Podcasts about experience innovation

Set to reopen after a $1 billion, seven-year restoration, the Waldorf Astoria New York is poised to redefine ultra-luxury hospitality. In this episode, Managing Director Luigi Romaniello takes us through the journey of bringing the Waldorf Astoria back to life, from restoring storied frescoes and architectural details to creating highly personalized experiences for today's sophisticated travelers. He shares his philosophy on ultra-luxury, emphasizing service precision, meaningful guest connections, and the challenge of meeting modern expectations while preserving the hotel's legendary charm.  For anyone fascinated by hospitality, architecture or New York's history, this conversation unveils the layers of passion and detail behind the Waldorf's remarkable revival. Email us at shadean@bu.eduThe “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Aldau Development has earned a reputation for excellence in both Real Estate and Hospitality, with developments in Egypt and the United Kingdom. Their strategic partnerships with marquee brands such as Hyatt International, IHG, and Deutsche Hospitality have further cemented their standing internationally. Boston University School of Hospitality and Questrom School of Business designed a customized Executive Education program for Aldau -- a testament to Aldau's commitment to leadership and entrepreneurship. In this podcast, Dean Arun Upneja talks with Tarek El Masry, Chief Operating Officer, and Mario Larese, Director of Development & Technical Services, about Aldau's vision for bringing excellence in hospitality to real estate projects. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode of Radar by nexxworks, Steven, Peter, and Pascal discuss TEMU's disruptive e-commerce model and the ethical challenges it faces, AI's rising power demands, the military's growing use of AI, and how customer experience is transforming the hospitality industry. We've introduced the Radar Rating to evaluate top restaurants and hotels based solely on customer service, and we want your input! Which restaurants or hotels excel in customer service? Share your favorites on Linkedin!   Don't forget to leave us a review!  Go behind the scenes with nexxworks to meet the world's top innovators and brightest minds.

On this episode, host Sima Vasa talks to Kai Stübane, Solution Chief Revenue Officer for SAP CX for Middle and Eastern Europe, about the evolving role of customer experience (CX) in driving business success. Key Takeaways: (00:06) Kai's journey from PwC to SAP. (01:21) CX covers all customer touchpoints. (03:33) SAP uses data to improve CX. (05:48) CX boosts top-line revenue. (09:00) Global shift toward automation and self-service. (13:03) Personalization is critical to customer satisfaction. (16:48) AI's growing role in customer experience. (17:45) Focus on CX leads to market growth. (21:00) Clean data is crucial for AI and automation. Resources Mentioned: SAP CX Solutions FlixBus Greyhound Thanks for listening to the Data Gurus podcast, brought to you by Infinity Squared. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss another insightful conversation. #Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

What does it take to truly redefine leadership in today's fast-paced world? Lori Mazan, co-founder and Chief Coaching Officer at Sounding Board, shares practical and transformative strategies to address this challenge. In her new book, Leadership Revolution: The Future of Developing Dynamic Leaders, Lori offers a fresh perspective that rethinks outdated leadership norms. In this special podcast episode on leadership, Arun Upneja is joined by Dr. Taylor Peyton, an expert in Leadership and Organizational Behavior who previously taught at BU School of Hospitality, bringing added depth and insight to the conversation. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Host Sophie Gould leads a discussion with Electrolux's design innovators: Daniel Mesa T, Discipline Lead Fit Feel Finish Research, Katarina Estève, User & Usability Discipline Lead for Europe & Asia-Pacific, Mathieu Riviere, Principal Designer of Experience Innovation, and Timo Mashiyi-Veikkola, Design Director and Head of Research by Design. This conversation delves into Electrolux's unique multidisciplinary approach to product design, highlighting their strategies for integrating user experience, usability, and innovation to shape the future of household appliances.

Beyond good, bad, and mediocre service, how much we tip and why we tip is rich with psychological implications. Find out what tipping reveals about us as consumers and our need for affirmation and societal status. Shedding light on the complexities behind tipping is nationally recognized expert Michael Lynn, Ph.D. , Professor of Services Marketing at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. A former bartender, busboy, and waiter, Michael Lynn, has also devoted his academic career to the nuances and impact of rewarding and incentivizing good service, a hallmark of hospitality experiences. Michael Lynn has written over 80 research publications on tipping and has been covered by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune, the Economist, and Forbes as well as by ABC's 20/20, BET's Nightly News, and NPR. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Joining us for today's conversation is Allen Adamson, a true marketing wizard and the author of the fantastic new book, Seeing the How: Transforming. Transforming What People Do, Not Buy, To Gain Market Advantage Alan is not just any marketing expert—he's a visionary who has worked with some of the world's leading brands, and he's here to share insights that are highly relevant for higher education. Allen's latest book is all about the power of experience innovation, a concept that can transform how we think about the student experience. We often hear about the importance of what we teach, but Allen is going to challenge us to think about how we deliver that education and why the student experience is so crucial in today's competitive landscape. We'll explore how universities can distinguish themselves by focusing on the overall experience they offer, from campus life to support services, and even how they integrate technology. Alan will share practical strategies for understanding and enhancing the student journey, drawing from his vast experience in the corporate world and beyond. So, grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and get ready for a thought-provoking conversation that may just leave you feeling a little bit uncomfortable. Keywords experience innovation, product transformation, marketing, higher education, brand promise, customer needs, consensus-driven environment, focus, execution, brand, unique experience, vision, customer journey, touch points, lenses, differentiation, higher education Takeaways ·       Experience innovation is about changing how the product fits into the customer's life and the overall experience it provides. ·       In higher education, the focus should shift from the product (education) to the experience. ·       Universities have multiple customers, including students, parents, faculty, and donors, and the brand needs to work for all of them. ·       Executing a brand promise is challenging in a consensus-driven environment, but it's important to focus on one key area of excellence. ·       Word of mouth and social media play a significant role in shaping brand perception. ·       Shared governance can limit the ability of colleges and universities to move forward with their brand promise. ·       Some universities, like NYU, have successfully integrated their brand into the city they are located in, providing a unique experience for students. Having a clear vision and the authority, resources, and time to execute it are crucial for creating a strong brand and delivering a unique experience. ·       Understanding the customer or student journey and identifying touch points for improvement can lead to significant enhancements in the overall experience. ·       Looking at the market through different lenses can help identify opportunities that may be right in front of us but are often overlooked. ·       Staying true to an organization's roots and leveraging its DNA can drive innovation and differentiation. ·       In higher education, focusing on a specific target audience and innovating on the student experience can help institutions better differentiate themselves. Chapters 00:00Introduction and Discussion of Alan Adamson's Book 01:09Experience Innovation: Changing the Focus from Product to Customer Experience 07:20Understanding the Multiple Customers of Universities 13:58Executing a Brand Promise in a Consensus-Driven Environment 24:08The Challenges of Shared Governance in Higher Education 29:00Success Story: NYU's Integration of Brand and City Experience 30:29The Power of Focus and Execution 32:23Creating Signature Experiences 34:39Aligning with DNA and Execution 38:26Looking at the Market Through Different Lenses 48:26Reimagining Digital and Virtual Experiences 53:35Differentiating Through Focus and Innovation   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chelip/message

Recognized for her leadership, Dondra Ritzenthaler now sets sail toward a new horizon, taking the helm as Chief Executive Officer of Azamara Cruises, the award-winning, luxury cruise line based in Miami, Florida. Dondra recently spent time at BU School of Hospitality as the Howard Johnson Executive in Residence, inspiring students and faculty with her passion for learning and mentorship. Dondra shares her outlook on leadership and professional development and the excitement of moving from an executive leadership role to becoming a CEO for the first time in her career.For those who remember the hit show in the 1970s and 1980s, "Love Boat," you will be pleased to know that we couldn't resist asking Dondra which character she liked the most! (You probably can guess who it is, even before you listen to this podcast!)The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Restaurant work is undeniably tough. Long hours, fierce competition, and thin profit margins characterize this demanding profession. The challenges only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, testing the resilience of workers and business owners alike.  Dining constitutes both an undeniable pleasure and a thriving business sector. It is integral to our lives and livelihood. In this Distinguished podcast, Stephen Clark, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA), joins us to explore the ballot question to eliminate the tip credit and mandate tip sharing.Get a look behind the kitchen door at this dynamic industry. If you are passionate about restaurants, gather around for this podcast!The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

TJ Callahan transformed neighborhood eateries into thriving “go-to” destinations with his acclaimed farm-to-table restaurants in the heart of Chicago. He is the co-founder and owner of Farm Bar and is the farmer at Brown Dog Farm, the Farm Bar farm in Southwestern Wisconsin. With an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago under his belt, he's stirring the pot on a topic affecting thousands in the hospitality industry: eliminating the tipped wage. From the fields of his farm to the forefront of financial debate, we explore the pressing issue of fair wages in the hospitality sector. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In Episode 024 of the #kilnroadtrip, created and produced by The Swell Pod, hosts Spencer McKeown and Josh Taylor interview Scott Porter, the CEO of San Diablo Churros and Vitamin T, shares his entrepreneurial journey from nursing home administration to the gourmet churro industry. He discusses his passion for Mexican culture and creating memorable brand experiences. Drawing from his diverse background, including a missionary stint in Mexico and a role in a membership airline, Scott emphasizes the importance of human connection in business. He also introduces his at-home churro kit, a pandemic innovation.  Join The Swell Pod on the Kiln.Roadtrip by listening, watching, and subscribing to the podcast today https://linktr.ee/theswellpod sandiablochurros.com http://www.forevervitamint.com/ San Diablo Artisan Churros: Global churro authority and America's first gourmet fresh filled churros at company events, weddings, parties and wherever the churro craving hits. At-home churro kits and take & bake churros for on-demand churro fixes. Vitamin T: Essentials for Brand Transformation. Brand Experience expert insights, consulting, and once-in-a-lifetime executive taco tour mastermind retreats Location: Kiln. Lehi The Kiln Road Trip: Uncovering Deep Truths with 100 Pleasantly Rebellious Humans. 10 days. 5 States. 3,580 Miles.100 Interviews! Daily episodes starting on March 5, Monday to Friday, for the next 100 days, followed by a short documentary and a book about the journey. Thank you to the partners and sponsors who helped make the Kiln.Roadtrip possible: Kiln, Moterra, Torus And thank you to the crew who helped us document and share the journey: Denisse Leon, Ty Cottle, Nathan Clark, Findlay McKeown Bullets: Interview with Scott Porter, founder and CEO of San Diablo Churros and Vitamin T Scott's passion for creating unique brand experiences Scott's journey from nursing home administration to the churro business Scott's background and experience as a missionary in northeastern Mexico Scott's eclectic career path, including founding an all-you-can-fly membership airline Inspiration behind Scott's taco tours and first visit to Mexico Principles of creating magical experiences for people Application of these principles to differentiate his churros in the market Scott's at-home churro making kit as a COVID innovation Importance of caring as a leader and creating exceptional experiences for customers Timestamps: The Kiln Road Trip (00:00:03) Introduction to the podcast's road trip concept and purpose. Scott Porter and San Diablo Churros (00:00:54) Introduction to Scott Porter, his role as the CEO of San Diablo Churros, and the unique offerings of the company. Scott's Passion for Mexican Food (00:01:40) Scott's obsession with Mexican food, his churro business, and his brand experience consulting. Creating Humanized Brand Experiences (00:03:35) Discussion about infusing brand experience consulting with the taco experience in Mexico City and implementing it in various businesses. Divine Intervention and Career Evolution (00:04:13) Scott's missionary experience in Mexico, career evolution, and the influence of humanized brand experiences. The Impetus for Taco Tours (00:07:21) The evolution of the idea for taco tours and the desire to share the magic of Mexico City with others. Creating Magical Experiences (00:11:46) The importance of treating each other as humans and creating magical experiences in different industries. Innovations and Pandemic Response (00:15:14) Innovations in the churro business, including at-home churro making kits, and the response to the pandemic. Entrepreneurial Passion and Impact (00:18:38) The origins of Scott's entrepreneurial passion and the desire to create lasting positive impacts through business ventures. Elevating Brand Experiences (00:20:05) The importance of caring enough to retool and reimagine business experiences to create lasting impacts. Trader Joe's Human Interaction (00:21:36) Discussion about the unique human interactions at Trader Joe's and its impact on customer loyalty. Starting Something New (00:25:48) Encouragement and advice for those wanting to create something new and unique. #SwellPod, #KilnRoadTrip, #Kiln, #MotorraCamperVans, #podcast, #interview, #innovation, #resilience, #communitybuilding, #passion, #purpose, #community, #diversity, #collaboration, #thoughtleadership, #100interviews, #entrepreneur, #CEO, #leadership,

Think back to your youthful days of travel, hostels along the way were a hub for forging connections with fellow wanderers and were part of the adventure. If you traveled in pre-Internet days, some 20-30 years ago, you didn't always know what you were getting. The hostel you found in a guidebook could be off the beaten path and might have been not so “hospitable.” Today, the landscape of hostels has undergone a profound metamorphosis. What was once perceived as budget accommodations exclusively for backpackers has now emerged as a dynamic sector of the hospitality industry, attracting travelers seeking immersive experiences at affordable prices. Oliver Winter, Founder & CEO of a&o Hostels, was inspired by his travels and the desire to provide people, especially students and young adventurers, with professionally managed, affordable, and centrally located accommodation. Oliver embarked on a mission to revolutionize the hostel experience. Hear how a&o Hostels grew into the largest independently owned hostel chain. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

So, you want to be a C-suite executive? It will certainly give you a leg up to hear about the steps to filling those corner office suites from a search firm expert, Ann Fastiggi. To shed some light on the path to the C-suite, we continue our Leadership Series with Ann Fastiggi, a member of the Global Consumer Practice at Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm. With more than 20 years of executive recruiting and leadership consulting experience, Ann focuses on the recruitment and assessment of C-suite executives in the hotel, restaurant, gaming, consumer travel, consumer, and retail sectors. Ann, a BU alum, is a Dean's Advisory Board member for the School of Hospitality Administration. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Imagine the triumph of human ambition as we glide through the skies, a testament to our enduring quest to conquer the very elements — thirty thousand feet aloft, inside a slender cylinder of steel. Within this confined space, humanity gathers, shoulder to shoulder: a microcosm of society. It's under these conditions that our distinguished guest today crafts an oasis of tranquility and impeccable service. How does one orchestrate such a feat of customer care under these conditions? This is the daily challenge for our guest on this edition of the "Distinguished" podcast: Allison Ausband, Executive Vice President, and Chief Customer Experience Officer at Delta Air Lines. Since embarking on her journey with Delta in May 1985 as a flight attendant, fresh from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree in hand, Allison has risen to oversee the vast customer experience network that encompasses the dedicated efforts of over 63,000 team members in Delta's Customer Care divisions. Under Allison's visionary leadership, the team at Delta marries groundbreaking innovation with a heartfelt dedication to hospitality, securing Delta's position as the premier U.S. airline as named by the Wall Street Journal for the second consecutive year.  With an armory of technology and a top-notch team, excelling at customer experiences starts with being grounded in a singular essential value. Find out how to guide your company to soaring to new heights. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Continuing our Leadership Series, we spotlight Cindy Novotny, who earned the “Radical Mentor” moniker for her no-nonsense approach to delivering results in the areas of leadership, sales, and customer service excellence. Having traveled more than 10 million miles over the course of her career, Cindy helps emerging professionals to CEOs to fly past their comfort zone of “we've always done it this way” habits and soar to greater heights of success. Get tips and actionable advice from Cindy who wrote – and lives by – the title of her book, “Living with No Balance... and Loving It!: A Simple Guide to Thriving in a Real World of Life and Work.” The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Being the CEO of globally recognized companies for decades is much like driving a race car at high speed: both thrilling and intensely challenging. Reaching a finish line after being on the fast track represents a tremendous feat. After the fanfare ends, and the adrenaline subsides, what do you set your sights on next, especially when you have tremendous drive inside of you? For Niren Chaudhary, it's back to the shop to re-configure the current model into what he calls: Niren 3.0. This new version is going to put all its energy into "pursuing significance by serving others and becoming a catalyst to help unlock human potential over the next many years."Niren Chaudhary recently served as the Howard Johnson Executive in Residence, a “recharging station” for top executives to mentor students and guest lecture in classes at Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.  Tune in as Niren talks about his philosophy on “work in balance with life” to find joy and build resilience in an ever-changing world. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Good vibes. That's probably the ultimate compliment when one enters into a space.  An environment viscerally impacts how we feel and interact with one another. Imagine creating those just-right vibes for large-scale spaces and places such as airports, city districts, corporate headquarters of international companies, sports arenas, museums, and hospital facilities. Where do you start?  In this interview, Steven Upchurch of Gensler reveals a bit of the blueprint for transformational design. The first note: start finely tuned research and analysis and then you build from there. Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with 53 locations and 6,000+ professionals networked across the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

New Balance has made an indelible footprint not only in fashion and sports but also in the real estate sector. Keith Craig, Senior Director of Development of NB Development Group, takes us through the milestones of how NB Development Group transformed the once-industrial area of Allston-Brighton into a vibrant destination for music, dining, entertainment, and life sciences. Speaking of all-stars, Boston Landing is also home to what might be the world's fastest track and the training and practice facilities for the Boston Bruins and Celtics – an all-around win for Boston's many fans and visitors!The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

For the many Trader Joe's dedicated shoppers, Doug Rauch is a name you might not know as well as “Joe.” As President, he helped grow the business from a small chain in Southern California to a nationally acclaimed retail success story. After 31 years with the company, Doug hung up this trademark Trader Joe's Hawaiin shirt to start a non-profit, community grocery store that provides fresh, tasty, convenient, and nutritious food to communities most in need at prices everyone can afford. Doug Rauch, Founder and President of Daily TableThe “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

New England's old-world charm is best captured by the idyllic, charming inns and resorts down backcountry roads, in the midst of beachside towns, and on the perches of snowy mountains. New England Inns & Resorts (NEIRA), established in 1907, makes it easy to explore over 300 resorts, inns, bed and breakfasts, hotels, and motor inns. Deborah Burns, NEIRA Executive Director, gives an inside look into how the care and personal touches are powered by strategy and the latest technology.The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    This week I'm thrilled to bring you an episode of What's Next! Podcast with a distinguished branding expert, Allen Adamson.   For the past several years, Allen has been an adjunct professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, where he also serves as the brand expert in residence at Berkeley Center for Entrepreneurship.    His previous books, including Brand Simple and, most recently, Shift Ahead, are used as textbooks in higher education business programs nationwide.    His latest book, Seeing the How, spotlights companies that have radically changed working life as usual by identifying and reimagining a whole new way to provide an overall better customer experience.    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… marketers who want to reimagine the customer experience.    TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… delivering a satisfactory product is no longer a strong enough competitive advantage. In a sea of competition, Allen argues the way to stand out is to provide an exceptional customer experience. He details 8 lenses that will reveal the areas where a company can stand out.    WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… you can't rely on customers to spearhead your innovation. Although surveys can provide meaningful insight, most customers don't know how their life could be better. Instead, Allen suggests offering ideas to customers and then assessing their feedback.    Running Time: 26:29   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on Social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Allen Online: Website LinkedIn Forbes   Allen's Book: Seeing the How  

As the world continues to evolve, it's crucial for businesses to keep up. In episode 559 of the Marketing Smarts podcast, George B. Thomas and Allen Adamson discuss the importance of adapting to changing times.

Distinguished with Dean Arun UpnejaWelcome to the Distinguished podcast. Here, we skip the small talk and get right into the top-of-mind topics in the world of Hospitality, including and certainly not limited to: recruiting and retaining talent, the need to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, wellness and well-being of our team and our guests, climate action, and the impact of robotics and a.i. on the future of Hospitality. You'll hear from executives, founders, and investors who live and breathe Hospitality. The “distinguished” guests on this podcast represent all areas of our industry, from hotels and restaurants to entertainment and sporting venues, travel and tourism, and of course, a favorite pastime for many of us — shopping — because to put it simply, Hospitality is at play in most parts of our lives and livelihood.The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

During this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, sits down with Tim McLeroy, Executive Director of Marketing & Patient Services at Noble. They discuss challenges patients face when beginning therapeutic treatment, solutions to provide the training and support that patients need, the impacts of biosimilars and telehealth on patient experience, and cost-effective approaches for patient training and onboarding. Sheila Arquette, RPh, President & CEO of NASP; Tim McLeroy, Executive Director of Marketing & Patient Services at Noble  

Bloomberg Industry Group CEO Josh Eastright talks with us about putting CX innovation into practice for this episode of the podcast. We discuss why when you're running a digital business a product is never done, why providing your customers with answers at their point of need is a sign of an evolved customer experience, and why AI and machine learning are still heavily reliant on the human component to deliver valuable content to consumers.    Resources: Learn more at bloombergindustry.com Visit Josh's LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/josheastright   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com   Episode Highlights: [01:09] The origins of Bloomberg Industry Group and who they serve [04:45] Solving for your customers' needs begins with the onboarding process, and understanding that technology buyers and users are often different audiences [07:42] Transitioning from traditional publishing to digital product innovation [17:50] How Bloomberg Industry Group drives innovation at a high level [20:52] Leveraging 90 years of history to create a business advantage [22:51] Providing answers at your customers' point of need [27:33] The rate of digital adoption and how the pandemic impacted it [31:33] The struggles that come with using AI and machine learning

Venkat Ramaswamy is Professor of Marketing at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. He is a globally-recognized thought leader, idea practitioner, and eclectic scholar with wide-ranging interests in innovation, strategy, marketing, branding, IT, operations, and the human side of the organization. Venkat's award-winning book in 2004, The Future of Competition, co-authored with the late C.K.Prahalad, introduced Co-Creation as a revolutionary concept. It provided a new frame of reference for jointly creating value through experienced environments and called for a process of co-creation—the practice of developing offerings through ongoing collaboration with customers, employees, managers, financiers, suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders. Their articles, the popular 2000 Harvard Business Review article “Co-opting Customer Competence” and the 2003 MIT-PwC award-winning Sloan Management Review article “The New Frontier of Experience Innovation” envisioned an individual and experience-centric view of interactive value creation and innovation. Venkat's 2010 book, The Power of Co-Creation (with F. Gouillart) showed how enterprises in over twenty industry sectors were all leveraging platforms to create new interactions with people everywhere in the system and how new forms of value could be created together with individuals through a focus on human experiences. Venkat is currently working on co-creating systemic transformation and positive impact on wellbeing-wealth-welfare, through platforms in digitalized societal ecosystems that afford the enactment of interactional creation by engaging and organizing actors (across the plural, private, and public sectors).In this podcast, he shares: How digital technologies including IoT, edge computing, and AI are forcing us to fundamentally re-conceptualize strategy Why we should be thinking of experiences—rather than products and experiencers—instead of customers What it take to flip the mind-set of yourself your leadership, and your company to be ready for the future of competition __________________________________________________________________________________________""-Venkat Ramaswamy__________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Introducing Venkat + The topic of today's episode2:54—If you really know me, you know that...3:55—What is your definition of strategy?5:00—How is the idea of value being re-created, and how does that relate to strategy?8:03—Do you believe it is now easier to coordinate multiple services to deliver a composite experience, and why is that?11:00—How do you balance the many facets of how the "experiencers" are shifting their expectations of services and products, and how ecosystems are changing the value delivery?13:15—Could you explain what the mental shift we need to make in imagining a value chain is, and why is it happening now?15:27—How do you think the pandemic accelerated accepting the technological changes and innovations happening?20:21—Could you tell us your definition of co-creation?21:15—What is the cognitive leap that we need to make, and how can a CSO help leadership make that transition?22:54—What are your thoughts on people shifting their mindset through this big fundamental mind-shift of creating value through ecosystems and interactions?26:00—How can people connect with you and keep learning from you?26:23—What are the downsides to the shifts we've been talking about, especially in relation to the new risks they bring?24:13—How can people connect and follow you to keep learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Personal page: http://www.venkatramaswamy.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/VenkRamaswamyLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkat-ramaswamy-ba522810

Venkat Ramaswamy is Professor of Marketing at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. He is a globally-recognized thought leader, idea practitioner, and eclectic scholar with wide-ranging interests in innovation, strategy, marketing, branding, IT, operations, and the human side of the organization. Venkat's award-winning book in 2004, The Future of Competition, co-authored with the late C.K.Prahalad, introduced Co-Creation as a revolutionary concept. It provided a new frame of reference for jointly creating value through experienced environments and called for a process of co-creation—the practice of developing offerings through ongoing collaboration with customers, employees, managers, financiers, suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders. Their articles, the popular 2000 Harvard Business Review article “Co-opting Customer Competence” and the 2003 MIT-PwC award-winning Sloan Management Review article “The New Frontier of Experience Innovation” envisioned an individual and experience-centric view of interactive value creation and innovation. Venkat's 2010 book, The Power of Co-Creation (with F. Gouillart) showed how enterprises in over twenty industry sectors were all leveraging platforms to create new interactions with people everywhere in the system and how new forms of value could be created together with individuals through a focus on human experiences. Venkat is currently working on co-creating systemic transformation and positive impact on wellbeing-wealth-welfare, through platforms in digitalized societal ecosystems that afford the enactment of interactional creation by engaging and organizing actors (across the plural, private, and public sectors).In this podcast, he shares: How digital technologies including IoT, edge computing, and AI are forcing us to fundamentally re-conceptualize strategy Why we should be thinking of experiences—rather than products and experiencers—instead of customers What it take to flip the mind-set of yourself your leadership, and your company to be ready for the future of competition __________________________________________________________________________________________""-Venkat Ramaswamy__________________________________________________________________________________________Episode Timeline:00:00—Introducing Venkat + The topic of today's episode2:54—If you really know me, you know that...3:55—What is your definition of strategy?5:00—How is the idea of value being re-created, and how does that relate to strategy?8:03—Do you believe it is now easier to coordinate multiple services to deliver a composite experience, and why is that?11:00—How do you balance the many facets of how the "experiencers" are shifting their expectations of services and products, and how ecosystems are changing the value delivery?13:15—Could you explain what the mental shift we need to make in imagining a value chain is, and why is it happening now?15:27—How do you think the pandemic accelerated accepting the technological changes and innovations happening?20:21—Could you tell us your definition of co-creation?21:15—What is the cognitive leap that we need to make, and how can a CSO help leadership make that transition?22:54—What are your thoughts on people shifting their mindset through this big fundamental mind-shift of creating value through ecosystems and interactions?26:00—How can people connect with you and keep learning from you?26:23—What are the downsides to the shifts we've been talking about, especially in relation to the new risks they bring?24:13—How can people connect and follow you to keep learning from you?__________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Resources: Personal page: http://www.venkatramaswamy.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/prof_venkatLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkat-ramaswamy-ba522810

Welcome loyal listeners to another episode of The Loyalty Minute, I'm your host Rob Gallo and today I am excited to chat with Jonathan Shroyer. Jonathan is the Chief Customer Experience Innovation Officer of Arise Virtual Solutions, a customer service outsourcing, and offshoring consulting firm. Arise acquired Officium Labs, a company he co-founded, last November 2021 and is now known as Arise Gaming. Welcome to the show Jonathan, thanks for joining me… For those loyal listeners out there who don't know who you are or what you do, perhaps you can share a bit of your story and background. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rob-gallo/message

What does a customer-centric culture actually look like?  Leslie Pagel, CCO at Authenticx, knows firsthand what it means to develop a customer experience strategy that is truly customer-centric after spending the majority of her career developing industry-leading customer experience strategies.  In this episode of Value Builders, Leslie breaks down the two key principles of effective customer experience strategy - listening to understand and the responsibility of advocating for customers.  She elaborates on how these two key principles are essential for weaving the customer into the fabric of a company.  In the second part of the conversation, Leslie talks about the work she and the team at Authenticx are doing to innovate in the customer experience space.  Specifically, she explains the role interaction data plays in unleashing an understanding of customer behavior and emotions.  She speaks to the power of investing in understanding the dynamics of a customer conversation as a path to unlocking customer experience improvements and extrapolating the data to improve a business overall.   To round out the conversation Leslie explains the concept of The Eddy Effect and how Authenticx is using it to help customers get ‘unstuck' in the development of their customer experience strategy.   About Leslie Pagel Leslie Pagel is the Chief Customer Officer at Authenticx, a conversation analytics company dedicated to improving the way healthcare companies engage with patients. In this role, she leads efforts to work with Authenticx clients to advise and inform customer strategies. With over two decades of working with customer experience (CX) teams, Leslie helps clients actualize the voice of the patient to show how these voices prompt meaningful action. 

Today's interview is with Michael G. Bartlett who is the Director of Experience Innovation at JMARK, an I.T. support and I.T. services company, Founder of the CCXP Exam Simulator and the author of a new book called: The Dark Side of CX: The costly patterns that turn loyal customers into brand haters. Michael joins me today to talk why we should talk about moments that shatter rather than the moments that matter, the dark patterns that reside in CX, priyomes and what CX practitioners and leaders should be doing to improve their service and experience. This interview follows on from my recent interview – The future of personalization and loyalty is dynamic – Interview with Christian Selchau-Hansen of Formation.ai – and is number 419 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders that are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees.

The CX Goalkeeper had a smart discussion with Michael Bartlett.Michael is the creator of the CCXP exam simulator and the director of Experience Innovation at JMARK. He is a serial founder and philanthropreneur dedicated to helping animal rescues.We discussed about in the 2 episodes with him: cataloging priyome (“well established principles and patterns”)if you know the enemy, it makes easier because you know what to do about itthe Iceberg Model and how to leverage itThe importance of understanding goal and social frictions when creating experiencesthe Endless WaitingLocal optimizationThe key takeaways from the bookswhat will Customer Experience look like in 10 years time… and much moreThank you, Michael!#customerexperience #leadership #cxgoalkeeper #cxtransformation #podcastAdditional information: www.cxgoalkeeper.com/MichaelBartlett2

The CX Goalkeeper had a smart discussion with Michael Bartlett.Michael is the creator of the CCXP exam simulator and the director of Experience Innovation at JMARK. He is a serial founder and philanthropreneur dedicated to helping animal rescues.We discussed about the key takeaways from the book in 2 episodes.Today, I published the first one, next week the next one.some highlights:cataloging priyome (“well established principles and patterns”)if you know the enemy, it makes easier because you know what to do about itthe Iceberg Model and how to leverage itThe importance of understanding goal and social frictions when creating experiencesthe Endless WaitingLocal optimization… and much moreThank you, Michael!#customerexperience #leadership #cxgoalkeeper #cxtransformation #podcastAdditional information: www.cxgoalkeeper.com/MichaelBartlett

In this episode, Jonathan Reckles, Director of Marketing at CD One Price Cleaners discusses how their franchise utilizes different marketing tactics to fight industry decline, track client redemption and retention rates, and beat out the competition. With no required franchisee marketing spend, learn how CD One Price Cleaners takes full advantage of their NAF through multi-channel marketing and how they're generating new demand with omnichannel customer experience innovation.

Rob Wengel the CEO of GutCheck, founder of Experience Innovation, and iced tea drinker extraordinaire sits down with Craig Dubitsky, Chief Innovation Strategist at Colgate-Palmolive, the founder of Hello Products and likely the friendliest guy you'll ever meet. In this inaugural episode, Craig and Rob take a spirited and fast-paced look at the importance of being human-centric in designing and marketing everyday products.From how Method soap was launched through to the reason why his favorite book is an anthology of design patents, Craig reveals why every touch point between a brand and its audience matters, why being rooted in empathy is so important, and why you should reject those who tell you can't do something.Craig's BioCraig is obsessed with design, transformational brands, and elevating the everyday things around us. He was an early investor and board member in method, the co-founder and creative lead at eos Products, the CMO of Popcorn, Indiana, and a board member of the Art Directors Club. He is Chairman of Lexicon's Advisory Board because he digs names and was named to Advertising Age's Creativity 50 as one of the Most Influential and Innovative Creative Thinkers and Doers. Craig's a lover, not a fighter, and started Hello Brands because he was tired of hearing about a war in his mouth. So, let's dig in and see what makes Craig Dubitsky tick, why he's so darn successful, and why GutCheck thinks he and the brands he leads are gutsy. To learn more about what it means to be gutsy, check out the Gutsiest Brands webpage.Check out Craig's recommended song by visiting the Spotify – Gutsiest Brands Podcast Playlist . Don't forget to like and share it! We'll regularly be adding our guest's recommended songs.  

The Atlanta Hawks' State Farm arena has been ranked as the best NBA Game experience in both 2019 and 2020. With the focus on the game experience in the NBA and heightened consumer expectations, that's no mean feat – especially when, in the first year they won they award, the team wasn't doing well: “When the team's winning, the beer is colder and the hotdogs are warmer.” So for teams, how can you deliver a better experience for the fans across all aspects of their experience – from before the game, at the venue and after the venue. How do you help them get the information that they need to ensure that they have the best experience? How do teams compete against other ways that people can spend their time? In this episode, Yanni spoke to Donny White, CEO at Satisfi Labs and David Garcia, Senior Vice President, Experience & Innovation at Atlanta Hawks. They discussed the approach that led the Hawks to be ranked as the #1 gameday experience in the NBA, what David has been able to bring from his background with Amazon and Disney into the NBA and how the data captured by Satisfi's AI assistant is informing changes to the fan experience at Atlanta's State Farm Arena. Quotes from this episode: David - “When fans rate their experience at a game, it's tied to the amount of information they have before they arrive and the expectations that they come in with. For example, the bag policy doesn't change from one guest to the next. But the guests that knows you can't bring a bag will have a better experience than the guest that didn't know and shows up and has to deal with that.”   Donny – “The new fan is a data giver. They'll ask questions, they'll tell their friends, they'll be on social media, they'll communicate - they have an expectation that brands will respond to them.”

Journey mapping and marketing go so much hand in hand that one might think it's self-explanatory. But just like for any other person, also marketers sometimes have a hard time empathizing with customers. Customer journey mapping can help marketers to ensure they act for the customers' sake and that it's really the customer who's in the focus of what they're doing – rather than tools and processes. In this episode we discuss: - Customer journey mapping in the context of marketing - Questions to solve in marketing - How to create a journey map for marketing - Typical challenges of introducing journey mapping to marketing Check out the original article, including example journey maps and other details, on https://www.smaply.com/blog/journey-mapping-in-marketing Creat your own journey map on www.smaply.com Learn more about experience innovation on www.smaply.com/blog

This episode features an interview with Jennifer Lang, VP of Customer Experience, Innovation and Insights at TD Bank.  Over her six years at TD Bank, Jennifer has focused on understanding the TD customer experience and how to improve it.  In this episode, Jennifer shares the importance of having different perspectives at the table, applying universal design to CX and setting a long-term CX strategy during a period of great change.Quotes:“Our work is multidisciplinary.  And to be able to excel, we need different perspectives.  We are deliberate in making sure we not only have a diversity of cultures, but a diversity of thought and experiences.  Then you have to actively ask for different perspectives in your meetings and be okay when people don't agree with you because it will help you get to a better outcome.”Time Stamps:[1:20] Intro[2:08] Interview begins[2:57] Background on CX at TD Bank[8:31] Building a diverse team[16:20] Accessibility as part of CX [25:43] Getting company buy-in on investing in CX[29:13] The secret sauce of great CX[32:06] The future of CX at TD[35:40] Recovering from a mistake[38:52] How COVID has affected consumer behavior...for the better[44:54] How to expand your brand through proactive outreach[47:39] Lightning round of questionsBio: Jennifer Lang began her career working on the research-supply side at Compass Research and Ipsos. She then switched over to the client side, working on CBC's research team for 10+ years, where she ultimately became Chief of Staff for the Office of the Executive Vice President. Jenn is currently Vice President at TD Bank and oversees the Customer Insights and Experience department, Customer Journeys, and Diversity.Thank you to our friendsThis episode is brought to you by IBM. If you are responsible for Customer Experience, they've created a White Paper just for you. In the CX North Star Report, you can learn more about how to activate your CX vision. Download it hereLinks:Find Jennifer on LinkedIn

As a software-as-a-service company that develops SaaS tools for journey mapping, this topic is at the very heart of our culture. Throughout the last few years, journey mapping has grown deeper and deeper into our daily routines, now we are using it along the entire business lifecycle, with the entire team, and not only on an operational level but also on a strategic level too. We have loads to tell about journey mapping in SaaS, however, we will try to balance this out and extract the most crucial points from this approach that we think are most relevant for other companies that provide entirely or partly digital solutions: - The relevance of journey mapping in SaaS - Customer experience questions to solve in SaaS - How to create a journey map for SaaS - Typical challenges of introducing journey mapping to SaaS Check out the original article, including example journey maps and other details, on https://www.smaply.com/blog/journey-mapping-saas Creat your own journey map on www.smaply.com Learn more about experience innovation on www.smaply.com/blog

565: In this interview, Rhonda discusses the four key focus areas for IT at Stanley Black & Decker once the pandemic struck and how COVID has given Stanley Black & Decker the permission to change and accelerate. Shankar discusses the stakeholder prioritization framework Verizon adopted during the pandemic in which it puts its employees first, customers second, society third, and its shareholders fourth, some of the innovative ideas Verizon has adopted during the pandemic, how Verizon has accelerated its digital transformation during the pandemic, among a variety of other topics.

565: In this interview, Rhonda discusses the four key focus areas for IT at Stanley Black & Decker once the pandemic struck and how COVID has given Stanley Black & Decker the permission to change and accelerate. Shankar discusses the stakeholder prioritization framework Verizon adopted during the pandemic in which it puts its employees first, customers second, society third, and its shareholders fourth, some of the innovative ideas Verizon has adopted during the pandemic, how Verizon has accelerated its digital transformation during the pandemic, among a variety of other topics.

Today there is a very special interview taking place on the show, in that the person being interviewed is…me! And, no, it isn’t me asking myself questions. I guess that is kind of like every solo episode I’ve done or much weirder where I would speak about myself in the third person.  The interviewer today is Michael Bartlett. He is the Director of Experience Innovation at JMARK and also trains people to pass the Certified Customer Experience Exam (CCXP). We got connected because he is hooked on books. As an avid book junkie, he reviews many of them on his YouTube channel, called the "CCXP Exam Simulator." As he was prepping to do a review of my new book, What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You, for his YouTube channel, he asked if I had considered having someone turn the tables a bit to interview me here on The Brainy Business. I said why not! As I’ve always found it much easier to answer questions about myself and an experience, than to just talk about it. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Show Notes: [00:38] Today there is a very special interview taking place on the show, in that the person being interviewed is…me! [01:03] The interviewer is Michael Bartlett. He is the Director of Experience Innovation at JMARK and also trains people to pass the Certified Customer Experience Exam (CCXP). [04:24] If you want to understand customers you have to understand how their minds work.  [04:52] Melina shares her journey and interest in behavioral economics.  [07:28] Fun fact: She is a classically trained opera singer and enjoys singing – this led to a big realization about a tendency toward perfectionism in life and business.  [09:58] It can really be one piece that is throwing everything else off just a little bit.  [11:47] Our brains will limit us and feel like you pushed too far. Your body can keep going but your mind feels like you should stop.  [12:34] How our brain can hold us back psychologically in sports also translates into business.  [12:46] Michael shares about his journey.  [14:13] Melina shares how and why The Brainy Business came about. She was writing blogs for entrepreneurs and editing books as a side hustle.  [16:32] When they moved, she had a unique opportunity to really just focus on school for her master’s degree and building a new type of business around behavioral economics.  [19:04] On May 19, 2018, after encouragement from a mastermind, Melina started to rebrand her company and launched the podcast with its first three episodes on July 6, 2018.  [20:13] Melina always knew she would have a book.  [21:53] She ended up finalizing her publisher in late May 2020 and the full manuscript was due at the end of August – a summer of writing!  [23:30] When reading the book, you can focus on the areas that really interest you or learn more about a particular subject. She also includes corresponding podcast episodes.  [25:03] She had an idea of some topics that needed to be in the book. She created it similar to a “choose your own adventure” book in the way that you can follow the parts that interest you most. Interconnectivity is so critical to how the brain works and that was important to reflect in the book’s format.  [26:06] She gives her readers the opportunity to make connections to jump around in a controlled environment. She is creating a course that will be available to purchase and go along with the book and go even deeper.  [28:24] At the end of the book, Melina gives a really good example of how you can chain these techniques altogether.  [30:01] Melina really wants her readers to use, apply, and do what they set out to do with the book.  [30:50] The most important thing for when you are going to get started is spending more time thinking about the problem. Taking the time to know what you are doing, why you are doing it, and why it matters is paramount.  [31:42] You can go and use behavioral economics and have a good impact within your business if you take the time to understand the concepts and how they can work together. Everything is a learning opportunity to grow. [32:21] There are times when you should reach out and find a partner, especially if it is a really big and critical project.  [33:32] Test small and test often.  [35:18] Melina shares the books that have inspired and impacted her.  [38:02] Melina shares her two recommendations of books to really dig into behavioral economics.  [39:23] First nugget Michael really liked from Melina’s new book was when she reminded everybody about the importance of first impressions and the mode people are in when they first encounter your business.  [39:46] Michael shares two quotes that were huge takeaways from Melina’s book.  [41:35] Melina shares her closing thoughts.  [42:49] Melina’s first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You is now available on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia. Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  Let’s connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! PLUS, get the free Companion Workbook for What Your Customer Wants within the community! More from The Brainy Business:

We are back! We've been gone a few months but we are back and better than ever with Episode 71, "Experience, Innovation and Leadership" with our guest, Dr. Peter Shatz.  Dr. Shatz is a periodontist in Atlanta, GA.  Shane and Peter discuss the pros and cons of private practice vs corporate dentistry, the changing landscape of dental associations and reinventing ways to connect with the up and coming dentists and leaders of tomorrow.  This is a great episode, so be sure to listen!

In this episode of Startup Hustle, Matt DeCoursey and Adelle Archer, CEO of Eterneva, discuss experience innovation. Find Startup Hustle Everywhere: https://linktr.ee/startuphustle   This episode is sponsored by Full Scale https://fullscale.io/ Learn more about Eterneva https://eterneva.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts predict that retail ecommerce sales will reach $4.13 trillion in 2020 and it is expected that mobile commerce will take a market share of e-commerce of 72.9% by 2021. As we enter the holiday season navigating COVID, retailers face unprecedented opportunities to reimagine brand experiences and bridge the storefront’s physical to digital continuum. While adapting an agile supply chain, increasing conversion rates, reducing wastes, including decreasing returns are front of mind, 1 company is transforming virtual shopping, where the online shopping experience is made human, again. Meet HERO (usehero.com). In Episode 43, Sheri Hinish (SupplyChainQueen) joins Natasha Franzen, COO of HERO an SAP.iO Foundry superstar. With customers like Levis, Nike, Jonathan Adler, Herman Miller, Rag & Bone, and countless others, HERO is bringing next level human commerce to retail with conversational commerce to help stores unlock their competitive edge. Stores create 1 in 10 of the world’s jobs, more than any other sector. HERO exists to not only keep these stores and their employees at the heart of communities and the economy, but to empower them with the technology that unlocks their unique advantage over the e-commerce giants. Whether in-person, via text, chat or video, HERO is empowering store associates to thrive during COVID injecting gamification and the human layer into the store, complementing the convenience of online shopping, even during periods of low foot traffic. To learn more about HERO, visit usehero.com or https://sap.io/ who is helping innovators inside and outside of SAP build products, find customers, and change industries. Find us, connect, and explore at https://www.supplychainrevolution.com/ & https://www.supplychainqueen.com

Lameen shares how he started his journey, pursuing his passion for coffee, and how he combined his skills and passions to create a new life path.

Cooper and Nicole continue their conversation with Tiffany Christensen, Vice President of Experience Innovation at The Beryl Institute, as she shares a personal story of dealing with kidney failure. The conversation shifts to being a patient during COVID-19.

Cooper and Nicole welcome back Tiffany Christensen, Vice President of Experience Innovation at The Beryl Institute, as she shares a personal story of dealing with kidney failure.

Today's discussion features Ian Connell. Ian is an Investment Principal at Charter School Growth Fund, a non-profit focusing on making multi-year philanthropic investments in public charter school networks. Charter School Growth Fund supports nearly 480,000 students, around 90% are students of color, and around 75% come from economically disadvantaged families. Charter School Growth Fund uses an approach similar to the venture funding model, to identify the country's best public charter schools, and to fund their expansion with the specific goal of increasing the school's vision and educational impact.Over the past 6 years at Charter School Growth Fund, Ian has focused his efforts on ed-tech and innovation in K-12 schools, and while on the investment team leading an innovation and technology strategy, Ian spends his time visiting schools, and talking to founders and partners to try to understand and identify, which school systems are developing the most novel and impactful approach to education, with the end of goal of taking the most robust and proven education designs, and scaling them to other schools to ultimately impact as many children as possible. Ian brings with him an MBA from the University of Chicago, The Booth School of Business, typically a top 3 business school globally year over year according to US News, and we find some time in the talk to visit how Ian was able to completely shift his career trajectory through the aid of a non-profit fellowship called Management Leadership for Tomorrow, an organization focused on equipping and empowering high achieving men and women from underrepresented communities. The talk today visits all of these cohesive ideas around the provision of opportunities and programming to populations that normally wouldn't have access to them.Additional Items Discussed:-Organizational inertia, and why it is so hard for big systems and organizations to effectively tackle dynamically changing challenges - whether in education or in commercial applications, how the size and age of organizations can impact their ability to change strategy and direction-Effective teaching models, and the difference between teaching 5th grade math, and teaching 5th graders math, the disparity curve across different levels of learning maturity in the average classroom, and some trends and evolutions of thinking to tackle these types of typical educational challenges.-How technology can be used to target specific educational outcomes, frameworks that support specific outcomes, megatrends in ed-tech, and big ideas on what school models may look like during COVID this coming fall.-Ideas around how to make ed-tech more interesting to institutional capital, and why the current model of venture funding in ed-tech has some addressable gaps that could change the future of education for our youth.Thank you for listening!How to Contact Ian:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianconnell/Resources:Charter School Growth Fund: https://chartergrowthfund.org/Management Leadership for tomorrow: https://mlt.org/MBA Prep Program: https://mlt.org/mba-prep/Data & Sources:Chicago Ideas: https://www.chicagoideas.com/Microsoft K12 Education Transformation Framework: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/school-leaders/k-12-microsoft-education-transformation-framework/default.aspxNational Center for Children in Poverty: http://www.nccp.org/profiles/US_profile_6.htmlUnited Negro College Fund: https://uncf.org/pages/K-12-Disparity-Facts-and-StatsDepartment of Education Office for Civil Rights: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/2013-14-first-look.pdfBooks Mentioned:Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Why-We-Sleep/Matthew-Walker/9781501144325--------------------------------Interested in starting your own podcast? Some candid advice here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-start-podcast-3-step-gono-go-beginners-guide-derek-russellLearn more about the Data Binge Podcast at www.thedatabinge.comConnect with Derek:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekwesleyrussell/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN1c5mzapLZ55ciPgngqRMg/featuredInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drussnetwork/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drussnetworkMedium: https://medium.com/@derekwesleyrussellEmail: derek@thedatabinge.com

We all have great ideas but building great products that customers will pay for is challenging. Marisa Sires is the former VP & Global Head, Product and Experience Innovation at HANA. She is a digital product leader with 10+ years of experience across client services and product management, bringing a focus on client needs and expectations to guide roadmap planning and overall strategy.She has built products at HANA, Gigya, Rally, Envario to name a few.In this podcast, she shares her views on: 1. Golden path and Golden truth - What is it and how early-stage startups can fast track its discovery. 2. How do you listen to your customers to build new product features?3. Build vs. Buy - How do you decide?4. How does one prioritize building product features for an enterprise client who is not a paying client, yet vs. SMBs who are paying the bills?5. How to participate in hackathons to maximize your rate of success?6. How to build an MVP?Contact Info:Marisa SiresLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msires/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mas2124

Today's interview is with Claire Whitaker, a product and artificial intelligence (AI) consultant, who over the last nine years has worked in lean innovation, customer experience (CX), product management and technology including AI teams at top companies across industries, including Amazon. Claire joins me today to share some insights from her experience and, particularly, from her time at Amazon. This interview follows on from my recent interview – The nature of service and how we've grown up with a service economy which is now finding it very hard to actually serve customers – Interview with Joel Bailey of EY Seren – and is number 340 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders that are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees.

This podcast looks at one of the challenges in staying ahead of competitors through innovation - how to stage memorable experiences which provide meaning for consumers?  And how to build a community within which such a process can be maintained through co-creation and storytelling.(I wrote this before the Covid-19 pandemic wrought havoc with the travel sector.  But perhaps some of the themes within the podcast might resonate as organizations struggle to rebuild that industry, placing emphasis less on quantity and more on creating experiences through travel).If you'd like to read/hear/watch more on these themes please visit my website, www.johnbessant.org

IN THIS EPISODE: Employee engagement is always a challenge. The most recent Gallup survey shows 34% of US workers are engaged, tying the highest results in the survey's history, while “actively disengaged” is down to 13%, a new low. However, it still means 66% of US workers are not engaged at some level. We know engagement is highly correlated with positive business outcomes so even though the numbers are up, there's still a lot of work to be done. To explore the topic of engagement, I invited a professional colleague of mine, Rich McLaughlin, to join us on the podcast. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Rich has been an observer and practitioner of innovation and employee engagement processes for over 20 years. He has over 13,000 hours designing and facilitating leadership and interpersonal skills workshops, and innovation explorations with teams to help them jump start their change and innovation efforts. He has helped teams as small as 8 and departments as large as 100 learn how to blend external developments (to understand where customer needs are moving) with internal employee engagement processes (to show how to stimulate internal experiments and capitalize on those opportunities). Rich also enjoys helping leaders grow by focusing more on people skills and less on technical ones. He brings an experiential approach in his work with client teams. His client's value the engaging way he works with their people whether facilitating a leadership workshop, working with a specific team, or challenging employees to be more accountable for the whole. Rich spent time learning about instructional design and change management at Accenture, helped Square D Company develop and implement their TQM programs and processes and developed the leadership curriculum and internal consulting practice at Baxter Healthcare during his time as an internal OD practitioner. The last 8 years of his practice he has been following the intersection of Innovation and Design Thinking. Rich received his M.A. in Training and Development for Business from Ohio State University, and has been consulting faculty for the University of Notre Dame's College of Business since 2000. He is author of, Rules of Engagement: A Story About How Leaders Can More Effectively Engage Employees. And he co-authored The Experience-Based Learning Guide: Consulting Tools and Exercises that Facilitate team Performance and Learning Through Action. He is also certified in EQi 2.0, Rummler-Brache process mapping methodology, MBTI, TMI, CCL's 360 Benchmarks, the Hermann Brain Dominance Index, the Matrix Management Institute's Project Management Methodology, the Experience Innovation simulation and Barrett Values assessment tools. Presentations: -  Emotional Intelligence: Key to Sustaining Employee Engagement -  The Leadership Challenge: Compliance or Commitment? -  Team Genius: Simple Ways to Enable Team Innovation - “Oh No, It’s the Millennials!” Leveraging Generational Differences   SHOW NOTES: Connect with Rich on: LinkedIn and at www.McLaughlinCommunity.com  2019 Gallup Employee Engagement Survey: click here   INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris's work on SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/fliplucca and find him on Twitter: @FlipLucca.   ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm, InKlaritas, is based in Princeton, NJ and works with teams and leaders in companies around the world. You can find out more at: www.InKlaritas.com.

This week, I interviewed Tiffany Christensen, a nationally recognized public speaker and the author of three books exploring advocacy, end of life planning and partnership strategies in healthcare. Tiffany approaches her work from the perspective of a life-long CF/transplant patient and a professional patient advocate. Today, Tiffany is Vice President for Experience Innovation at the Beryl Institute, https://www.theberylinstitute.org. For a more detailed version of Tiffany's story, visit https://youtu.be/25yMixnf_PU. 

Are you thinking of taking the CCXP exam? This episode of CX Conversations might just save you a ton of research time! Learn about “How to prepare for CCXP exam and what to expect once you are certified?” from Michael Bartlett, the author of CCXP Exam Preparation - one of the best CCXP preparation material out there. Michael is a CCXP himself and is dedicated to helping others crack this certification. He is the Director of Experience Innovation at JMARK Business Solutions, Inc. and also the Co-lead of Professional Development Committee at CXPA. We talk about the CCXP exam strategies, questions, and what to do once you are certified. It’s a great conversation that you can’t miss, if you are an aspiring CCXP candidate!

In 2015, Jeff Eckerle and Scott DeFusco realized that the photo industry was lagging behind the consumer. In the wake of mobile disruption, outdated products and selling methods had left the industry at risk of a rapid descent towards irrelevancy. Armed with years of experience creating software solutions that connected consumers to business, Jeff and Scott set out on the startup adventure and created the Capturelife mobile platform with their eyes set on more than just the traditional portrait and print market.  Join host TW Woodward as he circles back with Jeff and Scott to discuss the early days of the startup experience and Capturelife's expansion into the experience economy where professional photography can unlock a lifetime connection to the consumer.

Nicole and Cooper speak with Tiffany Christensen, Vice President of Experience Innovation at The Beryl Institute, about the patient experience and how focusing care on that experience can improve outcomes.

Six marketing experts sit down with Kerry O'Shea Gorgone at Adobe Summit to talk customer experience, creativity and innovation, the 25th anniversary of digital advertising, and more.

In our first podcast of the series, Tiffany Christensen, CPXP, VP of Experience Innovation at The Beryl Institute and author of Sick Girl Speaks, shares her story as a cystic fibrosis patient and double lung transplant recipient to offer insights about how to improve the patient experience of imaging. Having undergone scores of imaging procedures, Tiffany provides a personal perspective on what chronically and acutely ill patients need from radiology staff and offers professional guidance on how to deliver compassionate and sustainable patient-centered imaging care. For more information: https://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare/medical-specialties/radiology/podcasts/a-beds-eye-view-of-imaging

Michael Bartlett is a recent transplant from the United Kingdom, Michael lives and works in Missouri as the Director of Experience Innovation at JMARK Business Solutions. He also runs his own Customer Experience training and consulting firm and is the author of CCXP Exam Preparation. Michael obtained his masters in Artificial Intelligence in 1999 and has been building NLP systems and Neural Networks ever since. His current focus is on using Human Centered Design to augment A.I. implementations. Follow Worthix on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/worthix/ Follow Worthix on Twitter: @worthix Follow Michael G Bartlett on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgbartlett/ Purchase Michael's Book: https://www.amazon.com/CCXP-Exam-Preparation-Facts-Giving/dp/1520922817 Practice on Michael's CCXP Simulator: https://ccxpexamsimulator.com (Use Code: Worthix2019) Follow Mary Drumond on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marydrumond/ Follow Mary Drumond on Twitter: @drumondmary

Our guest today is Chris Holt. She is the Chief Experience Designer at Holy Redeemer in Pennsylvania, a faith-based institution that offers diverse healthcare services to families and patients. In this episode, she tells the story of her organization’s innovative transformation that centers on purpose and service. What she did differently - looking at experience as a way to innovate, will inspire you.

In the race to create great customer experience (CX), companies are pushing the envelope on data collection, employment practices, product classifications, and more. Many of these innovations challenge existing laws and can lead to fines, arrests, and prosecutions. In this episode, Forrester analysts Rick Parrish and TJ Keitt discuss a framework that CX pros can […] The post 160: Don't Let Government Derail Your Customer Experience Innovation appeared first on The CX Cast ® by Forrester.

Jackie McAtee, Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experience for Mayfair Medical Imaging and I discuss her path from hospitality and marketing to her hybrid role of both marketing and customer experience. Jackie outlines her roadmap and actions for reimagining and reinventing the x-ray or imaging experience that has driven profits, customer admiration and employee joy in their work.

In this week's episode, Dr. Michelli discusses customer experience tradeoffs...

Innovation is a hot topic these days, and it's no surprise given the increasing pressure from customers to create novel experiences that stay ahead of the competition. And while there's no shortage of opinions about why innovation is essential, few look at innovation from the perspective of the customer experience professional. In this episode, we […] The post 11: How To Foster A Culture Of Customer Experience Innovation appeared first on The CX Cast ® by Forrester.

Any innovation needs to be a winner in customer experience, or it will be short-lived. Here are 10 essential steps to hitting the mark. See Customer Experience Radio Show, Customer Experience Optimization:, and Customer.ology.com. (13:54)

Adelle Archer ( https://eterneva.com/about ) is the founder of Eterneva ( https://eterneva.com/ ) , which celebrates remarkable lives by making diamonds from Ashes. Eterneva was featured on Shark Tank ( https://abc.com/shows/shark-tank ) , in which Mark Cuban ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Cuban ) joined other incredible angels and VCs as an investor. This episode focuses in the end of life space. You can follow Adelle on Twitter @adellearcher ( https://twitter.com/adellearcher ). You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb ( https://twitter.com/MikeGelb ) and for episode annoucements, you can follow @consumervc ( https://twitter.com/ConsumerVc ). A couple books that inspired Adelle are Never Split The Difference ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062407805?camp=1789&creativeASIN=0062407805&ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=theconsumervc-20 ) by Chris Voss and Extreme Ownership ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250183863?camp=1789&creativeASIN=1250183863&ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=theconsumervc-20 ) by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. A book that inspired her personally is The Power of Now ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1577314808?camp=1789&creativeASIN=1577314808&ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=theconsumervc-20 ) by Eckhart Tolle. In this episode you will learn - * How she started Eterneva? How consumer attitudes and cultural traditions around death changed over time and what opportunity did she see in this market? What is it about the work she's doing is disruptive? How is she changing the deathcare space? Where does she envision Eterneva being in five years? * How does she market such a sensitive topic? What's been the most surprising and unexpected insight / learning she's had in building Eterneva so far? What is experience innovation? In the very beginning she bootstrapped to $1 million. What was your launch strategy and how was she able to find product-market fit? How did she think about her target demographic? Fundraising strategy? * What led her to going on Shark Tank? What was her strategy for Shark Tank? How did she think about value add when it comes to investors, were there particular investors she was targeting?How she is thinking about growth today? Has she been able to expand into different demographics? How is she thinking about channel diversity & distribution? How is she thinking about customer acquisition today? * Is she focused on top line growth or profitability? What are some ways or strategies that she implements in order to get a pulse on your customer? How does she constantly monitor the customers' preferences and needs? How has she approached COVID and what is her focus during this pandemic? What's one piece of advice that she has for founders who are fundraising? Full transcript Mike Gelb 0:00 Hello and welcome to the consumer VC. I am your host Mike Gelb, and on this show we talk about the role of venture capital and consumer facing startups. Our guest today is Adele Archer, founder of a turnover, which celebrates remarkable lives by making diamonds from ashes. A turnover was featured on Shark Tank in which Mark Cuban joined other incredible angels and VCs as an investor, Adele story and why she chose to found a company in the end of life space, I think it's just fascinating. To be honest, it's not a space that really came to mind before meeting Adele. So lots of learnings and takeaways from mine. So without further ado, here's Adele. Thank you so much for joining me today. How are you? Adelle Archer 0:49 I'm good. How are you? I'm Mike Gelb 0:51 Tell me a little bit about how you started your innovative venture. Adelle Archer 0:58 We celebrate remarkable people and pets when they pass away by making diamonds from ashes or hair. And now as you can imagine, that's probably not something that you would ever expect getting into a 10 year old Adele and say, What do you want to be when you grow up? But you know, I think it just more than anything, you know, when you look back on your life, sometimes there there is a common thread that connects at all. And so, you know, for me, I have my MBA and entrepreneurship, you know, knew I was going to be starting my own company and I worked in tech for a couple of years. And originally the company that I was working on was a lab grown diamond company. Just thought that was really interesting technology. And as we were starting this company, though, I had a really close friend and my business mentor actually get diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and she passed away. So total, like personal side of my life was trying to figure out how to honor Tracy and you know, just I think when you lose some Someone really remarkable, you know, you go on a quest, you're like, what, like, what can I do that is really deserving of her. So probably five months of research did not find anything, and was just blown away by just what felt like a total lack of options and lack of innovation. And, you know, it's just shocking to me how little has been done in this space, you know, for something that affects all of us. So, it was really over dinner one night with a diamond scientist, that he even mentioned, that this could be done, there was one company that was doing it at the time, I went to go start the process completely as a customer, and, you know, just in my experience, you know, kind of connecting with them. And, you know, it was just it was very transactional. It was not, you know, the experience I kind of wanted with somebody with that was going to be the guardian of my ashes and, or my loved ones ashes. So that was really the point that we kind of looked at this and go, gosh, you know, this is a space that really, really needs just a better experience for people and this feels like an amazing option. Why don't we focus here, so try You was the first time and we made and we refocus everything to be you know completely about celebrating someone's life Mike Gelb 3:07 that's amazing and really inspirational how you took a really close friend's death and made it you know, an experience for you that that you know, you can remember and cherish for years to come in creating a diamond out of out of her ashes. I also didn't know that lab diamonds were were a thing whatsoever. So talk to me a little bit about how you think about consumer attitudes and cultural traditions around debt has changed a bit over time. And what what opportunity Did you see in this market, Adelle Archer 3:38 a lot of great businesses are built when you are the customer to start out, you know, you're just so intimately aware with what the pain points are that you're solving. But it was just really remarkable to me, I think there has been such a shift in how we think about death. You know, and wanting things that are more personal and more meaningful, you know, we're not as traditional anymore with you know, just how kind of the the different traditions you're seeing a huge shift from burial or cremation, for example, in 1980 were like 10% cremation, and we're approaching 70% in the United States, like, that's how fast is the thing. And I think as more people are, you know, potentially more spiritual versus, you know, religious, they also are just kind of like, you know, allowing themselves to be more open minded to what are my other options and what feels like personal and special and meaningful to honor my loved one versus what's just always been done. And so I think as people are asking that the industry hasn't adapted or responded or you know, really created things that you know, kind of meet that need. So, I think there's a lot of opportunity to give people better products and give people better experiences in this space. Mike Gelb 4:49 How are you thinking about different religions folks that might be more in tuned are more interested in in in these types of products for honoring loved ones that have passed away, Adelle Archer 5:00 we needed to really learn, you know, when we first launched, we weren't sure how much religion was really going to factor in or not. And we've been surprised that it really hasn't factored in as much as we expected. You know, I think there, there are a few faiths that still tend to prefer burial to cremation. And, and if you face that, you know, if you're really kind of following the book, then you're burying, you know, but we saw the Catholic Church actually, you know, say give cremation, its blessing. And that was a huge cultural shift. You know, we see families of the Jewish faith tend to bury their loved ones, but they cremate their pets and so they come to us to do a diamond for their pet, for example. So I think we're just at this total, you know, kind of crossing point where there's just a lot of change that's happening and and I think it's going to look radically different even in the next five years is, you know, people are more willing and open to do cremations when maybe their entire family in the past buried for Mike Gelb 5:57 one of the kind of like the main areas that you're kind of focus on that you think that in terms of differentiation and changing the actual death care space? Adelle Archer 6:05 Well, and by the way, one thing that I wrote, I really should know as well is that we can do this from the, from the carbon in someone's hair as well. So somebody that is being buried, they can still do this process. You don't necessarily need to have ashes to do it. When you look across the entire death care space, and you pull really anybody that's kind of gone through it, a lot of the time, it's a certain kind of tone. And it's the experience that you have with, you know, different service providers or you know, different just kind of at every touchpoint across that experience, that it can be dark and overwhelming. And you know, in some cases depressing and I think a turn of A is really a massive departure from all of that we're very bright, or positive or celebratory, you know, we're never tone deaf. But I think there is always some levity to be had we talk about, you know, we're unafraid to Talk about somebody that passed away, but really focus on how to celebrate their life. And oftentimes, when our customer, you know, first talks to us about this process, we're not telling them about diamonds to start, we're saying like, hey, like, tell us about your loved one and what made them extraordinary. And that's like, the first time they've been asked that question, which is crazy. And so I think that there's just something really special that we're doing from everything from kind of the customer experience and service side all the way through to the brand side. You know, we have this kind of vibrant conversation that's happening on our social media, we're getting higher engagement rates, then Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift on a topic that's supposed to be really hard to talk about. So I think it really is kind of opening up that conversation and changing a culture around death, grief and remembrance, you know, from a brand side and this is a community you want to be a part of. And then on the experience side, it's really giving people you know, kind of a very special experience around the diamond that you know, will parallel process with their grief of it. Mike Gelb 7:57 You You alluded to a little bit but you No, even though what you're doing is extremely positive. It's still obviously a very sensitive topic and wanted to know, you know, how are you thinking about weight, especially at the early stages? How do you think about marketing? Adelle Archer 8:13 You know, this is certainly a huge part, I think of what has been a successful as we figured this out, you know, early on, one of our first investments we ever made was actually in our brand identity. This was back when we were like bootstrapping, and every dollar like really, really counted where we put that money. And I remember that was like, the first major investment we ever made was developing a brand book, but I think that's really important to be very to know what your identity is, as a company and what you know, you're really here to do. And for us, you know, starting out, we talked about remembering remarkable people, because that behind every diamond is an extraordinary person that you know, you're coming to us because they earned that diamond in some amazing way. So everything that we did you know, from us PR standpoint, from a social media, you know, advertising standpoint, was really telling the hero story of these remarkable people. It's not talking about ourselves, it's not talking about ashes to diamonds. You know, that's interesting. But I think, you know, what's more powerful is, is kind of humanizing these people. And that's something that people can really lean into, and they can find their loved one story, you know, in someone else's story. And we just found that those stories started catching fire, you know, and that became kind of our flywheel on social media is, you know, you put a video out there, and then it would just go and get shared like crazy, you know, across these tribes of people that, you know, say, Oh my gosh, my dad was just like that, you know, I are, so and so's dad was just like that she should do this, you know, for her dad who just passed. So I think authenticity is very key. And, you know, kind of anchoring yourself around what is the you know, bigger purpose that you're doing is a brand because that resonates with people and they'll talk about it. Mike Gelb 9:57 That makes sense. And it seems like that was probably Part of the missing factor that you were seeing when you first tried to do this, it's talking a little bit about what's been the most like surprising and unexpected insight, or learning that you've that you've had an ability it turned out so far. Adelle Archer 10:12 I mean, I definitely like we learned so much from our customers we very much are a company in a brand that's built on being incredibly close to our customer, and just always looking for ways we can add value and innovate based off of what we know. And, you know, one of the things that really blew us away early on, like this is a very intricate process. On average, our diamonds take about seven months to create. It's completely, you know, a custom made diamond from your loved ones carbon and so we weren't sure you know, whether that was going to be felt perceived as long or not. And what we ended up finding was that, you know, kind of starting out, we were sending pictures and videos and updates and just trying to like be as transparent as we possibly could. And people were just absolutely blown away with every single update we sent. You know, they'd be like, Oh my god, like I I'm at work and I was crying. And I showed everyone around me and I emailed it to my whole friends and family, and we're just like, man, they are getting so much value out of these updates, you know, what more could we do? So we started really kind of upping the ante around, you know, just the experience that we were giving people and, you know, videoing everything and kind of productizing those videos and designing them to be shared socially. And I think that that was just a really important insight, you know, early on is like, no, the the lead time did not matter to people at all, if anything, they wanted an experience. And what we learned was like, as we kind of built up more and more of this experience that we were giving, that was parallel processing with someone's grief and they had something positive to look forward to, over a period of time that otherwise they would have nothing to look forward to losing the most important person in their world. And that was something that rallied their community in a way that like it kept people talking about that person, you know, which wasn't happening when you know, you just have a one And then funeral and everyone goes home and stops talking about the person. So I think the experience is what we didn't expect to be as valuable and as important, you know, to our Mike Gelb 12:12 process as the diamond itself. I think when we were talking Previously, we spoke about the experience innovation, and how that is part of your core strategy. And remember you saying about how it's, it's almost everywhere in the journey customer be part of that journey as you build the diamond and make them remember that loved one? Adelle Archer 12:30 Absolutely, absolutely. And that's just where we we put our time and our energy is just how can we kind of up the ante around the experience that we're giving people and, you know, the connection that they get to have with our team and seeing like, how much we really care as a whole team. You know, we literally learn the stories of every single one of our loved ones. We tell their story on social media, you know, Instagram, Facebook Live, like we broadcast their stories. You know, every single person In our entire process, you know, all the way out to our scientists, you know, in Switzerland, know the stories of these people and are part of, you know, telling that story, you know, throughout the entire experience. So it's every single person in the entire company that knows your loved one and is a part of celebrating them and telling their story. Mike Gelb 13:19 That's fantastic. So in those kind of early beginnings, you you bootstrap your way to a million bucks. Talk to me about about like the launch strategy and how you were thinking or finding product market fit. Adelle Archer 13:30 It was a very interesting way to start a company because you know, obviously, I was insanely motivated to figure this out because I wanted a diamond for Tracy Darn it. And so, you know, I think that that was really great is designing the process that and designing the experience that you would want to have. So how do you go through a process of completely scientifically validating the process tested her ashes for carbon content, you know, then went and found the absolute best scientists. We could be? partnered with across every step of our process and, you know, that kind of took us all over the world really to partner with the absolute best. So, you know, setting this up was was very intricate and very challenging, you know, but a something that I was relentless, and you know, and we were relentless and making happen, but then, you know, once we kind of had proved it all out, then it was a matter of putting together a website and seeing Okay, well is my need actually reflected in the broader world. And it was just amazing. I mean, it was just an immediate product market fit, you know, our first customers, you know, we're buying our largest diamonds, you know, for I remember our first customer, he did it for his daughter, who he had lost, you know, at nine years old, and it was him and his wife, and that was just like the most meaningful first sale you could have. And so, what was really amazing about or what is amazing about our model is that you know, we have an inverted cash model. So you know, we receive payment up front and then we don't have to incur most of Costs are cogs you know until later in the process so it allowed us to actually, you know, be able to self fund in the beginning. And I just think that that's such a wonderful experience for any entrepreneur you know, because you really have to think about where every dollar is going and make every single dollar count make every single dollar make you more dollars. So Mike Gelb 15:20 that's something they didn't really realize in terms of cash flow that's actually a really good like position to be in in that you receive the cash up front and then you have you don't have your cost of goods you know already there you actually have to then make the product as bad as x 10 months doing it and yeah, that's also inspirational story about the parents getting the ring. Want to talk a little bit too about target demographic where you first primarily thinking since Of course, it's a diamond diamonds are expensive. Are you thinking, were you thinking about targeting like older folks at the very, very beginning or kind of how do you how do you think about your actual customer base in terms of age, Adelle Archer 15:57 I think you know, if there's anything that I learned From my MBA in entrepreneurship, they made us go out and sell dictionaries door to door and they're like, you know, just throw out all your assumptions about who your customer really is, because you're about to find out and I think that's just so onpoint you know, because and we've certainly seen that with a turnover, you would think that this is something you know, for the wealthier that this is a luxury, you know, product but it's really not, you know, our customers. We do have quite a few different kind of tribes, you know, as we call them segments, you know, across our loved one side and our pet side, you know, certainly do see, I would say the most common loved one that we're honoring is a spouse a significant other, and you know, but certainly work with a lot of parents who have lost kids. We've worked with a lot of, you know, I would say majority or people we've lost too soon, grandparents are probably one of the ones we do the least diamonds of you know, we on the pet side of the business, you know, are doing a lot for actually millennials because a lot of millennials there first child is their pet, you know, before they go on to have a baby and, you know, we're working for longer and you know, so a lot of the time that was your first baby. So it's, it's, it's a little bit, you know, more diverse than we were even expecting in the beginning. Wow, that's really Mike Gelb 17:15 interesting how you also see younger folks with their pets. Absolutely. And we Adelle Archer 17:19 also see like, a lot of millennials and Gen Z influencing their parents. You know, a lot of the time they're the ones to even discover that this is an option or this is an idea. They'll have, you know, seen a viral video on Instagram, and they're like, Mom, like, you should really do this for dad. And what we see is that younger people actually have a different perspective on death, you know, they tend to just be more open minded about it and you know, wanting to talk about it and wanting to find a way to celebrate you know, they're important people and, you know, so in a lot of ways, like younger people get this right away, they're like, Oh my god, this is amazing. I need to go tell everyone about it and they influence our customer who ends up you know, coming to do this Mike Gelb 17:58 interesting Wow. But talk to you a bit about your first time fundraising. Adelle Archer 18:02 So I mean, when we, you know, kind of we hit a special inflection point and we're like, okay, you know, clearly we've proved this out, you know, this, this? Absolutely. There's absolutely a business here and a big business here. So, you know, why not take on some investments so that we can really start to accelerate growth. So q1 of 2019, we did a strategic Angel round target there was 800,000. We oversubscribed to 1.2. And you know, really that was we were very intentional about who we brought into that round wanted, ideally mostly prior founders and that's exactly what we did both technology and consumer founders and entrepreneurs that have all had you know, 250 million plus exits under their belt and I just can't say enough amazing things about our angels and our investors. They just are winded our back and have been so incredibly helpful opening doors and you know, supporting us And you know, just just everything. They're amazing. And then after that we did a, we were on Shark Tank. So we received an investment from Mark Cuban. So that was super awesome and exciting. And then we also just completed a seed round right now in the midst of a pandemic. So that was pretty exciting as well. Mike Gelb 19:21 That's amazing. That's amazing. Congrats on the first as well. What do you have a particular strategy for Shark Tank or like, what also compelled you to apply? Adelle Archer 19:30 Yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, we were actually recruited on the show, so that was kind of Yeah. And yeah, it was, you definitely want to go into shark tank with a strategy. I would say, you know, I think it's not for everybody's business. You know, you certainly are, are not getting the best deal terms. You know, that you would go get on the market but i think you know, it If it if you are a company that you know, benefits from or you know, needs to raise awareness, you know, in our case, a lot of people don't even know that this is something that you can do. So this is a wonderful way to share and to educate. We're also an incredibly word of mouth friendly business, on average, when somebody hears about us, they tell 20 other people about us, and there's 7 million people that watch Shark Tank, so you know, seven times 20 Okay, like, I feel like the math makes sense, you know, to, to go do this. And, you know, going into it, you know, I feel like if I am to advise anybody going on to it, you really want to know, kind of what your parameters are of, you know, deals that you will and won't take, but, you know, optimizing to take a deal. You know, there's I can't conclusively say, you know, how they end up deciding who airs who doesn't, but about 25% percent of people that film don't air and so, you know, we believe your odds of airing, you know, go up and You take a deal. So it's a, it's important to kind of know your parameters and you know, then just, you know, do everything you can to share how special, you know of a company you've built, you know, and share that with the world. And we were, we were really fortunate we actually got one of the top 5% valuations ever offered on shark. Mike Gelb 21:17 And that was great, amazing. Congratulations. That's fantastic. Why don't want to just kind of hear feedback in terms of what was the most or what kind of your biggest skeptics? What were the most concerns from, from investors throughout the fundraising process? Adelle Archer 21:29 I would say so probably to bubble up, you know, our, our price point is higher than, you know, I'd say like kind of the normal DDC play as you know, a few like kind of 50 to $100 price point and it's all about volume, whereas we're at a higher price point. And so I think it's demonstrating to people that this is a massive opportunity and, you know, kind of like really walking them through the math on how you really don't need that many customers, you know, to build very quickly to hundreds of millions of dollars. And revenue. So that was one and the way that we ended up doing that that was really effective was, you know, really kind of like creating a graph that's really about take rate. It's, you know, here's how many people are passing away in the United States every year. You know, here's how many say that they would do a diamond. Here's what our funeral home partners are forecasting is the sell through, you know, 2% of all deaths in the United States. Well, that's $500 million in addressable. And that's not including pets. That's not including International, that's not including urns that are sitting in family homes. So I think really kind of like breaking it down and walking them through the math, they can see that holy cow, this is $2.5 billion, just with diamonds alone. So that was a big one. And then the other one is, a lot of VCs have seen different plays in in the death care space, that and really haven't been a ton of kind of breakout stories. So I think, you know, you'll probably see that as a founder as you get kind of lumped in with other companies that have tackled an industry before and they haven't seen a breakout, yet. So I think it was very important for us to kind of show how, you know, other folks were looking at, like, trust and we'll, you know, design tools and, and we're, you know, very much focused on the person that's left behind after a loss not planning ahead. And when you think about that intensity of customer need, you know, somebody is coming to us as a way to honor somebody and to, like, help heal some, like, major pain that they're feeling, you know, and that's quite a bit different than somebody who you're trying to encourage, you know, to go and write their will out when, you know, they think they're invincible and they're not going to die. So, it's, it's kind of important to differentiate yourself, you know, in terms of what you're doing and how it's meeting a real Mike Gelb 23:42 need for people, right? No, I think that's that's a lot of great points there. How do you think about true value add investors and non value add investors? Adelle Archer 23:52 Well, I think the number one non negotiable is like they have to see the vision they have to see the mission. If they're not aligned with that, then you know, It just is a non starter. That's right. And our mission is to change a culture around death, grief and remembrance, we plan to build the leading brand and death care that does that. But if we lose sight a lot of our mission, you know, along the way, then, you know, I consider that a failure, even if we do have a massive exit. And so, you know, really kind of starting out, many of our investors have experienced personal losses, you know, important, big VCs that, you know, came to us and you know, cried over, you know, a coffee saying, like, Hey, I lost, you know, a boyfriend in a car accident or, you know, I lost my parents very young, like, I get what you're doing and this needs to exist in the world. And when you understand it at that level, you know, I think just everything that you know, you know, about building a business is just going to be so tailored to what we're really driving it here. So that was very important and, you know, they don't need to experience a personal loss, but you know, it's it's that personal connection, you know, and then from there, it is somebody that is kind of a Realizing that there's no playbook for what we're doing, you know, there's, there's nobody that's going to have the right experience necessarily, you know, to then apply to our business. So it's looking for investors that have built disruptive brands before that ever redefine their categories that, you know, have kind of thrown out the playbook and done something completely different. So, you know, that was really important. So I would say those are kind of the two biggest is that flexibility and how you think about building a totally new and disruptive company, and that personal connection and clear resonance with what we're building? Mike Gelb 25:35 If you don't sign on to the vision, then you know, why are we even having a conversation? Right, so it makes it that makes a lot of sense. Has it been harder fundraising since you're located in Austin, as opposed to say you were located in the Bay Area or New York? Adelle Archer 25:48 Yeah, not an issue at all. Really? You know, I yeah, I think a lot of coastal VCs are looking for, you know, operators. They are actually looking a lot in Austin and trying to break into the Austin market. Cuz they know there's a lot happening down here. We have a wonderful new VC founder collective out of Boston that just joined us. And they were saying they're finding kind of better and better deals or just companies being built down in the Midwest. So yeah, I think we're a great place to source. Mike Gelb 26:17 That's great to hear when you were first fundraising. Were you reaching out cold? Or was there any strategy for reaching out cold? Or Or did you already have a bit of a network since you got your MBA in entrepreneurship? You might have met some investors through that network. Adelle Archer 26:30 Yeah, absolutely. Well, and that's actually, you know, stumbled into it, I would say wasn't like, hugely by design. But if I went back and redid our fundraising path, I would have done it all over again, we're starting with the strategic Angel round, you know, and I worked in tech here in Austin, for about three and a half years. So I did get the opportunity to meet like a lot of technology executives and founders, you know, in the Austin ecosystem, and having entrepreneurs and founders You know, that have joined and become investors, they just become your biggest advocates. I can't tell you, you know, to funds that actually just joined our most recent round, I think they had like three of our angel investors, bringing us up at different board meetings being like, you know, who you really need to talk to a turn of a, they're crushing it. And like, by the time they talk to us, they're like, okay, I've had four board meetings at this point or three board meetings where you guys have been brought up so like, let's talk, you know, so yeah, I would say start with Mike Gelb 27:29 entrepreneurs and founders, they get it you know, you didn't think about a strategy like BB at the very, very beginning, but it worked out that you obviously already had a bit of a network is working in tech and, and it just from your past experiences that's really helpful. Talk to me a bit about growth. How are you thinking you've just fundraise which Congratulations, especially in this environment? How are you thinking about growth today? Adelle Archer 27:53 Gosh, well, COVID there's there's the COVID growth strategy and then there's the normal growth strategy. We can talk about COVID after. Yeah, I mean, for us, I think we have a, we have a very interesting acquisition model, we're very diversified channel diversified. So we have the direct to consumer side of our business, and then we've got the channel side, the b2c side. And so we really started out, you know, building our entire company around the direct to consumer side and, you know, kind of establishing our credibility, you know, as, as a company and a brand that was doing something totally different. And, you know, we needed to prove that out we needed to get the PR that we did you know, and really see that traction on social media and begin to build that tribe and that following in order to successfully launch in the channel and you know, convince folks that we should be trying something totally different. So, you know, there's the growth strategy on the direct to consumer side is really like community focused, you know, a lot our fastest growing channels are organic and earned and our absolute fastest is actually word of mouth, believe it or not, you know, we were like 9% Our customers were word of mouth beginning of last year 15% by the end of last year, and now is 20%. Yeah, I mean, it's, it's remarkable and you know, we have an NPS of 88 with our customer base, you know, we know that they're telling 20 other people about us. So a lot of you know, what we're doing is really kind of like designing a flywheel around that word of mouth, you know, channeling it in a way that kind of allows for people to be referring kind of gifting this forward to somebody in need, you know, and bringing them into our community and you know, our organic social media community, a lot of that is just about like, you know, grief, wellness, and what is kind of an uplifting grieving experience look and feel like so regardless of whether you decide to do the diamond or not, we're a community and a tribe that you want to be a part of, and it just so happens that is the best way to then convert somebody into the diamond experience because they want that full experience. But you know, a lot of what we've designed is really around kind of accelerating that community driven play. Rafi is is a brand that did a community play really well, for example. So it's it's it is that tribe, we also do a lot of kind of on the partnership side. Now that being a major focus, there's a lot of different kind of distribution channels that we have from funeral homes, to veterinarian offices, to affiliate partnerships, you know, and those have all been performing exceptionally well. And, you know, again, this is an area that there's been next to no innovation. So any brand, you know, that has had some experience, you know, let's say like a major pet brand, and they have a recurring subscription. Well, when that pet passes, you know, what is something really nice that you can offer the family, you know, that kind of acknowledges that. So, in a lot of ways, we kind of are inserting ourselves to partner with all different brands across the spectrum and all different channels across the spectrum to be able to be that, you know, special Memorial option that wasn't there before. Mike Gelb 30:51 Thanks for like outlining that in terms of how you're thinking about growth, especially from the DTC world and then as well as the b2b to see how is this kind of maybe shifted Your focuses in this pandemic or change how you think about growth currently? Adelle Archer 31:03 Well, I think, you know, there's, there's definitely I've felt such a different kind of difference in conversation that we're having with VCs around kind of unit economics and profitability over top line revenue growth. We've had phenomenal top line revenue growth, you know, hundred 30 hundred 40% year over year, you know, but we've always been very focused on kind of profitable growth as well. LTV to CAC is our mantra, and we're just finding that that's true to be the case across, you know, every VC that we're talking to you right now. So I feel like that was just a huge shift that really happened this year is is that obsession with profit over top, but you know, from a business standpoint, for us, our space is getting you know, it has been so affected by this as you can only imagine, you know, just with COVID happening right now, especially in areas that are really affected. Many of our funeral home partners in our just our funeral home industry is being completely overrun. You know, the the The volume of families that they're serving and the cases that they're seeing are, you know, two to three X, what their home's actual capacity is. And, you know, you're seeing this huge shift, where people can't actually gather to have a funeral, you know, and they can't come into the funeral home to actually have the consultation. So these funeral homes are having to completely change their business model, you know, bring everything online at a time that they're experiencing, you know, more volume than they've ever seen, you know, and then these poor families are not able to see their loved ones, they're not able to have a funeral. And so, you know, it's going to be a really difficult time, you know, for grief in the United States. So what we've really done as a company is we put a lot of time and focus on you know, just serving our industry as best as we possibly can, you know, as millennial, a very kind of technology first millennial company, we knew we'd be able to add a lot of value to funeral homes, helping them digitize. So we actually are offering a free digitizing service to take all their arrangement materials that you usually go over in person and quickly digitize it for them. So that's been a huge lift. And we're currently doing a big fundraiser to raise funds and awareness for PPP for funeral homes, because a lot of people don't realize they're on the front line too. And they're getting no media attention whatsoever. So they're out of masks. And you know, we've had partners literally shut down because their whole team is sick. So they need our support just as much as doctors do, you know, and then we also accelerated the launch of our dedication pages, which is a whole experience allowing you to share the diamond journey with friends and family over a digital medium. So it's sharing all those updates and like really kind of allowing for people to kind of share this online and on social media and, and have that fulcrum point, you know, at a time they can't physically get together, you know, well, at least there's a way for them to, to kind of come together over a digital medium and celebrate something well i think that's that's really simply terrific how you're helping, you know, funeral homes, especially during these tough times because I'd imagine that part of the industry, the funeral homes destroyed Not digitized, that's great that you've been able to kind of give back, what are some of the strategies that you're implementing in order to get a pulse on your customer or, Mike Gelb 34:09 you know, being able to constantly monitor like customers preferences and needs, Adelle Archer 34:13 by design, we are very much in touch with our customer, you know, every single month, our customer experience team is, you know, touching base with our customers, you know, kind of providing those updates, but building relationships too, you know, a lot of week we text with people, you know, over the course of the process, we follow them on social media, like they become friends, you know, and so that's kind of, we have weekly ways for our customer experience team to be sharing with the rest of the company, you know, highlights about customers and homecomings when their diamond comes home and, you know, cool stories around that. So, you know, they keep a very close tab from an executive side. I actually q4 of last year went on a customer feedback tour and this is something I'm absolutely going to do every year going forward. kind of comes from my product marketing days. But I spent 20 hours, you know, literally an hour long phone calls with our customer saying, how was the experience? What more could we have done to blow your mind? You know what, talk to me a little bit about your grieving journey, you know, what did that look like who showed up who didn't show up, you know, and kind of looking for every opportunity where, you know, we might be able to add value throughout that journey, you know that and I just think that that's some of the best time you can possibly spend, you know, is is really kind of on that front line hearing from your customer. I also have a customer advisory board I have a Facebook group of 15 customers and you know, I share everything with them. I say hey guys, here's this crazy idea we have what do you think eat it up? You know, and and these people are just the most unbelievable folks. And so getting a customer point of view on everything I think is just you know, you can ever spend enough time with your customers. They add value to everything. Mike Gelb 35:49 Totally agree and I love I love that you create this like customer advisory board. I think that's what's so crucial and you know, great just to kind of keep a pulse on your customers. And and their needs, and seeing how you can help them through the grieving process. So, so we've talked about the early stages of you forming the turn of a, we've talked about the present and COVID want to talk about the future? And what are you thinking about the vision of a tournament for the next few years? Adelle Archer 36:16 Well, our vision is to become the leading celebration of life brand in the entire care space, you know, so it's an ambitious vision to become the Zola of death care, you know, you've come to a turn of a and there's just every possible way to, you know, honor your loved one in a really extraordinary way, you know, all kinds of different Memorial options and experiences, you know, grief journeys, that you can go on, you know, content that can help support you through this time, gifts that you can gift, somebody that you know, is grieving. So, you know, there's just, I think, a tremendous need for all of that and a wonderful opportunity for us to be, you know, the one that go and completely kind of re invent this, this space in this category. So that's very much, you know, the future and the vision. And, you know, our goal is to serve more families in death care than any other company. That's awesome. What's Mike Gelb 37:07 one book that inspired you professionally, in one book that inspired you personally, Adelle Archer 37:11 nationally, probably the ones that I read over and over again, tactically would be never split the difference, just such a brilliant book, anytime you prepare for a negotiation of some kind, but I would say the one that really kind of resonated with me, you know, as a leader, was Extreme Ownership. I love that principle. I just think, you know, when you start with what was my personal, you know, role in any outcome, and how could I have done better and, you know, how do I completely take ownership for outcomes and lead in that way, you build an entire team around you that, you know, is built on that same Extreme Ownership mindset and, you know, so not looking ever to cast blame, but always, you know, being the first to say, here's what I could have done differently. And I, you know, we've really embraced that at a tournament And I just, I'm so proud of my whole team. You know, when everybody exhibits that we just become that much more powerful. And on a personal level, I would say it's probably the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle a gosh that guy is just a genius you know, anytime I would say he just he's so smart about helping you kind of master your own internal experience and not let anything really have power over you. You know, if you're having kind of a really difficult low in your business or the environment or you know, whatever it is that got kind of thrown your way I would recommend going for a walk and letting a cart give you a little pep talk and you know, he just will get you anchored in the present moment and kind of let everything else melt away and I think he's been an incredible teacher to me over the years. Mike Gelb 38:48 Yeah, all three of those books on terrific excited to add them to my reading list as well as put them in the show notes. So my final question is, what's one piece of advice you have for founders who are currently fundraising Adelle Archer 39:00 You know, when everybody tells you that it's a process and it can be a grind, like, you know, they're absolutely right. And I think, you know, you learn so much through the process and you learn so much from, you know, objections that some VCs will have. And, you know, I think it's always smart to be kind of listening and hearing patterns and trends, because there's absolutely truth, you know, you'll learn a lot about like, what things you need to work on. But at the same time, you also will hear a ton of conflicting, you know, pieces of feedback. So I think you you do take certain things with a grain of salt and saying, you know, somebody will see this thing one way and then somebody will see it the absolute opposite way and both will be convinced they're right. So, you know, know that like, kind of stay true to like what you know about your company, you know, and just lead with confidence every single time. So it's kind of that willingness to be open and know what you need to work on based on what you're learning and the feedback you're hearing but also kind of staying resolute on what you know to be true. And then, again, I I just can't emphasize enough getting really awesome kind of badass angels involved. You know, it's just been a wonderful experience for us. And, you know, you get to a certain stage like series A Series B, where you know, your rounds too big that they're not going to be investing at that size and scale. So getting them in early, you know, I just think that they've been our biggest value add. So if you're raising a strategic Angel, round a seed, something like that, go get some badass angels, because you know, they can be really helpful.