the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, especially for entrepreneurial brands. ECRM has changed the industry by offering category-specific events where new companies get a chance to interact directly with retail buyers - significantly increasing opportunities for small brands. The guys also talk about how to determine if your brand is ready for ECRM and the steps you can take to prepare for the event.   About David Biernbaum: David is a nationally acclaimed consumer products retail business consultant and master broker who has brought more than 200 successful consumers brands to market. Learn more about David Biernbaum & Associates.

Welcome to our first episode of season 20 of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast, wizes! As promised, we are kicking off this season with Sarah Davidson. Sarah is the Executive Vice President of ECRM, which connects producers with retail buyers through hybrid and in-person buyer meeting events. In her role at ECRM, Sarah has seen 1000s of buyer pitches. In this episode, you’ll hear… How ECRM connects the right buyers and the right suppliers through their events Common traits of the most successful buyer pitches and what NOT to do The importance of timing with resets and category reviews in mind As I mentioned in our episode, one of my 2024 goals is to feel more connected to our listeners. Please find the links to our Instagram and LinkedIn (as well as the Sarilla article mentioned, Sarah’s contact information, and our past episode) in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our Retail Roadmap! Just as Alli and Sarah share their “insider” knowledge in this episode, receiving “insider” knowledge can make a world of difference for an emerging brand. We want to share Alli’s buyer expertise so that you know what it takes to get ON the retail shelf - be it a physical or digital shelf - AND have high sales once you're there! Find our free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here so that you’re planning for each next step NOW!

Joe Tarnowski, the VP of Content & Global Media at ECRM, joins me today on the Food Biz Wiz podcast to join forces in sharing our 2024 CPG predictions. ECRM works to connect suppliers and buyers in our industry and Joe brings 10+ years of CPG industry experience to inform his upcoming predictions. We can't wait to share more with you, so tune in to hear more about... The years-long trend that will continue into 2024 Challenges that suppliers will continue to face from a buyer perspective How brands will adapt into non-traditional channels that support their way of biz Increased consumer know-how & education in their product choices And room for indulgent brands that aren't health or wellness focused! Joe and I would LOVE to know which trends might have surprised you or which ones you wanted to hear. Come let us know by tagging us on social media or sending us a DM on IG or LinkedIn -- you’ll find our links and information in our full show notes, as usual! One more thing here…if you’ve been on the fence about joining Retail Ready®, our program for CPG brands who want to land on more shelves and increase their sales, then NOW is the time to join! Savvy brands have a solid pitch and sales plan READY come January…but we know that they also want time to take a break during the holidays without feeling the guilt. That’s why we’re giving brands who join before year end extended access through March 31st. Give yourself the gift of ease and confidence by joining Retail Ready® today!

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The COVID-19 pandemic forever changed how the CPG industry does business. Where we used to do primarily in-person events and meetings, much of our industry has now pivoted to include both virtual and in-person events. In this week’s episode 205 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, I sit down with Sarah Davidson, the Executive Vice President of ECRM, the parent company of RangeMe, to talk about how they connect buyers and producers through their curated buyer meeting events. When you listen in, you’ll hear all about… How ECRM pivoted with the COVID-19 crisis to include virtual events and why they offer both now What their sessions look like and all that their team does to ensure that meetings are valuable for producers and buyers Why their events are different from trade shows Some of the top things that buyers have been looking for in their events Sarah has been in the CPG industry for 18 years, so tune in to hear her experience in creating valuable buyer meetings and events. Find the episode that I mention on optimizing your RangeMe efforts, as well as the ECRM links, Sarah’s information, and our Instagram and Linkedin links in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our Secret Sauce Quiz! Do you want to know what’s working in YOUR biz? Then make sure to take our Secret Sauce Quiz! You’ll answer 10 quick questions on yourself and your biz, and you’ll learn your brand's current strength & how you can leverage that this year. (We promise that it’ll take less than 2 minutes!) You’ll receive a curated list of free resources for your exact stage of business and your business superpower - so that you can do MORE of what’s working. Click here to take the quiz and receive your results and resources today!

This week Jeff Clark (our resident Rockstar CMO Strategic Advisor and former Research Director at Forrester) shares some relationship advice for marketers, with seven tips for working more closely with sales. Ian then goes backstage with Adeola Sole, a CRM expert and the founder of Strategy CRM, an email consultancy agency. Adeola has advised on successful data-led, eCRM strategies and implemented growth opportunities whilst always having the customer journey as a key focus. A successful approach she's applied to clients across the retail, media and travel industries. Adeola is also a public speaker, conference and webinar host and a member of the Women of Martech Diversity and Equal Opportunity committee.  In a fun conversation, Ian and Adeola chat about her inspiration to choose a career in marketing, the challenges organizations have with CRM and where businesses should start with sorting out their customer data, processes and systems. Finally, we grab a cocktail in the Rockstar CMO virtual bar with Robert Rose, Chief Troublemaker at The Content Advisory, who shares a great example of bad thought leadership and what lessons we can learn from the infamous "Pause Giant AI Experiments" open letter. Enjoy! The Links The people: Ian Truscott on LinkedIn and Twitter Jeff Clark on LinkedIn and Twitter Adeola Sole on LinkedIn, Twitter and her website Robert Rose on LinkedIn, Twitter and his website As mentioned in this week's episode: Courtney Lindau's insight on metrics from episode 161 The Experience Advisors Community Robert's Newsletter on LinkedIn Robert's podcast with Joe Pulizzi This Old Marketing The "Pause Giant AI Experiments" open letter Josh Bernhoff's commentary on the open letter More from Robert on the topic in the Content Marketing Institute blog Rockstar CMO: The Beat Newsletter Rockstar CMO on the web, Twitter, and LinkedIn Previous episodes and all show notes: Rockstar CMO FM Track List: Piano Music is by Johnny Easton, shared under a creative commons license We'll be right back by Stienski & Mass Media – on YouTube Back in Stride by Maze on YouTube The Folktronica in the bar - Jakare - Chrysalis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Show's Notes Mark is in sunny Florida for today's show, and Justin is in an ice storm in Detroit.  Mark let's us know a little about our guest David Biernbaum.  The guys jump right in to how the pandemic changed meeting.  From retailers conducting business differently, to ECRM being digital. Pre-Pandemic, all the retailers would have an annual review.  There would be meetings set up, and we would show what we are trying to do, and we would fight to get our products on their shelves.  But now…its all virtual meetings, from Zoom to Teams, it is near impossible to get a face to face meeting. There is a whole different way in doing business with retailers.  There are ways to turn this to your advantage, but you need to know some tricks.  You will still use a logical order in presenting your brand, but you need to know who is in the room with you (the virtual room) and as a courtesy, you need to let them know who is in your room.  Since most of these meetings are being hosted from someone's house.  Don't be sitting on your lazy boy in the living room while your kids run around on camera. Listen in for more tips and insight from the Guys and David. https://biernbaum.com/ https://www.instagram.com/davidbiernbaum/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbiernbaum/

At this week's Round Table, Inica and Madeline spoke with inspiring rising high school freshman Lyla Petroske about her work in electoral college reform. Lyla recently founded The Electoral College Reform Movement (ECRM) as part of her mission to fundamentally reform the Electoral College in a way that will destroy its faithfulness to the majority and give a voice to the United States' minorities. She is a fierce advocate for a fractional proportional system that would be a compromise between the Electoral College and the popular vote, and what would provide what she perceives as the best of both worlds. When Lyla first started investigating the Electoral College–back in fifth grade…–she initially thought it should be abolished and that it was standing in the way of democracy, truth, justice and the American Way. Upon deeper investigation, she came to feel that the Electoral College serves a significant role in the United States and should NOT be outright abolished. She came to feel that something more than the popular vote is necessary to incorporate different priorities in different places with integrity, reminding us that the United States is more than just a country: it's a collection of states. We talked about Lyla's “click moment”--what activated her around this complex topic at such a young age; the youth enthusiasm gap; and what ECRM is and how you can get involved. Oh and we also celebrated INICA'S FIRST VOTE. Thank you for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nextgenpolitics/message

ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski and entrepreneur, speaker and author Sterling Hawkins discuss how we can drive breakthrough results in business and life by regularly seeking activities that bring us out of our comfort zone, a topic Hawkins writes about in his new book, "Hunting Discomfort: How to Get Breakthrough Results in Life and Business, No Matter What." They cover several topics from the book, including: How avoiding discomfort and limiting beliefs hold us back Why it's important to be wrong on occasion Why persistence and grit are not always the answer The power of commitment (or "getting your tattoo") The negative impact of non-committed statements & self sabotage (where indecision becomes your decision) Why some self doubt is healthy Sterling also outlines how we can incorporate discomfort into our lives to drive growth, and invites you to join his #nomatterwhat community of like-minded individuals actively hunting discomfort. Learn more at https://www.sterlinghawkins.com/

In just three years since launching, healthy snack brand Solely Inc. has grown its distribution to more than 30,000 locations by checking off all all of the boxes that grab buyers attention these days. It makes healthy, organic products with minimal ingredients. It's vertically integrated and controls its entire supply chain (translation: no out of stocks). It has a low carbon footprint and minimizes waste. Plus, it takes exceptional care of those farmers who grow the fruit for its products. In this interview with ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski, Solely CEO Simón Sacal and Chief Revenue Officer Michel Algazi discuss the company's mission, products, business practices, and how it leverages virtual sessions and RangeMe to successfully engage the buyer community.

With the growing popularity of zero-ABV cocktails, it's no surprise that Blind Tiger Spirit-Free Cocktails was among the first wave of brands to receive a wholesale order on RangeMe shortly after the service became available on the platform. According to NielsenIQ, off-premise sales of non-alcoholic grew 87 percent versus last year. And a survey by CGA - Americas revealed that 11 percent of consumers have recently tried a non-alcoholic cocktail at an on-premise location. ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Founder Rebecca A. Styn, Ph.D. (who also owns the Room 33 restaurant in Erie, Pa.) about the origin of her brand, the growing no-ABV trend among consumers, and how she works with buyers to determine the optimal placement and assortment of this growing segment of the adult beverage category. #business #retail #cpg #cocktails #spirits #ecrmrangeme

A 12,000-unit order from a major retailer, just months after launching. That's what Fichi Fig & Nut Bites Co-Founder Steven Tripoli experienced at ECRM's Plant-Based Foods session last year. Here's why he crushed it at our meetings: First, the products: Fichi Fig & Walnut Bites: Ingredients: Figs, Walnuts. Then there are Fichi Fig & Almond Bites: Ingredients: Figs, Almonds. Clean, simple ingredients. Beautiful packaging. A delicious, plant-based snack. Nailed it on the product front. It was hard to resist eating the whole bag at once. Second: He's got his biz squared away. Knows his numbers inside and out; has his supply chain locked down, test-marketed his products at local retailers for feedback. Third: He crushed his ECRM virtual buyer presentations. Conducted deep research for every retailer on his appointment list. Selected the 5-minute meetings and kept his presentation concise: only 5 slides that covered the products and how he would help buyers drive category sales as a partner. Left most of the meeting time for buyer engagement and questions. The result: In addition to the initial 12K unit order, that retailer already re-ordered, plus Steve also has a few more opportunities in the works! View the website here: https://fichisnacks.com/

Once you've landed ON THE SHELF, you have to move your products OFF THE SHELF, and into shoppers baskets. In this presentation, Food Biz Wiz founder Allison Ball shares a 3-step plan to boost sales once you have secured that coveted shelf space. This was one of the supplier workshops from ECRM's Global Market: Spring Buying Days, which took place last week, and includes the very engaging Q&A between Alli and the supplier participants. Among the topics she discusses are: - Developing a successful launch plan - Engaging retail staff and shoppers to build excitement around your products - Leveraging promotions, in-person and digital marketing - Nurturing of key partnerships for long-term success post-launch. Tons of practical insights for every emerging brand who has recently landed a retail deal!

Dr. PAWPAW has grown from a small emerging self-funded brand from the UK into an international success in some of the largest markets in the world, including USA and more recently, China. Hear directly from Founder Johnny Paterson himself on topics including key successes and learnings when tackling new markets, their focus on the emergence of Gen-Z consumers, and as a loyal participant of ECRM programs, how they have utilized ECRM programs in the past to assist in their growth as an indie brand.

I run a medium-sized podcast launch and production agency AND a personal brand and there are a lot of details involved. How do my team and I keep track of it all? We use Asana for project management and Brand You Funnels as our eCRM (customer management, email, websites, courses, automation, and sales funnels).  In this episode, I'm describing our systems in detail so you can hear how everything works.  Our tools... Asana - https://asana.com/  Brand You Funnels (first month free) - https://www.brandyoufunnels.com/getstarted?fpr=danny97 ***   Roadmap: https://dannyozment.com/roadmap Questions? https://www.speakpipe.com/podcaststrategies or email me at danny@emeraldcitypro.com *** Are you interested in starting or growing a podcast AND business with the support of my team and a community of experienced podcasters? Join my Podcaster Pod. You get... Full access to my 8-module podcasting course taking you from idea to launch and everything in between. Equipment and tech, Recording and publishing. Scripts and templates. Everything! Access to me, my team, and a group of experienced podcasters through a private Slack channel​ Monthly Q&A calls with me and the other Podcaster Pod members. Quarterly Expert Calls​ Access to me and my network –– meaning I will introduce you to other influencers and people who can help you where it makes sense.​ Consider joining my new membership site for $47/month. Go to https://dannyozment.com/pod Use code JOINPODPOD to get a 1-month free trial. *** Are you building an email list for your business or personal brand? If so, then you need ConvertKit. I use ConvertKit for my list and so do most of our clients. For $29/month, ConvertKit's Creator Plan  manages up to 1,000 subscribers Provides unlimited landing pages & forms Sends email broadcasts Provides the ability to Sell digital products & subscriptions Has super fast Email support AND MOST IMPORTANTLY... Gives you Free migration from another tool AND Automated funnels & sequences Get a free 14-day trial of the Creator Plan by visiting https://dannyozment.com/convertkit *** Do you have a website for your business or personal brand or are you building one? If so, then you need WPX hosting. I use WPX for all of my sites and so do many of our clients. For $25/month, WPX's Business Plan gives you Hosting for 5 Websites 10 GB Storage 100 GB Bandwidth Free SSL certificates The WPX Cloud Content Delivery Network They average around 30 second support response time 24/7/365 around the world Provide free unlimited site migration from any host to WPX, usually completed within 24 hours And they are fast because they never overload servers with hosting accounts, unlike so-called 'cheap' hosting which crumbles under any traffic load Sign up for the WPX Business Plan by visiting https://dannyozment.com/wpx   *** My Recommended Resources - https://dannyozment.com/resources   

Green Global Foods CEO Santiago Urti discusses how he has found success with retailers and foodservice operators worldwide in the face of adversity caused by the pandemic and supply chain issues. He also provides insights on how he prepares for and executes successful buyer meetings. Urti is a regular ECRM program participant, a RangeMe Premium member, and has participated in the previous two ECRM Global Markets. He'll be at Global Market: Spring Buying Days this coming March.

Trade shows in the CBD and health and wellness industry are coming back. Vice President of Sales Vince Gillen and Director of Strategic Accounts Tracy Lane break down the trade shows on the calendar for the first quarter of 2022. Learn about Convenience Distributors Association (CDA) Marketplace, ASD Market Week and ECRM specialty shows coming up. Hear what retailers and distributors can expect to see from Global Widget, including our newest Hemp-derived cannabinoid products and in-house health and wellness brands.

Relationship and partnership blind spots can do more than hurt you; they can put you out of business. These days, our industry is facing increased costs, looming inflation, limited face-to-face interactions, and an evolution in consumer behaviors, making strong retailer-supplier relationships more important than ever before. “Partnerships are under more pressure than ever,” says Dan Mack, Founder and Managing Director of Mack Elevation. “They are under duress because of the pandemic, digital transformation, hyper-competition and a lot of additional factors.” During his presentation at ECRM's Global Market: Fall Experience, Dan Mack, Founder & Managing Director of Mack Elevation, discussed insights from his interviews with 25 CPG sales VPs as well as 10 leading retailers on how today's fast-evolving retail landscape has impacted their relationships, and how they can best work together. This podcast includes his full presentation, as well as the audience Q&A with Wayne Bennett, ECRM SVP of Retail, who moderated the session. Click here to read the blog post summary of this presentation. Click here to view Dan Mack's profile on LinkedIn. Click here to view the video presentation on YouTube. #business #retail #cpg #ecrmrangeme

Have you embraced discomfort today? For our latest blog post, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Michael Easter, Author of "The Comfort Crisis," about how intentionally adding discomfort back into our lives can revive the mental, physical and spiritual vitality we are meant to have, and help us grow personally and professionally to levels we may have thought previously impossible. Easter's journey to understand our evolutionary need to be challenged takes him to meet the NBA's top exercise scientist, who uses an ancient Japanese practice to build championship athletes; to the mystical country of Bhutan, where an Oxford economist and Buddhist leader are showing the world what death can teach us about happiness; to the outdoor lab of a young neuroscientist who's found that nature tests our physical and mental endurance in ways that expand creativity while taming burnout and anxiety; to the remote Alaskan backcountry on a demanding thirty-three-day hunting expedition to experience the rewilding secrets of one of the last rugged places on Earth; and more. Along the way, Easter uncovers a blueprint for leveraging the power of discomfort that will dramatically improve our health and happiness, and perhaps even help us understand what it means to be human. The Comfort Crisis is a bold call to break out of your comfort zone and explore the wild within yourself. Since publication, The Comfort Crisis has become a bestseller and been adopted by Major League Baseball teams, top-ranked NCAA D1 football programs, top-tier universities and law programs, major corporations, tier-one military units, and more. Purchase the book here: https://eastermichael.com/book/ View the ECRM Blog post summary of the interview here. View the interview on YouTube here. #performance #wellness #personalgrowth #business

2 days ago Zot organic's Todd Kite landed two retail deals from his six meetings at ECRM's recent Global Market: Fall Experience, and is close to closing another. In this interview with Joseph Tarnowski, he discusses his approach to buyer relationships and how it has driven retail success for this organic licorice supplier. Kite is all about servicing the buyer. He takes a consultative approach to sales, presents with the buyer's needs in mind, and is fully transparent about the company's capabilities. “I would rather walk away from the table than get a black mark on our reputation by not being able to supply somebody,” he says. Indeed, his focus on slow and sustainable growth, along with incredible service, has led to the company continually exceeding the targets it sets every year.. In this post you'll learn about Kite's philosophy when it comes to retail sales, how he presents during meetings, and how he develops long-term mutually-beneficial relationships with retail buyers. #retail #sales #business

Authentic leadership is what builds high-performing teams, forged by mutual trust and accountability in service to one another in support of their organizations mission. And it's not limited by title or rank. EVERYONE can lead. But what makes an authentic leader? According to Sean Georges and Dr. John Buford, co-authors of "On Mission: Your Journey to Authentic Leadership," authentic leaders influence others in the direction of a shared mission by serving them, providing them with the support and resources they need. In some cases, this even means sharing leadership responsibilities. ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Georges about authentic leadership, how it works, what makes an authentic servant-leader, and why relational leadership develops far more powerful teams than transactional leadership. This is the first in a series of four interviews in which the authors will cover a variety of leadership topics from their book, which will e released April 2022. #leadership #leader #personalgrowth #business #ecrmrangeme

Nina Kasbauer ist Head of Marketing des Green Tech Start-ups refurbed, das im Web mit refurbished electronics handelt. Das Unternehmen wurde 2017 in Österreich gegründet und hat heute 130 Mitarbeiter:innen.  Im Gespräch mit Birgit Schaller, Contentagentur BiSness, gibt Kasbauer Einblick in die Arbeit erfolgreicher Start-ups, informiert wie Performance-orientiertes Marketing funktioniert und welche Rolle Storytelling spielt. Ein nachhaltig-spannender Podcast in Kooperation mit der FHWien der WKW unterstützt durch das Stadt Wien Kompetenzteam für die Digitalisierung der Kommunikationsprofession unter der Leitung von Georg Feldmann.

Les Mills is a global fitness brand and Amy Smith is their European Marketing Director. We talk purpose, brand management and learning. Amy is the Regional Marketing Director at Les Mills, the global leader in group fitness. She is responsible for leading the European marketing strategy and driving business performance across the region for consumer, Instructor and B2B audiences. Being part of a brand that's on a mission to create a fitter planet, Amy is able to combine her love of fitness and travel in order to make a real difference to people's health and wellness. In this episode we discuss: What / who Les Mills is and the company background The focus on creating and evolving the perfect Les Mills product How has the business model evolved due to Covid Moving to a Direct to Consumer model while still supporting their instructors Brand management in a product business Brand purpose and what that means at Les Mills Equality, diversity and inclusion at Les Mills Managing a global brand across Europe Amy's previous roles The importance of training and mentors Podcast Recommendations How To Fail with Elizabeth Day High Performance Podcast Shaun Wane episode Shaun Wane on the BBC History of Les Mills Digital Marketing Strategy Course My Digital Marketing Strategy Course in partnership with the University of Vaasa (Finland) is available now for just €249. It's perfect for small business owners, entrepreneurs and those who want to get a better understanding of what marketing strategy is and how to embed that strategy across an organisation. Sign up for the programme here: https://univaasa.teachable.com/p/digital-marketing-strategy Amy Smith Amy is passionate about people in every sense. With a team based across Europe, coaching and navigating them through the pandemic to emerge stronger than ever has been crucial and one of the most rewarding points of her career to date. During her time at Les Mills she also became a certified Les Mills GRIT coach to truly get in the shoes (trainers) of the Instructors. Prior to joining Les Mills, Amy was Group Product Manager at L'Oréal. While at L'Oréal she delivered 3 successive years of double-digit growth on French pharmacy brand, Vichy, and won a L'Oréal international digital award for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign. Amy began her career at Procter & Gamble where she led the DTC and eCRM programme across a diverse portfolio of brands, include Gillette, Pampers & Fairy. She then became Senior ABM for Oral-B, one of P&G's billion-dollar brands. Outside of work, Amy loves all things sport, adventure and travel. Currently training for a Triathlon (and trying to embrace the chilly lido temperature) and dreaming of getting back on a plane and exploring more of the world. Find Amy on LinkedIn. Andi Jarvis Find me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Make sure you subscribe to get the podcast every fortnight and if you enjoyed the show, please give it a 5* rating.

In dieser Folge ist Stefan von Lieven, CEO der Artegic AG, zu Gast. Wir unterhalten uns darüber, wie sich das digitale CRM in den letzten Jahren verändert hat, was heute die Erfolgsfaktoren sind und wie Ihr die notwendige "Management Attention" für das Thema bekommt. Außerdem verrät Stefan seinen persönlichen „CRM-Hack,“ den Ihr ganz einfach für Euer Unternehmen nutzen könnt. Shownotes Stefan von Lieven bei LinkedInArtegic AGCase Study: Multivariates Testing bei RTL TV NowStefans Buchempfehlung: Hacking Marketing von Scott BrinkerStefans Blogempfehlung: Chief Marketing TechnologistWeiterführende LinksIm Online-Kundenbindungs-Seminar mit Nico Zorn lernst Du Strategien und Taktiken kennen, mit denen Du bestehende Kundenpotenziale optimal ausschöpfstMehr Informationen über die CRM und E-Mail-Marketing Agentur Saphiron Gefällt Euch der Podcast? Über eine Bewertung bei Apple Podcasts würde ich mich freuen.

Welcome to another episode of Action and Ambition. Today's guest will be Afif Ghannoum, co-founder and CEO of the first total microbiome company, BIOHM Health. Probiotics and microbiome testing kits developed by Afif target the dual role of fungus and bacteria in the digestive tract. His biotechnology ideas have been developed into consumer items that have been sold in 27,000 retail locations across the United States. In addition, he has licensed technology to a multinational pharmaceutical corporation, which is marketed in over 100,000 retail locations. His company has received innovation awards like ECRM's Best New Cough Cold Product Award and Nutrition Business Journal's Science & Innovation Award. Let's listen to this interesting episode!

To tune in to my NEW podcast--Props & Drops: For Apple Podcast listeners, click here to FOLLOW the podcast. For Spotify listeners, click here to FOLLOW the podcast. If your podcast platform isn't listed above, here are all the other platforms where Props & Drops plays: https://linktr.ee/propsanddropspod Today's episode is an interview I did with ECRM. We discuss entrepreneurship and life lessons, employing empathy for your customers, why you need to be the perfect blend of patient and tenacious and why you should never expect any handouts, but instead have the drive to get more yourself. Enjoy! Let me know what you thought. Tweet Me! @garyvee Text Me! 212-931-5731 My Newsletter: garyvee.com/newsletter Check out my new NFT project: veefriends.com Join the VeeFriends Discord: https://discord.gg/veefriends

Souleima Baddi is the CEO of Komgo, an innovative platform that powers trade networks. In this podcast we discussed the challenges of bringing blockchain to the trade finance industry. Souleima shared her insights on how to manage the need to bring user value immediately whilst dealing with both tech and user issues for adopting blockchain. How do you manage IT and security departments conventional ways of vetting a new platform whilst gaining the trust of traders accustomed to using email and paper processes for the last decades? Souleima is a banker, having spent 18 years with Société Générale, of which the last 10 years were in Geneva launching their commodity finance business. She's also a passionate mum of three kids.   What is blockchain? Blockchain is a distributed ledger. It is a shared and synchronised database across multiple participants, that enables the recording of interactions and transfer of information, such as identity or values like money and securities, between two parties without the need for a centrally coordinating entity. Komgo uses DLT to create a digital audit trail of documents which strongly mitigates the risk of hampering the document or using the document multiple times for fraudulent purposes.   Trade finance industry challenges One of the main challenges of this industry has been its usage of paper based process for such a long time. There has been an acceleration of digital transformation that has increased due to COVID. However, transforming an industry does take a lot of time. Individuals are not easily willing to change their way of working, their routines, to invest in change management and put extra effort to adopt new processes. Komgo has more than 150 companies using its platform on a worldwide basis. Souleima recognises that for companies using any new software is a huge investment in terms of time and energy before it brings added value to the company. Teams within companies are swamped with their everyday job with their execution and it is extremely challenging for them, despite their goodwill, to embrace digitisation on top of everything else. The good news is that the trade finance industry recognises that digitisation is an absolute must and that it will play a major role in the future of the industry. The players who move too slowly in embracing digitisation will lose their competitive edge to others who are faster at it.   Komgo Komgo is an industry initiative with 20 shareholders from corporates and financial institutions who have merged forces to build a solution that matches the needs of the industry from both sides. Komgo is a software development company incorporated in Geneva in 2018 whose vision is to bring workings solutions to clients that helps them execute more trades, faster and in a more secure manner. Komgo, offers fours solutions to the market: Konsole: streamline trade finance – structured and authenticated messaging to issue secure banking instructions Market: optimize liquidity & manage risk – harmonized data and transactions to enable better choices Check: simplify onboarding & renewal – a single source to accelerate KYC Trakk: keep track of document trails – build unique documentary audit trails to guard against fraud and falsification   Konsole Konsole allows banks and corporates to connect together in an authenticated structured exchange around the full lifecycle of trade finance instruments. Souleima provided an example where corporates can discuss between them and agree on the draft of a letter of credit which they can push it to their banks. There is no need to create new chains of interactions, it goes from opening the issuance, the amendment and the presentation of the document to the settlement of the letter of credit. In addition there are automated flows between Konsole and the client's internal systems so that data flows from the eCRM of the trader can move through the platform to the back ...

There is a better way to get your brand onto store shelves and into the hands of more shoppers during these uncertain times. Trade shows are great for networking but they do not provide face time with retailers you need to grow and scale your brand This episode's FREE downloadable guide 30 SECRETS To Prosperity Workbook Wish You Know How To Confidently Grow And Scale Your Brand? Use this workbook to take notes and jot down your daily inspirations as you listen to the podcasts and watch the YouTube videos. This will help you gain clarity and focus as you work to achieve your goals and objectives. The Retail Solved Blueprint will teach you everything you need to know to confidently grow and scale your brand, build a connected community of loyal evangelists, and multiply your brand’s impact, sales, and profits.* Every slight improvement means more runway for sales growth, higher brand valuations, better terms when negotiating with investors, fuel for more innovation, greater support for mission-based causes, and much more. CLICK HERE TO GAIN INSTANT ACCESS TO MY 30 SECRETS To Prosperity Workbook Guide FREE Trade Promotion ROI Calculator:  BrandSecretsAndStrategies.com/PromotionROI Download the show notes here: BrandSecretsAndStrategies.com/session189

For our 70th episode, we're joined by cofounder and Chief Customer Office of Ometria, James Dunford Wood. We discuss data integration of eCRM and lifecycle marketing strategies using smart ESPs for campaign automation. As a recognised market-leader, we wanted to explore how ecommerce teams can create and deliver incredible experiences across all customer touchpoints using Ometria's cross-channel marketing platform.

In today's episode, I'm celebrating ECRM's milestone of hosting over 100,000 Virtual Buyer/Seller meetings since the launch of ECRM Connect in May, 2020. That's right: they've facilitated over 10,000 virtual meetings every month since they launched their virtual platform! Today I'm joined by Joe Tarnowski, the VP of Content at ECRM, and a legend in the CPG industry. We're discussing the lessons he has learned about virtual pitching over the past year, how ECRM Connect can help you get in front of your dream retail buyers, what to expect as you pitch, follow up, and ship samples, and how the future of virtual pitches will evolve post-pandemic.  We drop a LOT of info in today's show, so click through to get access to all of the resources that we mention in today's episode. Click here for the full show notes.  If YOU enjoyed today's episode and want the experience of getting direct feedback before YOUR next pitch, make sure you check out my free masterclass on my “Three Steps to Growing Your Packaged Food Business.” In this masterclass, you'll learn: The most common mistakes that I see as producers try to grow your food businesses, causing you to waste time, money, and sanity!  My three step process for building a brand that SELLS How I work with students inside Retail Ready®, my online course, and how to know if you're ready for wholesale growth through my program. Click here to save your spot in my masterclass!

In today’s episode, I’m celebrating ECRM’s milestone of hosting over 100,000 Virtual Buyer/Seller meetings since the launch of ECRM Connect in May, 2020. That’s right: they’ve facilitated over 10,000 virtual meetings every month since they launched their virtual platform! Today I’m joined by Joe Tarnowski, the VP of Content at ECRM, and a legend in the CPG industry. We’re discussing the lessons he has learned about virtual pitching over the past year, how ECRM Connect can help you get in front of your dream retail buyers, what to expect as you pitch, follow up, and ship samples, and how the future of virtual pitches will evolve post-pandemic.  We drop a LOT of info in today’s show, so click through to get access to all of the resources that we mention in today’s episode. Click here for the full show notes.  If YOU enjoyed today’s episode and want the experience of getting direct feedback before YOUR next pitch, make sure you check out my free masterclass on my “Three Steps to Growing Your Packaged Food Business.” In this masterclass, you’ll learn: The most common mistakes that I see as producers try to grow your food businesses, causing you to waste time, money, and sanity!  My three step process for building a brand that SELLS How I work with students inside Retail Ready®, my online course, and how to know if you’re ready for wholesale growth through my program. Click here to save your spot in my masterclass!

Host #Digital360Chat (Friday’s @ 12pm ET) ▶️ Helping you increase revenue, optimizing your programs and increasing your brand engagement by Targeting & Engaging Customers w/ Digital and Social Strategies.   Director of Digital & Content Marketing possessing 15+ years of digital and social expertise in performance marketing, ecommerce, and web content development. Demonstrating high-level proficiency with targeted relationship building and marketing, personalized 1:1 communications with customer journeys, CRM and eCRM, and omni-channel (CDP) consulting. Expertise includes the ability to collaboratively identify innovative technologies to reach new audiences and exceed revenue targets. Notable disciplines & experiences: ➡️ Marketing & Digital experience in agency, QSR and healthcare. ➡️ Digital and Social experiences within CRM, eCRM, Social, Mobile, Web Content, eCommerce and Performance Marketing. ➡️ MarTech Solutions & Omni-Channel (CDP) Consulting ➡️ Customer Identify, Data & Insights and Tech Modernization ➡️ Personalized, 1:1 communications with customer journeys ➡️ Content and Relationship Marketing ➡️ Social Media - community and targeted relationship building ➡️ Twitter Chats for building audiences and brand communities +++++ Host of #Digital360Chat on Twitter - covers topics around digital, marketing and the customer - Also, the host of the “In The Spotlight” Connection Interviews, which gives the #Digital360Chat community a chance to better know our guests and go more into their careers and how they can help others. The chat takes place on Twitter every Friday at 12pm ET. Follow me on Twitter @B2the7 

Follow the B2The7 @ http://b2the7.com ++++ Founder of Careerbarn.com - Bringing jobseekers and employers together. Careerbarn.com was initially launched in 2000, when eCommerce was just getting started and social wasn’t a thing (to promote we actually did radio spots, word of mouth and flyers on telephone poles). Twenty years later, we are back with Careerdbarn 2.0, once again bringing jobseekers and employers together. And we are excited to have networking and social media as a tool and thrilled in offering our service once again. ++++ ✍️ Sign up for digital and social insights, thoughts and tips via email

If you are a supplier getting ready to meet virtually with buyers, then this is definitely an interview you won't want to miss. In this podcast, I speak with Natasha Fagri, Co-Founder of Frost Popsicles, which offers a range of seven all-natural alcoholic popsicles, or “poptails,” as Fagri likes to refer to them, as well as several non-alcoholic popsicles. She and her business partner launched the brand in 2016 in South Africa and have recently entered the U.S. market. She participated in ECRM's Frozen and Global Wine, Beer & Spirits Programs, and absolutely crushed her buyer meetings landing a couple of deals shortly afterward. Natasha shares the steps she took to prepare for those meetings, including how she defined her "why," how she researched the buyers, and how she crafted her presentations for maximum impact in the time alloted. She shows how doing your homework beforehand and lots of pitch practice can result in a great meeting experience. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

Amy Herman is the President of Art of Perception & Author of Visual Intelligence, and her specialty is working with people from all different types of fields -- from doctors and teachers to law enforcement and military -- to sharpen their powers of observation, analysis, and communication. In this discussion we apply some of her teachings to the world of virtual meetings. Among the topics we cover are: • How to reconsider the importance of observation, perception, and communication skills across new and unfamiliar platforms • How to improve the navigation of unforeseen circumstances and formulation of contingency plans • How to shift situational awareness to meet new challenges of accessibility and connection with colleagues, stakeholders, and clients • How to incorporate multiple perspectives in critical decision making to broaden vision and overcome cognitive bias These topics will benefit both buyers and sellers on each side of the screen during virtual meetings. One note I'd like to leave you with, though -- in the video version of this interview, Amy uses a lot of visuals to complement her discussion, and while she is very descriptive so that they are not needed to get the benefit of her insights (after all, communication is one of her areas of expertise), but if you would like to see them you can watch the video on ECRM's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/vt45ZclNzRA ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

Last year's seminal events of COVID and the social equity movements, have greatly accelerated consumers' interest in wellness, diversity, and the environment, and we are seeing this play out in the types of products they are seeking from retailers and brands. Clean ingredients, transparency, sustainability and social responsibility are top-of-mind among shoppers these days. In this episode, I speak with Kate LaBrosse, Founder & CEO of Kate LaBrosse Consulting, about several key natural products trends that are reshaping the CPG industry. These are the trends that are showing explosive growth across categories and channels, and are important considerations not just for brands but for retailers who want to prioritize more natural offerings. Kate has a long history in the natural products industry. She's worked as a Wellness Category Manager for a national retailer, as a National Sales Manager for a probiotic brand, and most recently as the Conventional Nutrition & Body Care Sales Director for a natural products broker. She and her team have over 100 years' combined experience in the Natural Products segment, and are passionate about supporting founders who want to grow their natural brand and conventional retailers who want to capture more share of their crossover shopper baskets. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

International brands looking to break into the U.S. retail market face many challenges, such as connecting with the right buyers, setting up a distribution plan, and determining the right strategic marketing mix to drive consumer demand in locations that have different trends and cultures than their home markets. Galvanina, an Italian beverage supplier which produces and bottles mineral water, organic carbonated soft drinks, mixers and iced-teas, has cracked the code to success in the U.S., which is among the 50 countries in which it's products can be found. The company launched nearly a century ago, taking its name from a mineral water spring near the hills of Rimini, and since 1987 has expanded distribution of its branded and private label beverages among the largest U.S. retailers. In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski with Galvanina's Ronan Noonan and Greta Pagliarani about the brand and its products, and how the wellness trend is impacting the beverage industry. They also do a deep dive on best practices for international brands looking to enter the U.S. retail market. And since they are veterans of ECRM's programs, they also provide tips on how international brands can get the most from their buyer meetings on the ECRM Connect platform. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

The restaurant industry was among the hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic. Many locations are limited to outdoor dining, and in some areas are still takeout and delivery only. Needless to say, revenues in the segment have taken a nosedive. However, with a little creativity, marketing savvy and salesmanship, restaurant operators have opportunities to generate some extra sales, expand their markets, and keep staff on payroll by opening up pop-up locations. Cheryl Niman, Owner of For Your Table Consulting, is a 30-year Kroger veteran who has also worked at Gordon Food Service, and she combines her retail and foodservice expertise to help restaurants build successful pop-up locations, primarily by partnering with food retailers, but also with other retail channels and venues as well. In this episode, Niman takes us through the restaurant pop-up concept, and how to successfully market and execute pop-ups in partnership with local venues. This is definitely something that restaurant operators participating in ECRM's March Foodservice Program should consider exploring. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

In 2018, Ahold Delhaize joined the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with UN Environment Program. The focus of the commitment is threefold: to eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and move from single-use to reuseable packaging models; to ensure that 100 percent of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled, or composted by 2025; and to circulate the plastic produced by significantly increasing the amounts that is reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products. In this podcast episode, ECRM's Wayne Bennett speaks with John Laughead, Product Sustainability Manager for Ahold Delhaize USA about the company's sustainability efforts to date, and how it's working with suppliers to achieve its sustainability goals. Laughead and his team will be participating in ECRM's Sustainable & Eco-friendly Packaging Program, which will be held March 23 to 25 on the ECRM Connect platform. For more information about this program, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

When it comes to selling CBD to mass retail consumers, generating trial is critical if you are looking to tap into the vast swath of shoppers who are new to the segment. But it's far from easy. Retailers must drive awareness of the segment, furnish a wealth of information quickly and in a format that's easy-to-understand, have a product assortment that caters to a variety of needs and tastes, and a price-point that is not too prohibitive. Successfully executing on this, however, can open a wealth of opportunity among the millions of mass retail shoppers that peruse the aisles each day. Betterment Retail Solutions, a wellness distributor based in West Des Moines, Iowa, has developed many such successful programs for the retailers and brands it serves (Yesway and Kwik Chek among them), and from this work has gained a ton of insights on what drives CBD success at the shelf. In this podcast ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Betterment President Dorsey Sparks about some best practices that retailers and brands can implement to drive the trial of CBD products and to get these new CBD consumers coming back for more. As Dorsey is a regular buyer participant at ECRM CBD sessions, she also discusses how CBD brands can best engage with buyers during our ECRM Connect programs. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com Click here to view the blog post from this podcast!

Happy New Year everyone! For most people, the start of the new year involves setting goals, and so for our first podcast of 2021 our focus is exactly that. In this episode, I speak once again with Alli Ball, a former grocery buyer and founder of Allison Ball Consulting, which works with emerging food and beverage brands to help them succeed at retail. She's also the host of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, in which she shares all kinds of helpful advice for brands on how to effectively run their businesses and get their products on the shelf and into consumers' hands. Alli takes us through the steps and strategies brand-owners can take to set and achieve effective goals (and common mistakes to avoid in doing so). She then shows us how to reverse-engineer those goals into tactics and timelines that will deliver optimal success without overwhelming you. Alli and I also go off on a fun tangent about productivity hacks that we each do and how these can be applied to your goal-setting practices. I really enjoyed this interview, and I know you will too! ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com Read an overview of these tips on ECRM's blog. Here are links to some of the books we discussed: Free to Focus, by Michael Hyatt The One Thing, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Indistractable, by Nyr Eyal My column on "Boundaries: Creating Work/Life Balance in a Remote World"

One could say that Paul Adrian, Founder & CEO of U.K.-based Mojo Skin & Haircare, had a successful experience at ECRM's recent European Personal Care Virtual Program. Not only did his company win the Buyers Choice Award for its Hair Molding Clay, but his products were picked up by the Ideal World TV shopping channel just days after his meeting with them, and his products were featured just last weekend. Plus, he's in the midst of several follow-up conversations with buyers from the program, and is expecting a few more wins to come out of them. Mojo is a premium men's grooming and styling range, and currently offers four products that cover most men's hair types and are sold in more than 3,000 stores in Europe and Australia. In this episode, I speak with Paul about the origin of the company, how he approaches retailer relationships, and his experience meeting with buyers at his recent ECRM session. He also discusses his upcoming skincare launch, and his plans to leverage ECRM's virtual platform to launch in the US next year. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

In this episode, Wendy Liebmann interviews Greg Farrar, CEO of ECRM, a leading trade organization and provider of business-to-business solutions for retail food service operators, health system buyers, and for the suppliers of consumer packaged goods for general merchandise, food service products, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals.You’ll learn:How the pandemic changed the relationship between brands and retailersHow ECRM flipped its business model in a moment as it was no longer tethered to time and spaceHow the organization has opened up the global business world to buyers and sellers just as the physical world was closing down, andWhat all organizations, big and small, can learn from this as they build the future of retail

If you're a brand looking to grow your business on third-party ecommerce platforms around the world, then Taylor Sargeant, Head Buyer for Stephensons Online, is someone you definitely want to know. Stephensons specializes in helping brands of all sizes to successfully market and sell their products on platforms like Amazon and eBay in dozens of countries, and provides an array of turnkey services and support to help them do so. The company buys and warehouses the products, and manages everything from set-up to day-to-day operations, including product listings, storefront design and management, brand registry, messaging, returns, and even language translation. It also handles global distribution to both B2B and B2C customers. And where does Taylor go to find many of these brands? ECRM, of course! He's been to more than a dozen in-person and virtual sessions, and listed more than 50 brands from this year's sessions alone. In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Taylor about the types of brands he works with and how they help them to succeed with third-party ecommerce sites around the world. We also touch on his ECRM virtual experience, and how virtual has helped Stephensons expand into new categories. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumers goods in category-specific private, prescheduled face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Kara Goldin, the Founder & CEO of Hint, which is best known for its beverages, but also has a line of personal care products too. She's a groundbreaking entrepreneur who has received a ton of accolades during her career, including EY Entrepreneur of the year for Northern California, InStyle's Badass 50, Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, and Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs. The Huffington Post listed her as one of six disruptors in business, alongside Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. And now she can add Wall Street Journal bestselling author to her accomplishments as well, having just made the list with her newly-released book, Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts & Doubters. In this interview, we cover several key learnings she wrote about in the book from throughout her varied career, which spanned Time Inc., CNN, and AOL before launching Hint. They discuss the value of creating your own opportunities and just getting started without overthinking things, the concept of building the airplane while flying it, and how to transform setbacks into opportunities. SHOW NOTES What 'Undaunted' means to Kara (02:55) Creating your own opportunities (08:18) New York City & Time Inc. (10:33) Just show up every day and try to learn something (15:20) If I just go try, I can ultimately do these things (17:54) Entrepreneurship is really solving a new problem (18:44) The cold call that led to AOL (22:35) Just get started! (26:40) Own your mistakes and learn from them (30:17) Launching Hint at Whole Foods, having child No. 4 and selling out every case -- all on the same day (36:09) Expanding to New York (41:04) Building the airplane while flying it (41:55) Making time for everything (49:09) The Starbucks de-listing and transforming setbacks into opportunities (50:38) Taking a chance on direct-to-consumer (55:43) Nobody can solve your problems for you (61:01) Failure as a part of success (1:04:32) Be okay with not having all of the answers (1:07:49) Lots of great anecdotes and insights from the book, which I highly recommend you pick up if you haven't already read it! Click here to order Undaunted: http://www.drinkhint.com/ECRM

This episode is the audio from a presentation given by Stephen Baker of The NPD Group during ECRM's Innovative Technology Program in Chicago. During the presentation, Stephen discussed trends in the Consumer Technology industry and the future outlook based on NPD data. He also examined the impact of e-commerce on consumer tach sales, as well as took a deep dive into specific consumer technology product categories to uncover the challenges and opportunities within each. #consumertechnology #electronics #speakers #headphones #audio #gaming

Simms Jenkins, Founder and CEO of BrightWave Marketing, talks about how email, once considered passé in marketing circles, has morphed into a powerful tool for reaching a company's targeted “warm” audience, enhancing user experience, facilitating cross-channel synchronization, providing measurable results, and boosting bottom-line ROI. Simms is the author of The Truth about Email Marketing, which is available on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Email-Marketing/dp/0789737949 For over 15 years, BrightWave enables relationships between brands and customers by synchronizing eCRM strategy with critical customer points of impact. We get data and how to use it to ensure the best customer experience for your subscribers. Expect the very best with the leading email, eCRM and cross-channel agency BrightWave Marketing website: https://www.brightwave.com/ Email event of the year! EIQ, the Intelligent Email Gathering, Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.   at Loews Hotel, 1065 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 https://www.EiQgathering.com/  

Simms Jenkins is Founder & CEO of BrightWave, the leading email, eCRM and cross-channel agency. He has led BrightWave in establishing a world-class client list including Aflac, Chick-fil-A, Cox Media Group, Ferrari North America, Panera Bread, Synovus and more. The agency made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies five consecutive years and […] The post Simms Jenkins and Brent Rosengren with Brightwave appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

After working for Interbike for years, PressCamp founder Lance Camisasca jumped ship from the largest cycling tradeshow in North America to launch a smaller, more intimate event. PressCamp pairs brands and journalists in one-on-one meetings that not only allow better stories to be told, but also for relationships to be built that advance both party's interests. The concept proved so popular, ECRM purchased it but kept Lance and his team on to continue to run it and grow the concept to serve other industries. We talk about how the PressCamp concept came about, how he wrangled the necessary interest from both sides of the table to encourage more brands and more journalists to show up, and the power of a good checklist and timeline. If you're thinking of launching an event or event management business, there are plenty of great lessons to be learned from our conversation. For complete show notes, find this episode's companion blog post at TheBuildCycle.com.