Podcasts about Product

People have been asking me to sit on the other side of the mic for a long time. With my wife's debut children's book, Charts for Babies, coming out next month, we figured: why not do it together? What followed was one of the most honest conversations I've had on this podcast. Michelle asked things no one else would think to ask—and many things I've never shared publicly. You'll hear about the specific moments that pushed me to start the newsletter, how I think about quality and iteration, what most stresses me out, and the scariest moment of my life. This was so fun, and so special, and I hope you like it.We discuss:1. The collection of moments that led me to what I do now2. When I added a paywall, and how I knew it was working3. The hidden treadmill behind shipping a newsletter post and podcast episode every week4. The most stressful moments I've had in business and in life5. How I think about stress, consistency, and keeping the business small—Pre-order Charts for Babies: https://www.amazon.com/Charts-Babies-Picture-Book/dp/1419785184—Brought to you by:WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lennyMetaview—The AI platform for recruiting: https://metaview.ai/lennyDX—The developer intelligence platform designed by leading researchers: https://getdx.com/lenny—Episode transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-i-built-a-1m-subscriber-newsletter—Archive of all Lenny's Podcast transcripts: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yxi4s2w998p1gvtpu4193/AMdNPR8AOw0lMklwtnC0TrQ?rlkey=j06x0nipoti519e0xgm23zsn9&st=ahz0fj11&dl=0—Where to find Michelle Rial:• X: https://x.com/TheRialMichelle• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellerial• Website: https://www.michellerial.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction and role reversal(04:06) What would Lenny be doing without the newsletter?(07:20) The moments that led to starting the newsletter(09:58) Does Lenny still enjoy the work?(12:42) Stress management and misophonia(14:00) The psychedelic trip that changed everything(15:45) Online happiness course and baseline optimization(17:30) Thunder round: Lenny's misophonia worst sounds(20:20) What makes Michelle's charts so shareable(23:55) Where chart ideas come from (and why meditation helps)(26:59) Where does “Lenny” come from?(28:54) Being recognized in public(31:24) Early projects(36:30) Michelle and Lenny's yin and yang(37:49) Missing office culture (but not really)(39:37) Lenny's face blindness(40:47) The $100M fraud attack story(42:50) Michelle's childbirth emergency(47:22) Michelle's creative process(51:58) Lenny's favorite children's books(54:00) Product management lessons in parenting(55:31) Defining product management in five words(58:23) Why Michelle pivoted to children's books(01:01:30) The power of iteration and real experience—Resources and episode mentions: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-i-built-a-1m-subscriber-newsletter—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

When a company scales from 5,000 to 17,000 employees overnight, the traditional HR playbook doesn't just need an update—it needs a total transformation. Barbara Gaillard shares how she moved TA from a purely transactional function to a "People as a Product" model that balances rapid execution with deep long-term strategy.

Join Fredrik Mattsson, CEO of Inamo, for a deep dive into one of the most common—and costly—mistakes in software development: building too much. With over a decade of experience in enterprise SaaS and digital transformation, Fredrik has seen firsthand how "feature bloat" slows down engineering teams and confuses users. In this episode, we explore how modern product teams are shifting away from "building and hoping" toward an evidence-led approach, using AI to turn qualitative user feedback into actionable insights before a single line of code is written.

Triforce! Episode 348! Pyrion's hosting university talks, Lewis is making it big in traditional media (especially compared to Sips who just watched some TV) and we discover McDonalds Trading Cards! Go to http://shopify.com/triforce to sign up for your $1-per-month trial. Support your favourite podcast on Patreon: https://bit.ly/2SMnzk6 Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From installing network cards as a teenager to navigating four successful exits across decades of tech evolution, Raj Singh shares lessons on acquisition timing, building buyer relationships, and the emotional journey founders experience after selling. Raj Singh is VP of Product at Mozilla, leading new zero-to-one product initiatives. He joined Mozilla in 2022 via acquisition of his startup Pulse (AI meeting summarization). Previously, he co-founded Tempo AI (acquired by Salesforce 2015), All the Cooks (acquired by CookPad), and served as VP of Business Development at Skyfire (acquired by Opera). WHAT YOU'LL LEARN You'll discover why exit windows matter more than plans, how to build relationships with potential acquirers years in advance, the four emotional stages after selling, why 80-85% of acquisitions are CEO-driven, and how founder fatigue is the number two reason startups fail. RAJ'S JOURNEY Raj's entrepreneurial instincts showed up early. Before college, he installed network cards in friends' computers for students heading to dorms. Desktop computers didn't have Ethernet ports back then, so he bought cards from Fry's Electronics, installed them, set up drivers, and charged for the service. His first substantive deal came during the dot-com crash, a net-zero acquisition in the early video codec era around 2000. He's since navigated four exits across radically different market conditions: the dot-com crash, 2008 financial crisis, COVID, and today's landscape. Each taught him something different about timing, negotiation, and integration. "What worked yesterday doesn't work today." THE SERIAL EXIT OPERATOR Raj's perspective comes from exiting companies during each major market cycle, giving him pattern recognition most founders never develop. At Mozilla, he's thrived leading products like Mozilla Solo (AI website builder) and Postful (social media management), finding ways to keep learning within a larger organization. KEY INSIGHTS Exit windows exist and close. Miss one, and the next might not emerge for 3-8 years. Founder fatigue is the number two reason startups fail. The hardest question: can you push through for another five years? Build acquisition relationships years in advance. Identify your 10 most likely buyers on day one. Check in every six months with no intent to sell. Acquisitions are about timing. If your timing doesn't align with a buyer's executive off-site decision, you could be off by six months and it won't happen. The emotional journey: relief when the deal closes, regret within days, inspired to make it the best acquisition ever, then acceptance it's not your company anymore. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/rajsingh FOR MORE ON RAJ SINGH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajansingh/ Email: raj@rajansingh.com Twitter/X: @rajansingh Threads: @rajansingh FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps:[00:06:37] - Introduction: Raj Singh's bio and background [00:08:28] - Childhood computer interest and early entrepreneurial instincts [00:08:54] - First side hustle: Installing network cards for college students [00:12:07] - First substantive deal during dot-com crash [00:13:30] - Evolution of startup ecosystem: from Chamber of Commerce books to today [00:21:24] - Journey to Mozilla via Pulse acquisition [00:24:03] - Why staying at Mozilla works: continuous learning and challenge [00:32:10] - All the Cooks exit during Y Combinator three-day decision window [00:35:53] - Tempo AI monetization struggles and Salesforce acquisition [00:39:23] - Four emotional stages after acquisition: relief, regret, inspired, acceptance [00:43:07] - Exit windows and why timing matters more than plans [00:43:32] - Founder fatigue as number two reason startups fail [00:48:19] - Building relationships with 10 potential acquirers from day one [00:50:42] - When incumbents enter your category (market acceleration) [00:51:05] - Enterprise multiple winners versus consumer winner-take-all [00:51:31] - Current work at Mozilla: Solo and Postful products [00:52:53] - What freedom means: choosing where to spend time Guest Bio: Raj Singh is VP of Product at Mozilla, leading zero-to-one product initiatives. He joined via acquisition of Pulse (AI meeting tools) in 2022. Previously: co-founder/CEO Tempo AI (acquired by Salesforce 2015), co-founder All the Cooks (acquired by CookPad), VP Business Development at Skyfire (acquired by Opera). BS in computer engineering from Cal Poly. Host Bio: Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description: Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes:Episode 328 - Richard Manders: Serial Acquisitions and Scaling Through M&A Episode 350 - Tom Dillon: Understanding Business Valuation and Exit Planning Realities Episode 325 - Kelly Finnell: Using ESOPs in Ownership Succession Planning Episode 330 - Pete Mohr: Building Enterprise Value and Exit Readiness Episode 339 - Equitizing Key Employees and Succession Planning Strategies Social Media: Follow DealQuest Podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Follow Raj Singh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajansingh/ Twitter/X: @rajansingh Threads: @rajansingh Keywords/Tags:startup exits, M&A timing, acquisition strategy, multiple exits, founder fatigue, exit windows, serial entrepreneur, Salesforce acquisition, Mozilla products, Tempo AI, enterprise versus consumer, building acquisition relationships, CEO-driven acquisitions, emotional journey after exit, strategic buyer relationships, All the Cooks, CookPad acquisition, Pulse acquisition, tech evolution, startup integration, venture capital, exit readiness, founder burnout, M&A strategy, tech acquisitions

Do you have a product-based business? Are you selling products via an Etsy store, in a pop-up shop or a retail store? Are you selling one-off products online? Adding a subscription box to your existing business is a no-brainer and can offer you so many benefits!  Adding a subscription box provides:  A stable, predictable revenue stream - recurring payments benefit your business in so many ways, including stabilizing your cash flow.   Customer loyalty - subscribers have committed to regularly purchasing products from you.  Increased lifetime value (LTV) - do you know the LTV of your customers? My subscribers stay for an average of 18 months, generating thousands of dollars of revenue each.  Opportunities for cross-selling and upselling - pair your box items with additional one-off items from your shop.  Scalability - packing and shipping 500 of the same thing is much more efficient than 500 different orders.  Have I convinced you to add a subscription box to your business?  I have 5 simple steps to follow to make it happen.  Identify your best customers: Who are they?  How often do they shop with you?  Take a look at your top 20 customers and dial into who they are.  Identify your best-sellers: What categories are your best sellers?  What do people buy from you repeatedly?  What are people asking for more of?  Set your pricing structure: What is your average order value (AOV)? What is the AOV of your top 100 customers?  Price your subscription box in that range.  Create exclusivity and scarcity:  What are the benefits of being a subscriber?  Make items only available in the box.  Make them only available by subscription.  Create FOMO with your customer base - make them want to be part of something exclusive.   Create a great user experience:  Are your website and the checkout process clear and easy to follow?   Make it easy for people to update or cancel their subscriptions.  Provide a higher level of customer service - remember your subscribers are the VIPs of your business.  A bonus piece of advice, which is really the best piece of advice, is to talk about your subscription box a LOT. If you want to create a business that is 75% recurring revenue instead of depending on one-off sales, you've got to make it the main thing in your business. And that means talking about it… a lot!  Join me for this episode to learn how having a subscription box can change the game for your business. Predictable inventory, better cash flow, monthly recurring revenue, and more. Follow 5 simple steps to get started today!  Join me in all the places:  ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Launch Your Box with Sarah Website⁠  Are you ready for ⁠Launch Your Box⁠? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. ⁠Join ⁠today!

In this week's episode of the PolicyViz Podcast, I chat with Michael Gethers, former Head of Data & Strategy for the McLaren IndyCar team, about how a personal side project analyzing IndyCar timing PDFs turned into a job building real-time data tools for a professional race team. We dig into what it's like to design data products for engineers, strategists, and drivers who need to understand information instantly while a car is on track. Michael shares how he moved from making public visualizations on Twitter to building an internal analytics application from scratch, why “pretty charts” weren't enough for the engineers, and how user feedback shaped the product. We also talk about race strategy as a probabilistic data science problem, the difference between dashboards and data products, and what he learned about designing for cognition under extreme time pressure. If you care about dashboards, data storytelling, or building tools people truly use, this conversation is a goldmine.Keywords: data dashboards, data product design, data visualization, motorsports analytics, race strategy, McLaren IndyCar, telemetry data, timing data, data science in sports, user centered design, dashboard design, real time analytics, D3 visualization, data engineering, analytics applicationSubscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

Retired Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins brings you the best in mob history through his unique perspective on the mafia. In this episode of Gangland Wire, Gary Jenkins welcomes an unusual guest from the world of organized crime storytelling—cartoonist Brett Juliano, creator of the Dust Bunny Mafia comic series. Instead of traditional books or documentaries, Brett tells real Mafia stories through short, three-panel comics featuring his unique cartoon characters while staying grounded in historical research and documented sources. Brett explains how his lifelong interest in animation and storytelling evolved into a project that blends true crime history with visual humor and commentary. After moving to Chicago, he became fascinated with the city's underworld history and began transforming real mob stories into illustrated comic strips that challenge Hollywood myths and highlight lesser-known facts about organized crime. His work draws on true crime books, FBI files, court transcripts, and podcasts, including Gangland Wire itself. Each comic strip distills a real historical moment into a visual gag or ironic twist that reveals the strange reality behind mob legends. Gary and Brett discuss several Dust Bunny Mafia comics and the real events behind them: The “Sicilian Flu” Courtroom Act A humorous look at a tactic sometimes used by mob figures: appearing frail in court to gain sympathy or delay proceedings. Wiseguys who were partying the night before might suddenly appear in a wheelchair, wrapped in blankets or hooked to oxygen tanks when they walked into court. Lucky Luciano and the Myth of “Lucky” Brett examines the legendary story that Charles “Lucky” Luciano got his nickname after surviving a brutal kidnapping and beating. His comic plays with the idea that mobsters often exaggerated their own legends—especially when trying to impress people. The Kansas City Mob Search – Carl “Tuffy” DeLuna One comic comes directly from Gary Jenkins' own experience investigating the Kansas City mob. When police searched DeLuna's home in 1979, the mobster calmly offered coffee and eventually led investigators straight to the basement, where incriminating notes were stored. The scene shows how, sometimes, the truth of organized crime investigations is stranger than fiction. Bugsy Siegel in Rainy Portland Another comic explores the obscure story of Bugsy Siegel visiting Portland to meet local crime boss Al Winters, only to endure two straight weeks of rain—highlighting the contrast between Hollywood-style mob glamour and the less glamorous reality of underworld negotiations. A New Graphic Anthology on Kickstarter Brett is now launching a major new collection of his comics titled: “Family Business: An Offer You Can't Refuse.” The book will include: 130+ pages of full-color comics More than 230 true crime strips Historical commentary explaining the real story behind each comic Additional artwork parodying mob businesses and underworld culture The project will be funded through a Kickstarter campaign beginning March 24, with the finished book expected to ship later in the year once printing is completed. Click here for

Here’s a question that cuts to the heart of what makes sales hard: What do you do when your commodity is identical to every competitor’s, the buyer knows it, and the only lever they want to pull is price? That’s the challenge Ash from Chennai, India brought to me on a recent Ask Jeb episode. Ash works as a trader importing textile goods from Asian manufacturers and selling them into Spanish-speaking markets in South America and Spain. No proprietary product. No unique features. Pure commodity, all the way down. And yet Ash is holding customers. Getting repeat orders. Building relationships across borders and languages. He just needed a framework to understand why it was working and how to make it work even harder. The Trap Every Commodity Salesperson Falls Into When everything looks the same, most salespeople default to one of two bad moves: race to the bottom on price, or get paralyzed trying to explain a value they can’t articulate. Here is the brutal truth. Your buyer already knows the product is a commodity. They know they could go direct to the factory and cut you out entirely. They are not confused about that. What they are evaluating is whether the risk and hassle of cutting you out is worth the savings. Your job is to make sure the answer is always no. That requires you to stop thinking about what your product does and start thinking about what YOU do. Three Reasons Customers Keep Buying From Ash When I asked Ash why his good customers keep coming back, he gave me three answers that every salesperson in a commodity business needs to write down. You make it easy. Ash speaks Spanish. His customers speak Spanish. If they go direct to a Chinese or Vietnamese factory, they face language barriers, cultural friction, and communication breakdowns. Ash eliminates all of that. Business people will pay for less hassle. Time is money, and you are saving them both. You are someone they like and trust. Ash follows up. He wishes customers a happy New Year. He remembers what matters to them. That is not fluff. That is relationship equity that compounds over time. When customers feel like they can trust you, when a familiar voice picks up the phone, they do not want to start over with a stranger. You reduce financial risk. In Ash’s business, buyers put down a 20% deposit, sometimes a hundred thousand dollars or more, and pay the balance when the container arrives. The nightmare scenario is that container showing up full of the wrong product. Ash’s company has been operating for over 20 years. They do what they say they are going to do. That longevity is not just a stat. It is a security blanket. The Power of the Micro Story Knowing your value is half the battle. Being able to articulate it when a buyer pushes back on price is the other half. Here is what I told Ash: You need stories. Not case studies. Not bullet points. Short, vivid, real stories that make the risk of cutting you out feel tangible. Something like this: “I get it. You could go directly to the factory and save ten percent. Some of my customers tried that before working with me. One of them got a container full of product that was not what they ordered. It cost them more than they saved, and they had no one local, no one they trusted, to help them fix it. That is why they work with me now.” That story is doing three things at once. It validates the buyer’s instinct to compare prices. It quantifies the real cost of the cheaper alternative. And it positions you as the solution to a problem they have not had yet but definitely do not want. If you are newer to sales and do not have your own stories yet, go talk to your senior teammates. Read industry articles. Find examples of what goes wrong when buyers skip the middleman. Then make those stories part of your standard value conversation. Not Every Buyer Is Your Buyer This is the part that stings a little, but it is important. Some buyers are going to push back on your margins until the conversation goes nowhere. They will tell you the price they need, and if you cannot hit it, they will walk. That is okay. What they are telling you is that they do not value what you bring to the table. They want the cheapest option, and that is a legitimate business decision. They are just not your customer. Your job is not to convert every skeptic. Your job is to keep your pipeline full and find the buyers who genuinely value ease, safety, and responsiveness. Those are the ones who become long-term accounts. Those are the ones who, two or three years in, cannot imagine buying from anyone else. Ash is already doing this well. He has visited customers in Mexico, Colombia, and Spain. He has done office meetings and factory tours. When a customer says yes to a visit, they are telling you something: you matter to us. That is what I call an engagement test, and Ash is passing it. Your Value, Packaged Simply In commodity sales, your pitch does not need to be complicated. It needs to be consistent. Here is how I would frame it every time a buyer pushes back: I make this easy for you. I am responsive. And your money is safe with me. Then back each of those up with a story. That is the whole game. Not features. Not specs. You. When you are tired and ready to wrap up the day, remember this: the prospecting you do today pays you for the next three months. Pick up the phone and make one more call. The buyers who value what you do are out there. Go find them. Want to take this to the next level in person? Join Sales Gravy at one of our live events, where we work with sales professionals and leaders to build the skills, mindset, and habits that drive elite performance. See all upcoming events at salesgravy.com/live.

Hey, friend. I'm pulling an amazing episode from the archives with over 430 episodes here on the Proof to Product podcast. There is a gold mine of information for you to help you grow your business, and, frankly, it can be hard to take it all in. Today's episode is a look back at an interview I did with Biff Ulm of Nice Enough Stickers who I recently hosted a Paper Camp call with last week. During this replay episode, Biff and I had a lot to catch up on, but one thing that stood out was that his observations at the Las Vegas gift show were about product development strategy. He has much to say about it, and I'm excited for you to listen in.  For background, Biff's stickers are now in over 300 stores with 8,000 locations, so he knows a thing or two about creating products that people want to buy. Biff also owns a wildly successful retail shop, which provides him with a unique viewpoint as both a wholesale buyer and seller.  In this episode, we discuss the importance of patience, iteration, and customer feedback in developing successful products. We also discuss how to leverage data and understand buying behaviors. This episode is brought to you by our Email Marketing For Product Makers guide. 49% of our customers want to hear from us consistently, yet, only a small percentage of product-based business owners are actively sending monthly emails to their customers.   If you've struggled with what to say, when to send, or how to plan out your email marketing strategies, we've got just the tool for you. This tool and the optional training have helped hundreds of product makers plan out an entire year's worth of emails.  And, the best part… they are creating templates that they can rinse & repeat year after year.   DOWNLOAD NOW You can view full show notes and more at http://prooftoproduct.com/361  Quick Links: Free Wholesale Audio Series Free Resources Library Free Email Marketing for Product Makers PTP LABS Paper Camp  

Junaid Shaikh: Why Teams Go Through The Motions of Agile Without Being Agile, And What To Do About It Junaid's book recommendation is The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. As a Scrum Master working at companies like Ericsson and ABB — organizations that are a "United Nations" of cultures — understanding cultural tendencies has been essential. But Junaid goes further: you can customize the Culture Map framework even within a team of people from the same country, using the parameters to map different personalities. It's about how you use the tool, not just where people come from. He also recommends Scrum Mastery: From Good to Great Servant Leadership by Geoff Watts for practical advice on the servant leadership role, and regularly visits Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org for real-world insights from the community. On the topic of teams that self-destruct, Junaid paints a picture that many listeners will recognize. He picked up a team's retrospective history and cumulative flow diagrams and found problems at every level: managers who declared "from tomorrow we're going agile" without understanding what that meant, then started comparing velocity across teams. Product owners who took PO training but reverted to command-and-control project management. A previous Scrum Master doing what Junaid calls "zombie Scrum" — implementing the framework mechanically without understanding its purpose. The pattern underneath it all: people enveloping their traditional mindset under an agile umbrella. The ceremonies happen, the daily standups run, but nobody is questioning why they're doing any of it. As Vasco observes, this zombie pattern isn't limited to Scrum — it happens with code reviews, architecture reviews, any process that gets adopted without critical thinking about its purpose. Junaid's insight: if you don't understand the basics with the right mindset, every event feels like overhead. Teams complain about "too many meetings" because they're running agile ceremonies on top of their old informal processes. "If you don't get out of your previous shell, you cannot get into a new shell." [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

What happens to dairy markets when one of the world's busiest shipping lanes suddenly gets disrupted? With the Strait of Hormuz under pressure and trade routes across the Persian Gulf in question, exporters are scrambling to figure out how to move product. What does all this mean for global dairy demand? In this episode of The Milk Check, host Ted Jacoby III sits down with the Jacoby trading team to talk through what happens when geopolitics collides with global dairy trade. We dig into: How exporters may reroute product through alternate ports like Jeddah Why trade flows could shift between the U.S., Europe, Oceania and Southeast Asia How energy prices and freight disruptions could ripple through dairy markets Whether this disruption boosts demand in the short term or destroys it if it drags on Find out how one shipping lane could reshape the global dairy trade. Listen to The Milk Check episode 95: The Strait of Hormuz: What the Iran Conflict Means for Dairy Trade. Click below to listen or find us on Spotify, YouTube,  Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check Ted Jacoby III: [00:00:00] Coming up on The Milk Check. The Strait of Hormuz is closed. The port of Dammam is closed. Joe Maixner: There’s definitely product that’s stuck, can’t get to its destination. Ted Jacoby III: Welcome to the Milk Check from T.C. Jacoby and Company, your complete guide to dairy markets, from the milking parlor to the supermarket shelf. I’m Ted Jacoby. Let’s dive in. Today we’re gonna talk about what’s going on in the dairy market, specifically global trade. We’re recording this on March 6th, 2026, and seven days ago the U.S. bombed Iran.  As we [00:00:30] speak, the Strait of Hormuz is closed. The port of Dammam is closed, and trade flows are getting rearranged as we speak. Today with me, we have Joe Maixner, head of our butter trading book. We have Josh White, we have Diego Carvallo, and we have Mike Brown. And we thought it would be appropriate to discuss what’s going on in the Middle East, specifically how it’s affecting the dairy industry, and what its short-term and long-term effects will be on dairy demand. We’re gonna start with Joe. Joe, what are you hearing out there right [00:01:00] now? Joe Maixner: There’s definitely product that’s stuck, can’t get to its destination. Both going into Port of Dammam and other Middle Eastern ports for that matter. With butter’s moves over the past year, the Middle East market had been probably the largest growth opportunity for us in global exports for butter. Fortunately, this all happened after the rush for Ramadan to get everything in. So, I would say that it’s not as bad as it could be right now, but there is certainly product that’s stuck on the water looking for [00:01:30] alternative options to get to land. And there’s quite a bit of product that still is waiting to leave the U.S. that we’re not quite sure if and when it will actually leave. A lot of it’s still up in the air. Nobody really knows, what to do yet. I think it’s still too early to tell. Nothing’s been canceled per se, but the longer that this drags on, we’re certainly going to have some effects from it. Ted Jacoby III: There’s a lot of talk that maybe this war is gonna be a five to six week war. If the Strait of Hormuz is closed for five to six weeks, as is the [00:02:00] Port of Dammam, is that enough to cancel orders? Is that too long? Joe Maixner: I would say it should probably cancel some orders. I wouldn’t say it would cancel everything, but they’re gonna have to get product at some point from somewhere, They can’t completely stop. People are gonna have to eat. Production will still have to continue, and they’re gonna have to source product from somebody. And if we can’t get it there, they’ll find it from somewhere else. Ted Jacoby III: I’m hearing that one of the things that they’re exploring is shipping into Jeddah, which if you look at a map of the Middle East, Dammam is in the Persian Gulf on [00:02:30] one side of the peninsula. Jeddah is basically on the exact opposite side of Peninsula on the Red Sea. So they’re talking about shipping into Jeddah and then shipping it across the land to where it might need to go. The first thing that occurs to me is Dammam, I believe, is a bigger port than Jeddah. And so if you take all those container ships going into Dammam and send them to Jeddah instead, there’s not gonna be enough room to unload ’em all. And so, at the very least, the traffic’s gonna be pretty horrific. Are you guys hearing people working on that too? Joe Maixner: Yes, they’re looking at alternate ports of [00:03:00] entry and moving the product around. Jeddah is one. Casablanca is one. Going into Egypt is one. There are options. All of ’em are more expensive and it’s just gonna depend on how desperate the end user is to get the product. Josh White: We’ve got some experience dealing with trade disruptions over the past decade, and we tend to see the playbook similarly each time. And then when we talk about what’s specifically happened in our markets now, I think We can watch for some warning signs. Number one is in these type of situations, we start worrying about trade [00:03:30] flows, energy, freight, congestion, those type of things, all impacting markets and trade. Additionally, when we think about this conflict, there’s maybe three different scenarios to talk about. It’s very intense right now. Does that intensity continue for a very long time? What does that mean for our trade? It’s very intense right now for, but after, four to six weeks, maybe it continues on, but it’s more stable or consistent and the world learns how to trade around it. And then the third one is the one you [00:04:00] outlined earlier, which I think is a bit optimistic, usually these things don’t just go away that quickly, is that it’s over in a short amount of time. That’s the easiest one for us to project. That just creates a short-term concentration pent-up demand, pent-up shipments, and we just gotta work our way through that bubble. I think the middle one’s more likely. Not because I’m an expert on these things, but we’ve seen what happened in different conflicts in different situations. The middle one being it’s intense for a bit, then it becomes more consistent and normalized, and we just learn how to work [00:04:30] around it. What does that mean? And to me, that redirects trade flows. For instance, the U.S. has been very competitive in the Middle East for butter and cheese. It’s not the first time we’ve been competitive. We were competitive 15 years ago or so at a pretty good rate where we were an net exporter of butterfat, cheese I think we’ve been fairly consistent throughout, but it takes time to get there. Our biggest obstacle in doing business with that market versus Europe as a competitor, is the transit time. We inflate the freight rates, we increase transit [00:05:00] time, there’s concern of access to supply because of turbulence or stability, our price could be fine, and we could still miss some business because you have to buy now or you’ve gotta get product in now, or you just don’t have time to wait the, what, six weeks from order at minimum, probably more like a quarter, oftentimes, to get the product. That’s maybe our biggest obstacle right now is redirected trade lanes, not price. Joe Maixner: All of these trade disruptions create opportunity elsewhere. If our price comes off, [00:05:30] as it has, butter shot up earlier this week, it’s come back off here at the end of the week. It’s created opportunity for trade into other export markets. Where one door closes, another opens. Ted Jacoby III: How do you think those trade flows change? What comes, what goes, what are the changes that you think will happen? Let’s assume that the Persian Gulf is off limits for two or three months. What does that mean for dairy? Josh White: Lost demand, if it’s that long.  That’s lost demand. Now if we assume that we’re able to redirect product to [00:06:00] maintain the same demand, you’re gonna have trade lanes shift, right? What are the options? Ted Jacoby III: Let’s articulate this a little bit more for our listeners. When we’re talking about trade lanes shifting, right now there’s product on the water trying to head there that can’t. What’s gonna happen to those ships? That’s one. Two, there’s product that was sitting in the port about ready to ship. I think there were a lot of calls this week. I think we know of quite a few calls this week where they basically said, “Let’s sit on it. Let’s wait for this all to calm down before we actually ship it.” And three, [00:06:30] there’s product that maybe was scheduled to ship in a month or two. I think it’s fair to say, people probably have to figure out immediately what are they gonna do with the product that’s on the water right now. And I think the other two, they may be able to give it a little bit of time, decide whether or not they’re gonna cancel any orders and redirect it. Diego, the product that’s on the water right now, what do you expect happens to it? Diego Carvallo: Ted, I’ve been internally debating this for a while and even with the team. I think a few things are happening, but I don’t know which one has a bigger magnitude. Supply chains used to be very thin [00:07:00] for skim milk powder for the past year or two years. They are gonna have to build more inventory for those supply chains because product might take 60 days instead of 30 days to ship it. Product is gonna get stuck at the port of entry, port of shipment, in transit, et cetera. So, I think that bumps up demand artificially. Yeah. But there’s more product that’s gonna be stuck in the supply chain. That’s the first thing that comes to mind short-term, if this doesn’t continue to escalate. But if things continue to [00:07:30] escalate, and three weeks from now or a month from now, we’re still not being able to ship product to those destinations, product is gonna start backing up at ports of loading, right? So we’re gonna start hearing from the California manufacturers that they have a 100, 200 loads at port, and that prospects are not great for shipping, and that we should find new homes for that, right? I think if this gets solved the short-term, it’s positive for demand. It’s bullish market, but if it goes more long-term, you start killing demand, and you start needing to [00:08:00] find homes for additional product. But I know that everybody, at least on our team, has different takes on the whole situation. Ted Jacoby III: I would agree with that. I tend to lean to the side that, politically, the Trump administration can’t afford for this to go on too long, and the longer the strait is closed, the more political pressure they’re gonna have to resolve things. It’s realistic to consider that there’s a possibility that this thing goes on for a really long time, and that strait is closed for a really long time. Diego Carvallo: The second topic that I think we should talk a little bit about is what is a [00:08:30] psychological implication that this has on buyers? For example, on Chinese buyers who depend on products that go through that canal. That’s why I lean towards supply chains are gonna have to increase the amount of product they have, and end users are gonna change a little bit their procurement practices to increase their stocks. Yeah. Josh White: That happened post COVID, right? And didn’t last very long. Ted Jacoby III: I’d say it lasted two years. Josh White: But my point wasn’t that two years wasn’t a long time. It [00:09:00] was more of: they reverted back to the just-in-time model once things stabilized. Ted Jacoby III: Yes. That is a good point. I do agree with that. But you know what, even though they reverted back to the just-in-time model, two and a half months ago, prices were low enough that I think there were people trying to rebuild their stocks because they felt that prices were low enough to do that. I don’t know if they actually succeeded. My gut, based on what we’re hearing from customers right now, is they didn’t, but there was certainly a willingness to build back inventory levels if the price was right. In the [00:09:30] meantime, we’re dealing with disrupted trade flows. And so my second question for you guys is, we talk about disrupted trade flows, but let’s put some examples under that so our listeners understand what we’re talking about. How will these trade lanes shift? Where will product flows change? Will we see maybe more U.S. product going into Southeast Asia, more European product going into the Middle East, because perhaps they can put it on a truck and ship it through Istanbul by rail or by truck all the way there? I don’t know. Josh White: Yeah, I [00:10:00] think that’s a super good point, and it goes into what Diego said, which I don’t think is limited to nonfat, by the way, or milk powders. I think customers need to buy, and are used to getting what they need quite easily, and they’ve run their structural days in inventory down quite a bit to where that’s going to require people to buy from where they can get it quickly. This disruption has served as a bit of a catalyst to something I think was already materializing or happening. And now if you inflate freight rates a little bit more, that’s only gonna make it that [00:10:30] much more pronounced: that you need to buy from who’s close. New Zealand’s having a good back shoulder of their season, too, and I believe that there’s quite a bit of New Zealand product that is on its way or destined to go to the Middle East and North Africa. So when we think about what happens, I think everyone goes back to their closest trade partner. That takes the Oceana product to Asia. It takes the U.S. product, obviously, to Mexico. There’s at least some risk that European product was gonna come to Mexico. This is making that more difficult, I imagine, as [00:11:00] well. And I guess they’re gonna have to problem solve if that demand holds under the scenario we talked about earlier: that Europe’s got a lot of product right now. There’s a lot of milk, and they’re making a lot of everything. And thus far, it’s been okay because exports have been reported to be good. Maybe we’re talking about how this impacts the Americans, but I imagine that the impact might be a little bit more extreme for the Europeans. There’s another impact in there that I think Diego touched on. When you have commitments for product [00:11:30] and that product takes longer to get to you, and you’re running your supply chain thin, you reach out then and buy other product at a higher price, often, to fill your immediate demand. And once everything stabilizes, you actually are structurally oversupplied. We experienced that within recent history. Ted Jacoby III: Oh, absolutely. Josh White: And so that creates that air pocket in demand that will eventually arrive. We just don’t know when. Ted Jacoby III: What I imagine is, those boats that are on the water that were heading to Dammam when all this [00:12:00] started, they’re either parked right now, waiting to see if everything clears up, or they’re getting themselves rescheduled into Jeddah to try and figure out how to get there another way.  I would assume the product that hadn’t been loaded onto a ship yet is backing up at the port for a little while. How long do you think it takes? How long do we need to be watching this conflict continue to go on, watching the Strait of Hormuz continue to be closed, how long will it take before do you think they’ll start selling that product elsewhere? Canceling contracts and selling it elsewhere? A [00:12:30] month, two months? Because my gut tells me that’s when you really start seeing the market shift around. Right now, everybody’s just in a waiting period. Right now everybody’s just wondering if this thing’s gonna last a long time or a short time, and they don’t wanna overreact just for everything to clear up in the next week or two, even if the possibility is low. Josh White: Nonfat futures are inverted, so I would imagine, not very long at all, but I don’t think nonfat is the most impacted product here.  The curve on the butter futures has really flattened out as well. There’s not a long time window there either if we don’t put [00:13:00] a decent carry back in the market. Ted Jacoby III: So the market is already pricing in the possibility of this going on a long time, but the cash markets haven’t really fallen yet because there’s still hope. Maybe that’s a good way to put it. Josh White: It’s only been a week, one business week. That’s a big conclusion that our team had, earlier today, is that we came in Monday, following the announcement, and we’re like, okay, what happened to dairy? And the reality is everyone’s trying to figure it out and it’s gonna take some time. So I don’t think we’ve seen the reaction or response to the [00:13:30] situation actually materialize yet. Ted Jacoby III: Do you think that the question everybody should be asking is how long is it gonna take for the Strait of Hormuz to open? Joe Maixner: That’s a big caveat in this whole situation, right? Once that opens and trade flows resume, that clears a lot of things up. Regardless, it’s gonna take time to clear up, right? Because you’re gonna have a backlog, but the sooner that reopens, the sooner things pseudo get back to normal. Mike Brown (2): So much energy flows out to that strait to the rest of the world, particularly to Asia that it could affect incomes effect ability to [00:14:00] purchase products as well. It isn’t just bringing things in, it’s how they get the oil out. Question for Diego, Iran certainly makes some SMP. Do you think that has any impact at all? Diego Carvallo: That’s a really good point you’re bringing up, Mike. Iran had for the past five years ramped up their SMP experts significantly, so I believe, if I’m not wrong, in 2025, they exported something like 120,000 metric tons of skim milk powder. It’s obviously not [00:14:30] one of the biggest exporters in the world, but it’s a significant exporter. The most important takeaway is that they would supply those markets that are being affected by these interruptions the most. It’s not only that region has fewer access to European and American and even New Zealand sources, but also one of their main providers has an active block on food exports as of right now. Both things tell me it’s gonna be harder for demand to [00:15:00] get access to the product. If it extends this issue in time, this is definitely gonna kill demand. Ted Jacoby III: Let’s talk this through. The longer this goes on, what are the countries that are really gonna start seeing drops in demand because their revenue is dropping. Obviously Iran, I think you gotta include Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE. Joe Maixner: Yep. Ted Jacoby III: I think China, too, because they don’t have the access to energy. And maybe some of the other major importers of Middle East oil. Now, some of it will switch, probably go [00:15:30] outta Jeddah, but I don’t think there’s a lot of oil exports leaving Jeddah. I think it’s all in the Gulf. Joe Maixner: What does it do for European product though, given the fact that this is going to cause a spike in natural gas pricing. This is gonna cause a spike in all energy pricing.  When the whole Ukraine situation escalated and Europe lost access to gas, it would cost something like $500 per metric ton just to dry the product because of [00:16:00] the increased cost of gas. That put a lot of pressure onto the skim milk concentrate, and it gave a lot of support to skim milk powder. Diego Carvallo: I think something similar is gonna happen in the coming weeks because we all heard the news about if I’m not wrong, it was Qatar that just shut down the world’s biggest LNG plant. And it takes, I believe it’s 40 days for it to be back online at full operations. It’s not a one or two day interruption. It’s a [00:16:30] substantial interruption in the energy supply at a worldwide level. Ted Jacoby III: The one big difference between when we’ve seen gas prices spike in the past, and this time is in the past, when energy prices spiked, demand in the Middle East would actually go up because they’d have more revenue and more income. They don’t this time around because it’s spiking because they can’t be the exporters and make those sales. I think that’s important to take into account. You’ve got a scenario where if this goes [00:17:00] on long enough, I think there’s some real negative effects on demand that we’ve gotta start coming to terms with, I don’t think that matters if everything opens up within the next two to four weeks. We’ll see if that happens. Mike Brown (2): Generally, this administration has responded to economic pressure. We see what’s happening in the stock market and we see what’s happening with energy costs, they’re gonna be rethinking hard on how long they want this thing to stretch out, regardless of what maybe some of our partners would like it to be. There’s gonna be some strong economic pressure internally. Even the Senate, who voted to support [00:17:30] continuing the fighting in Iran did say, we’re good for now, but we’ll revisit this if we need to.  That pressure by the day is gonna keep going up. Ted Jacoby III: I’m a hundred percent in agreement with you, Mike, and that’s why my hunch is you’re not gonna see the strait shutdown for an extended period of time. But we don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. Hey, thanks guys. That was a great discussion today. It remains to be seen how this plays out. This is something that absolutely bears watching because it clearly is going to have some effect on dairy demand. We will see. [00:18:00]

What if the biggest challenge facing the mortgage industry isn't rates, guidelines, or loan products—but trust?In this episode of Laugh, Lend & Eat, Fobby Naghmi sits down with Kristin Messerli, Executive Director of FirstHome IQ, to unpack the growing trust and knowledge gap between the mortgage industry and the next generation of homebuyers.Drawing from the FirstHome IQ Impact Report, Kristin shares eye-opening research about how Millennials and Gen Z approach homeownership—and why many are delaying one of the most important financial decisions of their lives.The conversation explores why today's buyers feel overwhelmed by financial information, why so few trust industry professionals to guide them, and why the future of mortgage professionals may depend less on selling loans and more on educating and advocating for consumers.They also discuss Kristin's work bringing mortgage professionals to Washington through industry advocacy efforts, and why loan officers may play a critical role in shaping housing policy and rebuilding confidence in homeownership.If the industry wants to reach the next generation of buyers, it may need to rethink what it means to be a trusted advisor.In This EpisodeWhy the mortgage industry is facing a growing trust crisisThe surprising financial literacy gap among younger buyersWhy information overload causes people to delay buying homesThe difference between selling mortgages and educating consumersWhy loan officers may need to become community educatorsThe role mortgage professionals can play in housing advocacy and policyKey TakeawaysTrust is the real barrier.Many younger consumers don't lack motivation to buy homes—they lack confidence in who to trust for guidance.Financial literacy is missing.A large percentage of Millennials and Gen Z never received meaningful education about mortgages or homeownership before entering the housing market.Education builds business.Mortgage professionals who lead with clear, simple financial education can build stronger relationships and long-term referral networks.Advocacy matters.Loan officers who engage in housing policy conversations can help ensure lawmakers understand the real barriers borrowers face. Sign up here: https://www.firsthomeiq.com/mbaadvocacy About the GuestKristin Messerli is the Executive Director of FirstHome IQ, a nonprofit focused on improving financial literacy and empowering the next generation of homebuyers. She is widely recognized for her research on Millennial and Gen Z homebuyer behavior and works with lenders and industry leaders to rebuild trust through education and community engagement.Connect With Laugh, Lend & EatFollow the show for more conversations with leaders across mortgage, real estate, and financial services who are shaping the future of the industry.

Do nine-ending prices really work?  Will £9.99 sell more than £10.00? Can it be used for high-quality products? What about hedonic products? Can it be used on speed limits?  For years this debate has raged on. But today on Nudge, I speak with pricing expert Dr Markus Husemann-Kopetzky to settle the argument. ---  Markus' book: https://amzn.to/46Hetcg  Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,534 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/  --- Today's sources:  Gendall, P. (1998). Estimating the effect of odd pricing. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 7(5), 421–432. Husemann-Kopetzky, M. (2018). Handbook on the psychology of pricing: 100+ effects on persuasion and influence every entrepreneur, marketer and pricing manager needs to know. Independently published. ITN Archive. (2022, November 28). “I will not accept that it's a highly dangerous road” (1988) [Video]. YouTube. Kim, J., Novemsky, N., & Dhar, R. (2013). Adding small differences can increase similarity and choice. Psychological Science, 24(2), 176–182. Nunes, J. C., & Park, C. W. (2003). Incommensurate resources: Not just more of the same. Journal of Marketing Research, 40(1), 26–38. Rubinstein, A., & Yee, V. (2020). The left-digit bias: When and why are consumers penny wise and pound foolish? Journal of Marketing Research, 57(3), 467–485. Schindler, R. M., & Kibarian, T. M. (1996). Increased consumer sales response through use of 99-ending prices. Journal of Retailing, 72(2), 187–199. Shotton, R. (2018). The choice factory: 25 behavioural biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House. Suwelack, T., Hogreve, J., & Hoyer, W. D. (2011). Understanding money-back guarantees: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects. Journal of Retailing, 87(4), 462–478. Wadhwa, M., & Zhang, K. (2015). This number just feels right: The impact of roundedness of price numbers on product evaluations. Journal of Consumer Research, 41

Auntea Dawon finds herself still "luxuriating" in an extended Bali stay after flights through Doha were canceled due to war. While she's figuring out her new villa, Yo Aunteas are diving deep into the news that has every Gen X and Millennial creaming: The Wayans are back for Scary Movie 6! We discuss the legendary history of the franchise and why we're buying out whole rows in the theater just to laugh in peace! We also get into the "Corporate Cringe" of the new McDonald's burger, whether Shia LaBeouf's latest arrest is a "Small Man Complex" moment, and our wild predictions for Blue Ivy's Met Gala debut . So, get them cups readyyyyy!!!   Tea Stamps: 00:00 - Intro-Why Auntea Dawon is Stuck in Bali  04:45 - Scary Movie 6: The Wayans Brothers' Grand Return 14:32 - McDonald's Big Arch Burger: A Viral Marketing Fail? 18:47 - Met Gala: Blue Ivy, Beyoncé, and Act III 23:36 - Shia LaBeouf Arrest 30:30 - "Clocking" the Trolls

#FenceFam Kevin did it... He created and manufactures an uphill swing hinge for every fence application! Listen, learn, and get yours! These are what we've been all waiting for!   Fence Games Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fence-games-2026-hosted-by-custom-machine-motioneering-inc-tickets-1790556575919?aff=ebdssbdestsearch   Cheers! Remember to like, share, comment and REVIEW! The Fence Industry Podcast Links: IG @TheFenceIndustryPodcast FB @TheFenceIndustryPodcastWithDanWheeler TikTok @TheFenceIndustryPodcast YouTube @TheFenceIndustryPodcastWithDanWheeler Visit TheFenceIndustryPodcast.com Email TheFenceIndustryPodcast@gmail.com Central Fence Supply:  Visit centralfencesupply.com Gopherwood & Expert Stain and Seal IG @stainandsealexperts  FB @ExpertProfessionalWoodCare YouTube @Stain&SealExperts  FB Group Stain and Seal Expert's Staining University  Visit RealGoodStain.com Visit Gopherwood.us Log Cabin Fence IG @Log_Cabin_Fence FB @LogCabinFence Visit LogCabinFence.com Elite Technique Visit https://www.getelitetechnique.com/ Greenwood Fence Visit https://greenwoodfence.com/ Ozark Fence & Supply promo code: TFIP15 for 15% off! Visit https://www.ozfence.com/ Benji with Clever Fox for all your FENCE website, SEO & marketing needs! Visit https://www.cleverfox.online/ Stockade Staple Guns Visit https://www.stockade.com/us/ mySalesman Visit mySalesman.com Orlando Hinge Company Visit swanhinge.com   The Fence Industry Podcast is Produced by CleverFox.Online https://www.cleverfox.online/  

Databox is an easy-to-use Analytics Platform for growing businesses. We make it easy to centralize and view your entire company's marketing, sales, revenue, and product data in one place, so you always know how you're performing. Learn More About DataboxSubscribe to our newsletter for episode summaries, benchmark data, and moreHow will AI change the way SaaS companies grow?But according to Adam Robinson, founder and CEO of Retention.com, AI is not the answer most founders think it is.Adam has built multiple SaaS companies and scaled Retention.com from $0 to $22M ARR in four years without funding. In this episode of Move the Needle, he explains why the companies that scale – and the ones that stall – are separated by one thing:Product-market fit.Listen to the episode to learn why AI won't fix your SaaS company, but product-market fit might.

The 12 Week Year is one of the most popular goal-setting systems in the productivity world. The idea is simple: instead of planning goals for an entire year, you treat 12 weeks like a full year so you can focus, create urgency, and make faster progress.In theory, it makes a lot of sense.You choose one or two big goals, create weekly action plans, track your execution, and measure your progress with a scorecard. The creators even recommend aiming for 85% execution each week to stay on track.But what happens when your weeks don't look the same?What happens when real life shows up with sick kids, school calls, travel, sports tournaments, work deadlines, and all the unpredictable moments that come with motherhood?In this episode of the Secrets of Supermom Show, Lori Oberbroeckling continues the series “What If You're Not the Problem: Productivity Systems Not Built for You (And How Moms Can Make Them Work)” by breaking down the popular 12 Week Year system.You'll learn:What the 12 Week Year actually is and how the system worksWhy the execution scorecard and weekly metrics can sometimes create pressure instead of motivationHow the assumption of consistent weeks can break down for busy momsPractical ways to adapt the system so it works with motherhood, not against itBecause the problem may not be you.It may be that the system was designed for lives with predictable capacity, while motherhood runs on variable capacity.And when you adapt these productivity tools to fit your real life, you can keep the parts that work—and let go of the parts that don't.Want some help with your own calendar? Join is in the Spring Clean Your Calendar Challenge at secretsofsupermom.com/spring!Text us your feedback or questions!Stay connected! Join us in The Supermom Society! Get all the details at thesupermomsociety.com! Get all our show notes, buy the book Secrets of Supermom, and more at our website: www.secretsofsupermom.com Secrets of Supermom on Facebook Secrets of Supermom on Instagram

In this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, Kevin Lawton chats with Jim Bureau, President and CEO of Loftware, about why product identification sits at the center of modern supply chain operations. With nearly 40 years in the market, Loftware has seen identification evolve from basic labels to a strategic enabler of collaboration, automation, and visibility. Jim shares how connected packaging, standardization, and cloud-based systems help organizations break down internal and external silos while reducing costly disruptions. The conversation also explores the human side of automation and what's next for identification technologies across manufacturing, life sciences, and consumer goods.Learn more about sponsors here: EPG, iAutomate, Big Joe Forklifts, Surgere Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show

The Dad Bros talk about the hullabaloo in Iran. Social media is suspicious that Jim Carey has been replaced. Josh introduces Jon to the shape store. CEO of McDonald’s fails to capture imaginations as he tries the new Big Arch. Bill Clinton answers some question. The show wraps up with the surveillance state. Drink of the Show: New Belgium Blaze Lightning IPA SHOW LINKS McDonald’s CEO Having a Product for Lunch Burger King CEO Joins in Bill Clinton Reminisces About “The Good Times” Bill Clinton: Friends With Rothschild   Deflock.org Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs or LPRs) Revolt Against Flock Cameras Deveillance Shape Store Secret Link Visit DadBros.com Follow the Dad Bros Show on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter Contact the Dad Bros: 1-844-DadTalk or Email Us Patreon Special thanks to: @LadyMpire & Beer Man Mark The post Ep 647 – Big Bite appeared first on Dad Bros.

Feel like your UX job search is full time job? Here are 5 things you can start using today to save time, reduce overthinking, and make real progress in your UX or Product job search. These are tips that Sarah sees working for people inside her UX career coaching program, Career Strategy Lab, and some she uses in her own work every day.Topics discussed in this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast:How to create a plug-and-play script document so you never start from scratch on emails againHow text replacement tools like TextExpander can automate repetitive job search messagesWhy using a Pomodoro timer can dramatically increase your job search productivityWhy committing to following up three times eliminates the worry spiral of being ghostedHow to run a weekly "Job Search CEO Hour" to track what's working and course correct fastRESOURCESText Expander https://textexpander.com/Pomodoro Timer https://pomofocus.io/Flow Timer https://www.flow.app/

On Tap:Alice gives Dunking a protein shot, Dutch Bros Coffee makes their move, Tom reimagines pasta sauce and dinner party discipline is a trend.The closing tune is performed by Allison Bishop - find her at https://www.allisonbishopmusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicole and Dave are back with another round of glorious nonsense. There's a Product Alert you'll definitely want on your radar, plus a dive into the ever-entertaining treasure chest known as Nicole's Mailbag. #lasvegas #loveafterlockup #nicolesmailbag #koreanskincare #kahlseoul  Find us here: Website - Perfectly Twisted Podcast • Perfectly Twisted with Nicole Eggert Mail- perfectlytwistedpod@gmail.com  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/perfectlytwistedpodcast?igsh=YnA4NHgxMzZ4ZW56&utm_source=qr Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090942948174&mibextid=wwXIfr Youtube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAWfs4D4mkD8mzumFj0jZrOAEHu-aOVwd&si=j8JP1R7pAQQ1xOPR Hurrdat Media - Hurrdat Entertainment | Hurrdat Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With AI generating code faster than ever, coding alone is no longer enough. The engineers who will stand out aren't the ones who write the most code, but the ones who know what to build and why.In this episode, Drew Hoskins, author of “The Product-Minded Engineer”, shares how engineers can develop the product thinking skills that will define their careers in the AI era. Drew draws on his experience as a senior staff engineer at Microsoft, Meta, and Stripe to explain why the best engineers care as much about the what and why as the how. He introduces the Double Diamond Framework (Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver) and calls out why most engineers make the mistake of jumping straight to the Develop phase. He also explains the concept of the “great re-indexing”: the mental shift required to switch between thinking like an engineer and thinking like a user. As AI takes over more of the routine coding work, Drew argues that product skills, people skills, and ownership skills are what will separate good engineers from truly impactful ones.Key topics discussed:What makes an engineer “product-minded”Why engineers skip Discovery and what it costs themThe Double Diamond: a framework for building the right thingHow to think in user scenarios, not just system diagramsThe “great re-indexing” between engineer and user thinkingWhy discoverability can 10x your feature's impact for little costHow AI is making product skills more valuable, not lessWhat junior engineers should focus on to stay relevantTimestamps:(00:00) Trailer & Intro(02:35) What Is a Product-Minded Engineer?(05:37) What Did Drew Learn Working at Microsoft, Meta, and Stripe?(14:13) What Are the Biggest Challenges When Switching from Engineering to Product Management?(16:33) What Skill Gaps Hold Engineers Back from Product Thinking?(20:56) How Do You Bridge the Communication Gap Between Engineers and PMs?(26:07) What Are The Four Pillars (Double Diamond Framework)?(29:43) Why Should Engineers Care About the Deliver Phase?(32:40) How Should Engineers Apply the Double Diamond Framework Day-to-Day?(36:15) How Is AI Reshaping the Role of Product Engineers?(40:06) Should Product Managers Learn to Code in the AI Era?(43:56) What Is the Right PM-to-Engineer Ratio in the AI Era?(45:48) How Should Engineering Leaders Respond to AI Productivity Pressure?(51:04) What Advice Would You Give Junior Engineers Entering the Industry Today?(55:17) What Other Topics Does the Product-Minded Engineer Book Cover?(57:03) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Drew Hoskins's BioDrew Hoskins blends product, engineering, and storytelling in his work and writing. He is the author of The Product-Minded Engineer. As an engineer, Drew has helped design and build a wide range of innovative products and platforms for Microsoft, Meta, and Stripe.Throughout his career, he has carried a passion for empowering developers. He's founded and led several teams to major successes with developer platforms that have withstood the test of time. He's currently a Staff Product Manager at Temporal Technologies, bringing durable execution to the masses.He is an expert bridge player, having won a North American Championship in 2025, and lives in the beautiful and nerdy San Francisco Bay Area.Follow Drew:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/drewhoskins2Newsletter – drewhoskins.substack.com Product-Minded Engineer - https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-product-minded-engineer/9781098173722/One-Page Bio – drewhoskins.carrd.coLike this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/250.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

Product outcomes define the specific value a product creates—for users, customers, and the business. When applied correctly, they align stakeholders, create focus, and give development teams clear direction. But getting them right isn't easy. Too often, product teams choose outcomes that are vague, oversized, or worse, features dressed up as goals. The result? Confusion, misalignment, and roadmaps that look strategic but fail to drive meaningful impact. In this podcast episode, I'll address these issues and provide practical advice to help you define the right outcomes that help you achieve product success.

This morning, Iran named Mojtaba Khamanei, the man President Trump said would be unacceptable in the post, as its new leader. The immediate market reaction was a spike in the price of Brent crude oil to nearly USD120 per barrel, and a pronounced selloff in Asian stock markets. These moves have since reversed somewhat after the Financial Times wrote that G7 leaders will have talks with the International Energy Agency today regarding a possible release of energy reserves. Richard Tang, Head of Research Hong Kong explains why positioning is driving Asian equity markets more than fundamentals right now, and looks beyond the fog of war to identify attractive Asian equity sectors. And Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis focuses on what the charts reveal when it comes to the price of oil and the trajectory of US equity markets.(00:00) - Introduction: Jan Bopp, Product & Investment Content (01:18) - Markets wrap-up: Bernadette Anderko, Product & Investment Content (06:17) - Asia update: Richard Tang, Head of Research Hong Kong (11:27) - Technical Analysis update: Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis (15:13) - Closing remarks: Jan Bopp, Product & Investment Content Would you like to support this show? Please leave us a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) sector is experiencing a slowdown, with average valuation multiples dropping from over 15 times revenue in 2021 to under 7 times in 2024, leading to market corrections, layoffs, and cost-cutting. SaaS entrepreneurs are shifting focus from rapid growth to profitability, efficient growth strategies, and reduced burn rates, resulting in healthier businesses. Product development is increasingly centered on authentic value, with startups addressing real business challenges gaining more loyal customers. Layoffs at large tech firms have increased the availability of skilled talent for startups. Despite the downturn, global SaaS adoption is rising, with Gartner projecting 18 percent growth in enterprise SaaS spending for 2024. Key opportunities include vertical SaaS solutions for specific industries, AI-driven products, and expansion into emerging markets. Founders are advised to audit business models, prioritize sustainable metrics, invest in customer success, differentiate products, hire strategically, and remain flexible to evolving customer needs.Learn more on this news by visiting us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History lessons often focus on dates, events, and timelines. But when students understand why events happened, history begins to make sense!In this video, we explore practical strategies for helping students think like historians by focusing on cause and effect, perspectives, evidence, and historical reasoning.This episode walks through several ways to shift your instruction from teaching only the “what” of history to helping students understand the deeper reasons behind historical events.In this episode:Why teaching only historical facts can limit understandingWhat it means for students to think like historiansHow to start lessons with compelling historical questionsWays to model cause-and-effect thinking in historyUsing multiple perspectives to deepen understandingHow primary sources help students analyze evidenceConnecting historical events to issues in the presentA simple lesson structure that encourages historical thinkingBy focusing on the “why” behind history, students develop stronger critical thinking skills, build empathy, and begin to see how past decisions continue to shape the world today.Related Linkshttps://thesouthernteach.com/blog/history-lessons/Let's Connect!Listen/watch on YouTubeShop TPT ResourcesInstagramWebsiteAmazonMentioned in this episode:7th Grade Texas History Guided Curriculum (Growing Bundle)A TEKS-aligned Texas History curriculum designed to make planning simple and instruction engaging. Organized units, ready-to-use lessons, and ongoing updates as new units are added! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/7th-Texas-History-Grade-Social-Studies-Curriculum-GROWING-BUNDLE-TEKS-Aligned-150624235 Social Studies Guided NotesGet guided notes covering 5 common social studies topics that are low-prep and easy to use as reference guides, anchor charts, and more! Grab the Free Guided Notes!

Description Stop experimenting with AI and start driving ROI. Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX:https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this keynote from the Ultimate Partners Winter Retreat, Nina Harding breaks down the massive shift happening in the AI landscape as customers move away from experimental pilots and demand concrete ROI and business outcomes. She emphasizes that the era of selling products and time-and-materials approaches is over, replaced by outcome-based, verticalized selling where vendors and partners share accountability. Through real-world examples in healthcare and retail, Harding outlines how partners can leverage Copilot Studio, Agent 365, and Microsoft’s incentive programs to build specific superpowers, differentiate themselves, and ultimately lead the AI mission alongside Microsoft. Key Takeaways Customers are no longer interested in AI experimentation and now expect immediate, concrete return on investment. Selling products is dead; the modern approach requires a consultative, signal-based strategy focused entirely on business outcomes. The traditional time-and-materials billing model is disappearing as clients demand shared accountability for project success. Rapid proliferation of AI agents has made security and governance top priorities for enterprise customers. Success in the Microsoft ecosystem now requires partners to highly verticalize their value propositions by industry. Defining and clearly articulating your unique “superpower” or niche is essential to stand out to the Microsoft field sales organization. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJJ4Zcf4tZc&t=1920s If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags Nina Harding, Microsoft AI, artificial intelligence ROI, AI agents, Agent 365, Copilot Studio, outcome-based selling, verticalization, healthcare AI, retail AI, Cognizant, Davos 2026, AI governance, AI security, technology transformation, Ultimate Partner Live, enterprise AI adoption, digital transformation, system integrators, AI pilots Transcript [00:00:00] Nina Harding: More importantly, we want to serve more and more people faster, and AI is coming in and having a very practical approach in healthcare alone. [00:00:14] Vince Menzione: We just finished Ultimate Partners Winter Retreat here in beautiful Boca to a sold out [00:00:19] Vince Menzione: crowd. Come join me now for a compelling discussion on the impacts of the tectonic shifts we’re all seeing. [00:00:27] Vince Menzione: I feel incredibly fortunate, uh, to have this, this, this friend Nina who came into the studio here for the first time, actually earlier, well last year, geez, earlier this year. [00:00:38] Vince Menzione: It was last year, right after my accident I think. And, uh, we gotta spend some time together. And she was so good to, uh, make her time available and her team’s time available to come down here to be with us today. Ne I’m so thrilled to have you. I am going to turn over the stage to you. Uh, you’ve got some incredible learnings. [00:00:57] Vince Menzione: I know you’ve been on the AI tour with Microsoft. Yeah. And you’ve got some great learnings you’re gonna share about what’s happening. Absolutely. So it’s so great to have you. [00:01:05] Vince Menzione: It’s nice to see you. [00:01:06] Nina Harding: Nice to see you. [00:01:07] Nina Harding: Thank you. Well, thanks everyone. It’s great to see so many familiar faces and then some new faces as well. [00:01:15] Nina Harding: Um, because we’re in a little bit more of an intimate environment, I thought I would approach this a little bit differently. Give you some better insights into what we’re actually hearing at Microsoft with our customers, some of the things that are actually moving the needle that we’re seeing some of our partners do. [00:01:34] Nina Harding: So really to share some of the best practices out there, and hopefully you’ll leave with some more insight or tips and tricks, um, is really what I would love to do because our job. Collectively is really this transformation and to take a advantage of it out there in the market right now. [00:01:57] Nina Harding: Let’s see [00:01:57] Nina Harding: here. [00:01:59] Nina Harding: I can move slides. Well, this one isn’t moving. Any slides? [00:02:07] Nina Harding: No. Okay, great. So, um, some of you might. Uh, know that I’m a Floridian now, right? So I just live right up, up the way in Palm Beach. Um, so not too far, but I still wouldn’t miss this opportunity to be with all of you. Um, there is an energy that I think that we’re all feeling right now, and, uh, it’s, it’s palpable. [00:02:32] Nina Harding: We’re finding right now that our customers are really going from this landscape of experimenting with ai. Really to looking at the outcomes and having expectations around the momentum that they’re seeing. Right. That’s a big shift, right? We, and things are going pretty quickly, so I look at things almost quarterly now on what is that core message and what are, what is the difference in the tone from our customers of what they’re expecting? [00:03:06] Nina Harding: What we’re gonna talk a little bit about today is how all of you, our partners, are such a critical part of that journey. Actually, sometimes the most important part. You’re on the front lines with the customers. You’re the ones having those conversations. You’re the ones that are in there arm to arm with their teams, listening to what they’re experiencing, their challenges that they’re facing, and they’re really wanting now to go from this world of, Hey, we have lots of different pilots. [00:03:41] Nina Harding: Right? A lot of us know that right into, oh my gosh, it’s not about pilots anymore. They really want that ROI story. They want those outcomes and it’s looking very different for all of us. The way that we sell, the way that we go into our engagements, the way that we even price things, the way that we, meaning Microsoft partner and customer are locking arms is fundamentally very different. [00:04:15] Nina Harding: We have to go in collectively. We have to also be responsible for the outcomes and deliver on those. ROI is that headline that we’re all after. Right. It is the most important part of the puzzle right now because there isn’t a single boardroom that isn’t talking about AI and you guys are all experiencing it. [00:04:39] Nina Harding: It’s easier than ever to go in and have the conversation. The hardest part is how do we quickly get to an ROI study, so you or ROI case so that we can continue to build on that. And when you’re looking at this every. Customer is providing signals out there to help you grow that penetration into the account. [00:05:04] Nina Harding: And I’m gonna share some of the signals that I think that are really meaningful. But that’s the most important thing is we’re no longer, and I know you guys all know this, we’re no longer selling product at all anymore. We’re selling those outcomes. And I can tell you at Microsoft, we’re spending a tremendous amount of time retraining all of our sales reps. [00:05:25] Nina Harding: Really to be focused on how do you listen and do that consultative signal based sale. How do you actually go in and start selling, not selling, but I mean it is selling, but listening to the journey that they want to go through. What are the challenges that they’re facing and what’s the transformation that we’re able to kind of go and be a part of together with our partners? [00:05:54] Nina Harding: Notice it’s not about product. Product is just the tools in your tool chest to create those outcomes. So that’s gonna be really important as we go through this journey. [00:06:09] Nina Harding: Uh, so I saw the, the title of the session, uh, mentioned Davos and Davos was an interesting time. Uh, Microsoft has a very, actually, a very big presence at Davos and, uh, we had over 300 customer meetings there, uh, where we were meeting with some of the top companies around the globe. And it was very much affirmed that. [00:06:34] Nina Harding: Uh, the, the concept of AI we’re past, like curiosity stage, right? We’re way past that and we’re even past that. The art of the possible discussion, right? Uh, what the, the customers are almost at the point is, is come in and tell me, tell me what to do. Show me how to do it. It’s a very different position than, Hey, we’re presenting you with all these different possibilities. [00:07:08] Nina Harding: They’re They’re tired. They’re tired of all the possibilities. They wanna get to the brass tacks of how are you gonna change my customer service department? How are you gonna make it easier for my hr? How am I going to derive growth? What are some of the other things that you guys are experiencing out there? [00:07:23] Nina Harding: Like what are some of those other ROI drivers that people are asking, where am I gonna find the money? What for? For doing the project or out of the project? Other people? I Okay. To do the project. Okay. Resourcing. Okay. So what we’re seeing here is that, uh, the conversation is very much now focused on, okay, I need sec, I need security. [00:07:50] Nina Harding: That has been louder than ever before. So, Vince, the one thing I would say about that slide where you had those five different pillars, I’d put security on the bottom. Understanding your data, your data platform on the bottom, those are consistent across all those pillars. And then you can kind of hit at them. [00:08:10] Nina Harding: But, uh, there’s a lot of energy, there’s a lot of excitement, but it’s rooted in what are you materially going to do to change my business, and is your skin in the game to help me do it and I’ll pay you for that outcome? The concept of this time and materials approach gone. Gone. Even at Microsoft, we’re adjusting to the fact that the customers aren’t like, oh. [00:08:35] Nina Harding: Just hand it over to a system integrator and they’ll deliver on it. They’re like, oh no, we want you accountable too. You’re accountable for the outcomes as well, which is, oh gosh, okay. How do we do that in a partnery model that makes sense where we’re not tripping over each other, but we’re going in stronger together. [00:08:54] Nina Harding: We have one message together and we’re really focused on driving that. They’re also really concerned around the governance of all these agents, right? I see a lot of heads shaking on this. I mean, there’s a lot of proliferation right now. There’s a lot of excitement. I mean, I don’t know in your companies, but people are building agents faster and quicker, uh, than ever before, and some of them are really, really cool and they’re making huge point savings of times. [00:09:22] Nina Harding: Everything from. You know, some of you guys have probably heard me talk about everything from, uh, working on performance reviews to what are all of the incentives that we have for partners and making that easy to understand to, uh, to helping me understand patterns in our financials and what partners are really performing and growing. [00:09:45] Nina Harding: All of these agents are just popping up everywhere, but that creates a real governance issue and a real security issue for a lot of companies as well. So you take all of this and you hear this momentum and I think, uh, that together we’re really well poised. I think Microsoft is in a unique position together with you. [00:10:07] Nina Harding: On this frame, we have Agent 365, which helps you manage all these different agents, right? So that’s an exciting. How many of you’re familiar with agents? 365. Great. And I promise I’m not a product person. I’m not gonna do a lot of pitches, so don’t worry about that, um, at all. But, uh, we also have copilot studio and foundry, and so we have this whole, uh, set of capability, but that capability only comes to life if we’re able to connect with the customer, build the outcome, and making sure that the CEOs see all of us as their partners on that strategy and journey. [00:10:47] Nina Harding: So what does that look like? So I talked a little bit about signals, and signals, is that ability to listen to the, to the customers, what’s really, really me, uh, meaningful and frontier firms are doing this on a consistent basis all the time. Listening to the specific needs use cases, et cetera. So we at Microsoft have been trying to not only share all these different use cases that we have exposure to, but in addition. [00:11:17] Nina Harding: We turned on functionality, and I’ll talk about that in a little bit so that we can also share amongst each other as a community and understand those use cases. Uh, what’s really important is that, um, we’re moving from this world of all these like little one-off projects to a strategy and a platform that everyone wants to move to, but it’s all also getting powered by agents. [00:11:42] Nina Harding: That’s, that’s where we are today. So. [00:11:49] Nina Harding: Having a little trouble. I’m not gonna go through this too. Everyone’s familiar with this in, in here, the Frontier overview. If you’re not, let me know. Um, but basically one of the things that we find is really helpful is, is just sharing where we have seen proof behind having the conversation around the AI journey. [00:12:12] Nina Harding: Around the, the customer journey as you’re going out there. Um, there are really four different areas that we’ve talked about, and I’m not going to drain this ’cause there’s lots and you can, you can, uh, go onto the internet. You can see me talking about all these different areas. I don’t wanna spend too much time here, but these are four of the different. [00:12:33] Nina Harding: I would say categories where when you’re looking at different ways that you can make a material difference with the, the, the customer that we find the most momentum. So around enriching employee experiences, changing the way we, uh, engage with customers. Uh, changing processes as well. And then, uh, the outcomes, like really transforming the way we go about business. [00:12:59] Nina Harding: And we wanna do something about bringing it in to the flow of the work, everyday work. How many of you are finding that you’re actually using agents in your day-to-day workflow? Isn’t that cool? And then as you continue to use it, it becomes easier and easier and easier. And. I know from my team, I’m starting to look at what is the e everyday usage versus the monthly usage, right? [00:13:26] Nina Harding: It’s the every day. It’s become almost, uh, your second hand. And what’s important, uh, on this is that we’re giving, uh, listening to all these signals giving, um, the consistency, um, of the, the engagement with. With the clients, we’re able to all share the same stories and be able to scale at a much faster pace. [00:13:54] Nina Harding: So what does that look like? Here we go. Um, one of the things that we talk about at Microsoft, and the reason why I have this up here is that we’ve moved the conversation away from product into these customer outcomes, which really becomes about. Industry discussion. You have to speak their voice. You have to understand their business problems. [00:14:21] Nina Harding: You have to listen for what is materially different. So I’m actually sharing this, which you don’t normally see in a lot of presentations out to Microsoft about the structure of the organization, the takeaway. This is a sales organization in enterprise. The takeaway that I want you to have from that is look at the verticalization. [00:14:43] Nina Harding: We’ve done. It’s no longer by territory. The ball has moved, the conversation has moved entirely. So what does that say to all of you as well? Your value proposition as you’re working with our field has to be verticalized. The way you engage has to be verticalized. What you say, um, what the, the outcomes that you think differentiates yourself. [00:15:12] Nina Harding: Verticalized. So there isn’t the approach of like doing this like mask gorilla campaign across, for example, the Americas. And I’m just using this as an example on, um, the small and medium business side as well. Um, the, they’re a little bit more territory based still, but um, at least at the enterprise, everything has to be about customer value. [00:15:38] Nina Harding: Customer value. So, um, what this also suggests to me is the way we’re working and where we’ve seen a lot of success is when all of you are starting to tailor your messages and differentiate yourselves by customer success stories. Use cases where you’ve had premise, uh, penetration as a software partner, but you have to tie it back to the industry again. [00:16:05] Nina Harding: It’s just different. And so if I’m very transparent that that’s become, has gone from a nice to have to critical as the field is looking at, who are those go-to partners? It’s the go-to partners that speak retail. It’s the go-to partners that speak oil and gas and I don’t know, I, I, I see some nodding of heads. [00:16:27] Nina Harding: Some people know this, some people don’t. But I can see the shift tremendously over the last six months. So, um, hopefully that’s helpful in, in, in kind of sharing just how we’re walking the walk and talking the talk. So as I go back to industry, um, I thought what would be helpful is to take a few examples so you have a chance to see. [00:16:52] Nina Harding: In life, what are, what are we actually seeing at Microsoft? And if you guys are seeing something else, I would love to hear that too. But these, this is an example in healthcare and when we’re looking at, uh, a particular industry, we’re looking at what are some of the pain points? What are the top trends? [00:17:11] Nina Harding: What are some of the challenges folks are, are facing? And then what are the use cases that are really making traction here? This is a different way of taking that frontier vision and doing that click down by industry. And so what we’re also doing is we’re looking at who are partners that can help us in healthcare that can help answer some of these key challenges. [00:17:35] Nina Harding: Who are the ones that have the ability to have those material conversations in that trust? In healthcare, for example, there’s a ton of pressure. I mean. We all are consumers of healthcare. Hopefully we, all of us, have been lucky enough to have healthcare, um, in the, in this, uh, forum, but there’s a lot of clinician burnout, rising costs, right? [00:18:01] Nina Harding: The, the expense for, uh, medicines and so forth. But more importantly, we want to serve more and more people faster, and AI is coming in and having a very practical approach. Healthcare alone. So many of you, I talk about, um, the fact that at one point I was paralyzed, right? So I was paralyzed from T two down and, um, I go in every six months for an MRI, uh, to check, to check if everything’s still functioning. [00:18:32] Nina Harding: And the nervous system is going well. My doctor has had to manually look at that. Now he’s using AI to look at. History and the progression since 2008. That’s game changing. And on top of that, he is looking at me and having a conversation and looking in my eyes and observing me instead and using Dragon to have it feel epic to really think about how that’s changed my personal experience with the healthcare system and changed how a physician can show up. [00:19:09] Nina Harding: So there are many, many, um, many use cases around like patient access and, uh, innovation that we’re trying to do, surgeries, uh, being able to do clinical, clinical trials, but AI is everywhere and that’s what’s really important is that we’re figuring out for all of you what your software solution. Services offering, or even if you’re selling that, you have that value, value proposition down at that level. [00:19:43] Nina Harding: So let’s take a look at retail, for example. We have a short little video. Are we gonna be able to run that video? This is where we’re seeing a lot of shrinking. Margins, people wanting more, uh, intimacy with their customer. Here we go. [00:21:09] Nina Harding: Are we good? Well, that was a quite, uh, quite a nice, uh, uh, digital response to the end of the video. But what you’re seeing is people are using it in all different facets as we go into an example. I always love to do, use examples of partners that are hitting the mark ’cause we can all learn from ’em and myself included. [00:21:30] Nina Harding: We’re partners that are really successful. I chose to use Cognizant. Cognizant was actually our partner Si of the year, um, at the Americas level. And one of the things, and I won’t drain it on, um, the right hand side of this, uh, the slide, but they really are helping the customer’s move in a framework approach by industry, uh, to an AI landscape. [00:21:58] Nina Harding: Uh, they, they have secured an end-to-end solution and they’re focused on real business outcomes, and they have been growing at over 30% year over year. Huge. That’s great. Right? That’s what we all want for our businesses. And so what you’re seeing here is. They have a narrative around the frontier firms and they pull that through when they’re engaged in the clients and with our field. [00:22:27] Nina Harding: And then they’re using the incentives that we have. And don’t worry, I have a slide on some of the incentives we have, um, to actually make sure that they’re using those effectively in the pre-sales motion, but most importantly on the adoption and the change management after they’ve actually, uh, built out the solutions. [00:22:45] Nina Harding: And that’s really, really, really key here. So here’s an example of, um, of Cognizant at Coldwater Creek and Soft Surroundings. They had two different platforms and they brought it all together and then they brought Dynamics in as well. And what they have actually been able to do is improve a lot of the inventory management, the visualization, um, of all the inventory around. [00:23:14] Nina Harding: Around all of their stores and their warehouses, and they’ve been able to streamline the fulfillment and improved, uh, reduced back orders. What you’re seeing is those are all concrete examples of the outcomes that they were trying to drive for at the beginning, and those were all. Key pain points. And so they go in, cognizant will go in and understand with what are the material things that you are, that’s keeping you up at night, that is creating that drainage, uh, in your accounts or if you could transform, what does that look like? [00:23:52] Nina Harding: And so there, they spend the whole conversation together with Microsoft focused on doing that. And then we do the outcome based proposal. Very different, right? It creates for a much stronger vendor relationship, and the customer feels like they really have in the essence of the word partners, helping them to be successful. [00:24:15] Nina Harding: Right. [00:24:20] Nina Harding: Here we go. So I promised you some of the incentives, and I know you might just take a, a quick peek at some of these. These are, these are, um, some of the incentives that. Microsoft has put forward to help our partners on this journey. Uh, this is a slide that we’ve created from the America’s perspective to try and simplify it. [00:24:42] Nina Harding: Now there’s a lot behind it, right? But to try and help simplify, um, where are the incentives available? And I think this is one of the first times you’re actually saying what’s available for the sis. Versus for the software partners. And then we’re gonna hear more today about what’s also available for the channel partners as well. [00:25:03] Nina Harding: Um, it’s really thinking about what is your behavior as a partner? How are you showing up? How are, uh, you making a contribution to that customer? And then how can Microsoft best support you in that journey? So there’s all sorts of, uh, all sorts of incentives here, and it’s really, uh, designed to be flexible to what you need. [00:25:24] Nina Harding: But for the, I, I think it’s very focused on the value proposition as well that you bring to the table. So, um, I encourage you to take a look at this, make sure that you have this in your diary or your flipping of, of how are we maximizing, um, deals. And we can certainly go through a lot more of this. And we have webinars and so forth that will take you through all of that. [00:25:52] Nina Harding: Alright, so. I’ve talked a lot about this outcome-based selling, and that’s, it’s literally how Microsoft is starting to move forward on how do we go about engaging with the customers and with our partners. You’re gonna see, because our customers are asking more Microsoft involved and for us to go jointly into the opportunities. [00:26:16] Nina Harding: Not that we necessarily, we’re not building out a larger consulting force or anything like that, but. We want to make sure that the customer ask that Microsoft is engaged in working with our partners, is honored, um, and that we’re, we’re part of that, and that we’re also sharing our, our experiences and learning from all of you at the same time on who has the best, uh, approach, Beth best, best methodologies and best practices to light up our customers together. [00:26:51] Nina Harding: But the ROI doesn’t really show up just in dollars alone. We all know this, right? Um, it could be in, uh. Satisfaction it could be in care. So as you’re starting to look at this new evolution of how we’re really landing the value proposition of ai, we have to think outside of the box that it’s not just monetary and it’s not, I think you said savings or securing funds and so forth, but it’s really of how do I leapfrog into the modern world? [00:27:22] Nina Harding: How do I change that entire experience and think outside of the box? And, uh, make sure that the conversation is not just about how do we optimize certain practices, but how do we have this more executive level strategy conversation on the future of how we’re gonna engage with our clients, uh, their clients in a much more, um, I think transformative and personal [00:27:51] Nina Harding: way as we go forward. [00:27:54] Nina Harding: So we know that if the outcomes are the, what we’re looking to go drive, the next question is really how do we go do that? And that is gonna be through the agents on here. You’ll see just from from out in the market, what we see will light up the market. We think that, or I can’t even say we, IIDC says 81% of leaders are expecting agents. [00:28:24] Nina Harding: Full utilization in the next 12 to 18 months. And to be honest, I think this quote is probably even two months old. So we’re already, we’re probably down to like, you know, eight, eight to 12 months. And what I’m seeing that proliferation happening, it’s crazy. So understanding that value proposition, um, whether you’re from a software company or a services company or even some of our resellers, what’s that niche? [00:28:52] Nina Harding: What’s that industry or sub-industry? What is that? Horizontal. I go after customer service within, uh, the manufacturing vertical. Right. And then are you building out agents or do you have capability? And that’s what we’re doing internally at Microsoft as well, is to help make that really visible to the field so that you’re differentiated. [00:29:15] Nina Harding: Differentiation is gonna be really key right now because there’s so many people that say, oh, I do migration services, or I can help with data, or I can do security. But it’s the specificity around the industry and what you are truly known for within that space. So one of the things that we look to do is, is looking at all of the different areas where we see agents popping up. [00:29:44] Nina Harding: And this is a helpful slide. Sometimes I think, um, it starts to highlight, um, where we’re seeing some traction in financial services. Or in healthcare manufacturing. And then when I talk about the horizontals or the personas, you start to see some of the um, really repeatable, high return on investment type of things. [00:30:08] Nina Harding: Is this resonating with some of you guys? Yeah. I’m seeing a hit, a lot of head nods. This, if you’re on the services side, right? We’re in an intimate setting. This is where I encourage you to try and build an agent, right? Package that agent, put it on marketplace, make that available, and then make that known to our field sales organization. [00:30:27] Nina Harding: ’cause they are looking for quick wins along those lines. [00:30:31] Nina Harding: So on that, um, [00:30:36] Nina Harding: uh, one of the things that we’re along the journey for is the skilling. This is moving at such a fast pace, right? Um, so you’re looking at. Um, anthropic is really a big topic right now, right? Gemini, you’re looking at cloud, you’re, um, or Claude. [00:30:55] Nina Harding: Um, you’re looking at all of these different, uh, scenarios and one of the things at Microsoft is we really wanna be open to all of these different technologies because our customers are open. So we want to be part of taking you on that journey. And one of the things that we invest in white. [00:31:12] Nina Harding: Significantly is all of the training. Um, and I wanna encourage you guys to take advantage of it. Training is not a one-time thing. It is, it is a constant muscle that you must exercise. So as I come to my conclusion, I have a couple three key things, right? One is really understanding what your superpower is, right? [00:31:33] Nina Harding: The partners that I’m finding are really aligned well with the field are really winning. Those stories are the ones that have. Know and can articulate their superpowers. What am I known for? What are the use cases I can either build to or have agents against? And where have I done this consistently? And packaged really, really concretely, right? [00:31:55] Nina Harding: Um, this, this proliferate of like, I can do everything. Unfortunately, you get lost a little bit in the noise, right? So clear positioning, proof point’s, so critical right now, and reinforcing that credibility with the clients that have adopted. The second thing is that you’ve heard a little bit about this hopefully. [00:32:16] Nina Harding: How many of you have heard of the part partner success story? Okay, this is really, really key. We launched about maybe a month ago, and we already have over a hundred, uh, stories from partners, and the field is loving it. What it is is it brands the stories with your brand if you submit them. So what? Talk about credibility, um, with the field and with our marketers to have your name and that recognition picked up. [00:32:45] Nina Harding: It’s really, really fantastic. So I encourage you to do that. For those of you taking quick snaps, I did put a code on here, so if you wanna go straight to it, uh, you can take it. Um, and go explore with it. What’s nice about it is it’s AI based, so it will help you write these stories very, very quickly. [00:33:04] Nina Harding: There’s no reason why your sales reps can’t be writing these stories, and then yes, [00:33:11] Nina Harding: uh, yeah, you can do no meaning like from enterprise. No. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You can do it on any, on any, there is a different level of fidelity of if you have the customer’s permission. Right. Um, to pu to publish it or not. And that’s some functionality we’re working on. If there’s enough traction of, of this is to help you guys. [00:33:32] Nina Harding: Secure that with Microsoft. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it can be any customer there. But I encourage you to take a look at that. And I know I’m two minutes over here, so I’m just gonna leave you with this. Um, at the end of the day, as I, as I wrap up here, I just wanna make sure that what, where we’re going and we’re going together, that it’s simple and actionable between us and it’s easy for our field to understand. [00:34:00] Nina Harding: Where you play the value proposition you play so that we’re going into deals even more effectively together. Right? So you heard industry, sub-industry, persona level or horizontal. Put that in if, um. Figuring out what your superpower is, making sure that you’re trained, that there’s evidence around the success, and capturing that in ways, uh, that are critical to not only your business, but giving us the visibility of that success. [00:34:31] Nina Harding: Like scream from the rack rafters. Use these tools to make sure that we know just how transformational you’ve been in some of the customers and where you’re uniquely winning. So, so important. So keep investing in the skilling. You can see my kind of like five power plays, right? And the last one always being that superpowers. [00:34:56] Nina Harding: So with that, um, if we do all of these things consistently, you won’t just be keeping up with ai. I think we will all be leading on that AI mission. So thank you very much. I appreciate it. [00:35:14] Vince Menzione: Don’t forget, ultimate Partner Live is coming soon, May 11th through the 13th in beautiful Bellevue, Washington. I hope to see you there.

Welcome to Season 18 of the Troubleshooting Innovation podcast. Nick Fallucca, chief product and innovation officer at Palermo's, explores what leadership, product development and growth look like for this third-generation pizzaiolo. Sponsored by HaFSBX. In Episode 2, Nick walks us through how Palermo's has grown from a neighborhood pizzeria to a nationally known pizza brand and private-label pizza manufacturer.

This week on The Sidebar Podcast, Leise Winny and Mr. Royce bounce between culture, dating, internet behavior, and the strange ways modern life turns people into “products.”The episode opens with Royce setting the tone before the conversation dives straight into everyday awkwardness — like random hair compliments from strangers and the unspoken rules of posting relationships online. From there, the discussion moves into dating economics, the rising cost of simply going out, and whether the body positivity movement has helped or complicated how people see themselves.Things get more chaotic when the crew reviews McDonald's menu items, revisits the absolutely wild era of America's Next Top Model, and reflects on why the 2000s cultural moment still feels unmatched.The second half shifts gears into bigger conversations: survival mode vs. laziness, global tensions involving Iran, and the “Humpty Dumpty effect” — what happens when public figures or ideas fall apart and can't be put back together.By the end, the hosts land on a blunt conclusion: sometimes the culture moves forward only when people start calling things out directly.Funny, chaotic, and brutally honest — classic Sidebar energy.0:35 — Royce intro2:34 — White people giving hair compliments unprovoked3:55 — Do big girls have to hide their men online?12:47 — Do dates cost too much now?16:33 — McDonald's product review21:55 — Body positivity movement: good or bad?31:21 — When survival mode looks like laziness36:20 — America's Next Top Model was unhinged42:37 — The 2000s cultural era really was different46:37 — Iran war discussion1:08:00 — The “Humpty Dumpty effect.”1:25:25 — We gotta start calling people out1:35:26 — Outro

In this episode, we are joined by Zakhar Azatian, a bootstrapped technical solo founder based in San Francisco and the creator of BeHard, a gamified accountability app built around lifestyle challenges.He's a two-time founder with one successful exit and has grown B2C mobile products to over 1 million users, without a big team or massive funding.In this session, Zakhar breaks down how he generates and tests hundreds of ad creatives per month, the gamification mechanics that dramatically increased retention and referrals, and how he treats App Store search like a technical optimization problem, not just marketing.If you're building a consumer app and want practical growth tactics, this episode is packed with real execution frameworks.You will discover:✅ How to generate and test hundreds of ad creatives per month with a tiny team✅ How to treat App Store search like a code optimization problem✅ Paid growth insights from Meta, TikTok & influencer marketing Learn More:Explore Be Hard

On the podcast: product-driven retention as the foundation for lifecycle marketing, working backwards from results to nail activation, and why talking to individual users can lead you astray.This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators.Top Takeaways:

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS delivers a deep dive into winning local SEO using Google Business Profile. He explains how local SEO works through the formula of product/service plus location, then breaks down the technical backbone — sitemaps, robots.txt, and no-index tags — revealing how one misconfigured tag can make an entire website invisible to Google. Real client case studies include a bakery in Georgia invisible on Google from two miles away, and a massage therapy business paying $16–$32 per click for keywords they could rank for organically. Dr. Fashion and Celese Williams contribute insights on keyword research, engagement, and why AI still needs the human element for conversions.Book SEO Services? Save These Quick Links for Later>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book SEO Services with Favour Obasi-ike⁠>> Visit Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Read SEO Articles>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Purchase Flaev Beatz Beats Online>> Favour Obasi-ike Quick Links>> Start Recording your Podcast with Riverside Today | Sign Up with My Affiliate Link HereTimeline and Timestamps[00:13] Welcome and introduction[02:38] Dr. Fashion on the importance of online visibility.[04:34] Origin story of Google Maps and its free iPhone launch.[07:07] What is local SEO? Product/service + location formula.[19:58] No-index tags — how one setting blocks your entire site.[24:44] Dr. Fashion on targeting low-competition keywords.[27:28] Three essentials: Google Business Profile, website, social media.[36:10] Zip code marketing and the "set it and forget it" trap.[37:03] Google gives you 30 service slots — most businesses use only a few.[39:05] TAM, SAM, and serving within a 35-mile radius.[43:23] Google ranks webpages and links, not websites.[54:15] Organic traffic vs. paid ads for local businesses.[57:05] Case study: bakery invisible on Google from two miles away.[65:00] LinkedIn engagement at 3.8% vs. Instagram at 0.7%.[70:00] Podcasting as a nesting ground for compound growth.[77:41] E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust.[80:00] Celese on why AI needs human design for conversions.[86:01] Live SERP API search demo for Canadian results.Memorable Quotes"Google does not rank your website. Google ranks your webpage.""The only way to create capacity is by building it.""You can't even be on ChatGPT if you're not on Google.""I'd rather have so much organic feedback that I can run ad campaigns for branding, not survival.""If you don't have the words people type in your domain, you have no conversation."FAQs AnsweredWhat is local SEO?Product or service plus location, optimized so nearby people find you through search.What is a no-index tag?It tells search bots not to index a page. If left on by default, your entire site becomes invisible to Google.What are sitemaps and robots.txt?Sitemaps list your content for search engines. Robots.txt instructs bots on what to crawl or block. Both must work together.How many services can I list on GBP?Google allows about 30 service listings — most businesses only use a fraction.Does SEO still matter with AI search?Yes. If you are not on Google, you will not appear on ChatGPT, Perplexity, or any AI search tool.Key TakeawaysConnect your website to Google Search Console and ensure proper indexing. Use city and state in your URLs for local ranking. Fill all 30 service slots on GBP. Build organic content to reduce ad spend. LinkedIn outperforms Instagram for B2B.E-E-A-T is the code of conduct for local search visibility.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, special projects editor Melissa Daniels speaks with Kris Malkoski, the president of learning and development at Newell Brands who oversees operations for household brands including Graco and Sharpie. They go behind-the-scenes into how the 100-year-old baby gear brand Graco, known for its affordability against higher-priced start-ups, is approaching pricing strategies in an increasingly volatile retail environment thanks to AI, tariffs and cost-conscious shoppers. Daniels interviews Malkoski about how Graco mitigated tariff-related price increases, how the brand is increasingly using AI to help dial in what prices a customer is comfortable paying, and how brands and retailers work together to align on pricing and assortments. Their conversation also gets into: The product development teams that play a role in keeping pricing competitive and affordable  How AI is changing the way Graco approaches customer personas  The ways Newell Brands works with retailers to help inform pricing and layout strategies that move units

In this episode, let's talk about advanced Amazon seller strategies that are discussed only in private. We pull back the curtain on what elite sellers are quietly doing and what you should start testing next. Most sellers focus on the obvious levers, ads, keywords, and pricing, while the real winners quietly play a different game. In this AM/PM episode, Bradley Sutton and 8-figure seller Leo Sgovio unpack the strategies top Amazon sellers rarely say out loud, from backend ranking fixes to AI-driven creative and off-Amazon intel.   Leo breaks down how Amazon browse tree changes can silently wreck rankings, and how to repair it using Category Listing Reports plus the BrowseTree Guide so your attributes match what Amazon actually accepts. Then he shows how some sellers “launch” with huge review counts by consolidating variations and even leveraging international review history. From there, the episode shifts into speed: AI tools to generate better hero images, systems to make your site crawlable for LLMs, and how press releases can help you appear in Google AI Overviews faster than traditional SEO.   Finally, Leo goes outside Amazon: using Reddit for GEO, finding Shopify winners by tracking checkout traffic, and reverse-engineering competitor funnels through the Meta Ad Library and presell pages. He closes with a warning every brand should hear: a black-hat cloaking attack that can suppress your Buy Box. If you want tactics you can apply today and threats you need to defend against tomorrow, this one is a must-listen. In episode 502 of the AM/PM Podcast, Bradley and Leo discuss: 00:00 - Introduction 02:34 - Strategy 1: How To Fix Your Tanked Rankings Due To A Wrong Product Categorization 12:11 - Strategy 2: How To Uncover Your Competitor Just Launched a Product with 100+ Reviews 17:02 - Strategy 3: Quickly Brainstorm New Hero Image with this Gemini Gem 19:35 - Strategy 4: Enable your Website to be Indexed by LLMs with this Automated GPT 24:09 - Strategy 5: Show Up in Google AI Overview in 7 Days 27:18 - Strategy 6: Where to Find Inspiration for your Product Creatives and Listing Images 31:38 - Strategy 7: Dominate Reddit for AEO/GEO 36:56 - Strategy 8: Discover Shopify's Top Selling Stores 40:24 - Strategy 9: Exploiting Competitors Outside Traffic Funnels 45:48 - How to get more Advanced Strategies Monthly 53:56 - Strategy 10: How to Control the Order of the Variations on your Listing 54:47 - Legal and Ethical Disclosure 54:57 - Threat Alert: Cloaking attack with fake retail pages can suppress your Buy Box, how it works, and what to watch for

Think your product/market is boring? Think again. In this episode, Dan Kennedy sits down with financial advisor Dave Scranton and fascination expert Sally Hogshead to reveal how even inherently mundane products/services (money management, haircuts) can become irresistible brands. From challenging customer assumptions to creating emotional attachment, you'll discover how to turn commodities into obsessions. If you're tired of competing on price, this conversation shows you how to compete on desire instead. MagneticMarketing.com NoBSLetter.com

Uplifting Talent In The Outdoor Industry Rachael Burnside saw an opportunity to build a stronger community of women in the bike industry by connecting experienced mentors with mentees, which would help build and retain top talent. The fifth round of the Uplift mentorship program is now underway, and in our conversation, Rachael breaks down the playbook of what it took to build this program - and how any other industry can adapt and benefit from making these connections. Show Notes: Rachael Burnside: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-burnside-1bb0b937/ Uplift: https://www.instagram.com/uplift.mentoring.networking/ Shift Active Media: https://www.shiftactivemedia.com/ Rouleur: https://www.rouleur.cc/ Rouleur Live: https://www.rouleur.cc/en-us/pages/rouleur-live Rapha: https://www.rapha.cc/ Alexa Cunningham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-cunningham-41045433/ Kate Veronneau on Second Nature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPlJTBv6ABo Stacy Perlis (CFO at Wahoo): https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-perlis-cpa/ BPC - Brand, Product, Content: Pure Sport: https://puresport.co/en-us Upway: https://upway.co/ Adweek Article - Outside Interactive: https://www.adweek.com/media/outside-interactive-profit-transformation/ Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media  Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media  Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media  Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

If your dental practice (or business) feels stressful, chaotic, and stuck, more revenue won't fix it.  In this episode, Dr. Jeff sits down with restaurant coach Donald Burns to reveal the leadership truth most owners avoid: your business is a reflection of you. If the team is disengaged, the culture is weak, and you're living in hustle mode… it's not a “sales problem.” It's a people and leadership problem.  Donald shares his journey from dishwasher to elite chef to Air Force pararescue, and how he nearly lost everything running his first restaurant by trying to outwork the problem. Sound familiar? Many dentists and owners hit the same wall: anxiety, burnout, the 2AM payroll panic, and the belief that grinding harder will solve it. If you want better staff buy-in, less stress, more consistency, and a practice that doesn't cost you your marriage, health, or soul, this episode gives you a real playbook. Highlights: →You'll hear why sales growth can hide operational dysfunction and actually increase stress when the culture isn't solid.  →Donald breaks down the “People, Product, Process” order and why most owners get it backwards, especially when launching a new practice or scaling a team.  →You'll learn how to start meetings the right way, anchoring mission, vision, and core values, so your team stays aligned and standards stay high.  →You'll also get a simple, repeatable appreciation habit (and a fun “penny game”) that helps team members feel seen, reduces turnover, and improves leadership presence, without adding hours to your day. To connect with Dr. Buske follow the links below -  LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Limitless Dentist Academy Join Dental Syndicate HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“You do not need to earn this moment.” Topics Discussed • Fertility burnout that hides behind productivity and good intentions • The subconscious blocks that make rest feel unsafe • IVF trauma and the nervous system pattern of overdoing • How guilt shows up when movement slows down • Emotional healing through radical awareness not performance • Time pressure stories and the internal fear of being behind • Mindset shifts that support subconscious healing and frequency change • Why rest without guilt softens survival mode “Rest without guilt recalibrates your whole system.” Hello Beautiful, Monica here supporting you to become the conscious mama you were born to be… Last week you noticed how quickly doing replaces feeling. How productivity becomes a shield. This week we stay with what happens when that shield lowers. And usually what shows up first is guilt. Not laziness. Not failure. Guilt. Fertility burnout is rarely about doing too little. It is about never feeling allowed to stop. When rest appears your nervous system may panic. It might whisper that you are behind. That time is running out. That IVF trauma or past disappointments mean you must push harder. And here is the uncomfortable truth. That push is often the very thing keeping your body in survival mode. Emotional healing begins when you pause without earning it. No reward. No justification. Just presence. We are also opening the door to time pressure. Not the clock. The internal story that it is too late. That your fertility journey is on a countdown. You already know age is not the whole story. But your subconscious may still be running a fear based script. And that script shapes your frequency more than any supplement ever could. This is where subconscious healing gets real. Not dramatic. Not loud. Just steady. A sticky note that says you do not need to earn this moment. A breath. A softening. And the quiet realization that safety is not something you achieve through overdoing. Next week we go deeper into those time stories and the subtle ways they shape your choices. For now just notice what happens when you stop performing. It might be uncomfortable. It might also be the relief you have been craving. Timestamps 02:29 When overdoing softens and guilt shows up 03:58 Rest without earning it and what your body feels  05:18 Building awareness as subconscious healing  06:15 Time pressure stories and feeling behind 07:40 Trusting your body and staying committed Full Transcript Over on the Blog: https://www.findingfertility.co/blog/FertilityBurnoutGuiltRestNoOneTalksAboutDuringIVFInfertility  Let's Do This Together

From boardrooms to headlines, vendor pitches to strategy decks, AI is suddenly everywhere. For many leaders, the conversations surrounding AI can be confusing and overwhelming. Is AI really helpful, or just overhyped? This episode of the Forward Thinking Podcast features FCCS SVP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton and Michael Thomas, Chief Data Scientist at Ketchbrook Analytics for a conversation about AI without the BS – by demystifying AI misconceptions, exploring AI opportunities and risks, and understanding how leaders today can implement AI into the broader digital transformation journey strategy.    Episode Insights Include: Common AI misconceptions in farm credit boardrooms AI being used for loan decisioning.  Generative AI should not be used to make individual loan data decisions.  AI being used as a general blanket for an entire organization.  Generalized AI models can be leveraged to increase productivity.  AI cannot be thrown at all customized business processes.  Individual questions cannot effectively be answered by AI.    Positive applications of AI in farm credit Microsoft CoPilot is being used effectively to effectively summarize and generalize document content.  Extensive pdf documents can be simplified with AI assistance.  Large language models can assist with the farm credit system.    Possibilities for further AI adaptation Prompt-driven user dashboards can allow for quicker recall of desired information.  Large language models can bring data together for the user.  Product catalogues chatbots can provide quick answers for users.  Try it and see – AI has countless possibilities that may be helpful.    AI versus machine learning and automation AI usually refers to generative AI.  Machine learning generally outputs one fixed idea.  Generative AI is a newer concept that produce varying lengths of output.  Machine learning helps organizations make better, data-driven decisions.  Generative AI helps organizations be more efficient across a variety of day-to-day tasks. Both have applicability to automation.    Promising applications for AI application in farm credit Increased efficiency is guaranteed with AI.  Sales should be working with a large language model to create a polished sales pitch.  AI can be leveraged to review the work that you have already done.  AI can support, review, and enhance your original thoughts and work.    Avoiding the risks and dangers of AI There is little to no room for error in farm credit, and AI is not fool-proof.  AI offers promises including improved hiring and productivity gains.  Critical thinking skills are at risk from AI, as well as the messy deployment of fully autonomous AI agents. Additional improvements include revolutionary game-changers in medicine and science.  Troubleshooting problems can be addressed more quickly with AI assistance.  Longterm adaptation has to be rolled out in a way that complements the workforce.    This podcast is powered by FCCS.   Resources   Connect with Michael Thomas – Michael Thomas   Get in touch – info@fccsconsulting.com   "AI should be thoughtfully baked into the products you're already using." — Michael Thomas   "AI has to be rolled out in a way that complements the workforce." — Michael Thomas   "Don't be afraid to use your brain first." — Michael Thomas   "Do not focus on the tools of AI or machine learning, focus on the problems that you want to solve." — Michael Thomas

So how do Kwaku's kids know that it's FAFO Friday? "They're like, 'oh, we know you're doing the podcast 'cause we just hear you cackling through the walls.'"So laugh along with Kwaku and me today as we work our way through a quick victory lap (stuff we said would happen last week happened!), why Sam is like that desperate guy at the bar who refuses to go home alone, quantum computing explained via children's literature, why the Jetsons are not reason enough for us to build humanoid robots, robot choreography (are we human or are we dancers?), wen self-driving cars in NY?, riding a wave of green lights up Manhattan's third avenue at 2 AM, artificial wombs and other moonshot off-shoots, and the real origin of Velcro (AI lied to me about it).Plus... goat ranches, breakfast tacos, and what we're most excited about heading into SXSW. It's a choose your own adventure kind of day.Chapters(01:24) - Victory Lap — We Called It (03:35) - OpenAI's Bar Guy Energy (06:38) - Waymo, Robot Choreography, and Green Light Waves (10:16) - Self-Driving Cars vs. New York Politicians (13:13) - What We're Most Excited About at SXSW (15:41) - Quantum Computing: Choose Your Own Adventure Edition (18:01) - Dire Wolves, Moonshots, and Tech Nobody Sees Coming (24:07) - Why Do Robots Need to Look Like Us? (29:22) - The SXSW Way-Back Machine (36:08) - Increased Regulation: Past, Present, or Future? Support Future Around & Find OutFollow Dan on LinkedInGet the free Future Around & Find Out newsletterBecome a paid subscriber and help future proof the podcast!Sponsor the show? Are you looking to reach an audience of senior technologists and decision-makers? Email me: dan@modernproductminds.com---Music by Jonathan Zalben

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Miko Branch. Here is a clear, structured summary of the Miko Branch interview with Rushion McDonald, along with its purpose, key takeaways, and notable quotes, drawn directly from the transcript you provided.All information cites the uploaded file. SUMMARY OF THE INTERVIEW In this Money Making Conversations Masterclass episode, Rushion McDonald interviews Miko Branch, co‑founder and CEO of Miss Jessie’s, a pioneering hair‑care brand serving people with textured, curly, kinky, and wavy hair. Miko recounts how she and her late sister, Titi Branch, built Miss Jessie’s from their kitchen table in their Brooklyn brownstone, developing products designed to genuinely work for people with textured hair. She highlights the brand’s deeply personal roots—named after their grandmother Jessie Mae Branch, the first “CEO” they ever observed in action. Throughout the interview, Miko explains how Miss Jessie’s expanded from grassroots marketing, word‑of‑mouth, and early internet chat rooms to becoming a national brand found in Walgreens, CVS, Target, and more. She stresses the brand’s emphasis on education, authenticity, and providing solutions for all textured hair types. Miko also discusses signature product lines (Curly Pudding, Pillow Soft Curls, Daily Soft Curls, sulfate‑free shampoo) and how Miss Jessie’s became a leader in the natural hair movement—well before it became a mainstream trend. PURPOSE OF THE INTERVIEW 1. To showcase Miss Jessie’s origin story and entrepreneurial journey McDonald highlights how Miko built a multimillion‑dollar brand from her kitchen table. 2. To inspire current and aspiring entrepreneurs Miko demonstrates how authentic problem‑solving creates brand loyalty and long-term success. 3. To educate listeners about textured hair and the natural hair care industry The interview reinforces that natural hair is not a trend—it's an identity and lifestyle. 4. To highlight the importance of cultural heritage and family influence Miko shares how her grandmother, her sister, and her Brooklyn salon shaped Miss Jessie’s values and innovation. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Miss Jessie’s was built on authenticity and real consumer needs The brand emerged from real hairstyling challenges Miko and Titi solved for themselves and their salon clients.. 2. Education is central to the brand’s success Miss Jessie’s teaches customers how to understand and care for their curl types—wavy, curly, kinky, multicultural, or transitioning.McDonald says the site offers more information than any hair‑care brand he has interviewed. 3. Family legacy guides the company Their grandmother Jessie Mae’s leadership, work ethic, and kitchen‑table lessons inspired their business approach. 4. The natural hair movement is here to stay People increasingly embrace their God‑given texture; straightening is no longer the dominant norm. 5. Social media amplified—did not create—their success Word‑of‑mouth began long before social media; platforms today simply extend their reach. 6. Miss Jessie’s serves everyone with texture—not just Black women Men, boys, Latinas, mixed‑race individuals—anyone with curls or waves—can find a solution. 7. Product innovation drove their growth Curly Pudding, Pillow Soft Curls, Daily Soft Curls, and sulfate‑free shampoos transformed textured hair care. 8. Their Brooklyn salon doubled as R&D It allowed the sisters to test products directly on customers and ensure real‑world performance. NOTABLE QUOTES (from transcript) On the company’s beginnings “We started our business in our brownstone right at our kitchen table.” “Curly Pudding was the groundbreaker—the game changer.” On the brand’s philosophy “The bottom line is being able to create products that are helpful.” “Information and communication is key to success.” On inclusivity “Anyone who has texture… we have something for you.” On natural hair “Natural hair, curly hair is preferred… it’s how people want to express themselves.” “Natural hair is not a trend—it’s here to stay.” On social media and growth “We were going viral before ‘going viral’ was a word.”. On legacy “Our grandmother Jessie was the first female CEO we’d ever seen.”. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cameron Gould-Saltman is a CPG growth leader, angel investor, and former Head of Food & Beverage at TikTok Shop, where he built one of the platform's fastest-growing verticals by connecting emerging brands, creators, and consumers through social commerce. On this episode of ITS, Cameron explains all things social commerce: How to meet consumers where they are today and where they'll be tomorrow. Don't miss this one!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mayo, booze, jerky, ranch, and more genius new products are pitched by the fellas, using Expo West as the inspiration to create the next big consumer packaged goods concepts.

On this episode of Vitality Radio, Jared sits down with Roz Marchant, founder of Hair's A Million, to explore the surprising story behind a natural hair health breakthrough. After losing her hair during cancer treatment, Roz began researching nutrient-dense, toxin-free ingredients that could support healthy hair and scalp function. What started as a personal experiment eventually became a widely used hair serum developed with a focus on clean ingredients and topical nutrition. Jared also shares the science behind his Hair Revive formula, created to address common internal factors linked to hair thinning such as nutrient depletion, stress, and hormonal shifts. Together they discuss the inside-out approach to supporting hair health, how lifestyle and nutrient status may influence hair growth cycles, and why ingredient integrity matters in both supplements and personal care products. If you're interested in natural strategies that support stronger, fuller, healthier hair, this episode is packed with insights.Products:Hairs a Million ProductsRidgecrest Herbals Hair ReviveBuy Hairs a Million Nutrient Infused Hair Serum AND Ridgecrest Herbals Hair Revive and get $20 off (for 30 days from air date)Thyme Out (Vitality Radio POW! Product of the Week 25% off with PROMO CODE: POW30)Visit the podcast website here: VitalityRadio.comYou can follow @vitalitynutritionbountiful and @vitalityradio on Instagram, or Vitality Radio and Vitality Nutrition on Facebook. Join us also in the Vitality Radio Podcast Listener Community on Facebook. Shop the products that Jared mentions at vitalitynutrition.com. Let us know your thoughts about this episode using the hashtag #vitalityradio and please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Thank you!Just a reminder that this podcast is for educational purposes only. The FDA has not evaluated the podcast. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The advice given is not intended to replace the advice of your medical professional.

What if the biggest bottleneck in your commerce strategy isn't the strategy itself, but the time it takes your team to actually perform the actions to execute it?Agility requires not just having the right insights, but also the operational capacity to act on them at the speed the market demands.Today, we're going to talk about a critical bottleneck many brands face: the delay between data-driven insight and real-world execution. Commerce teams are often drowning in data but struggle with the manual, time-consuming work of implementing changes, whether it's updating product pages or optimizing media spend. This has led to a major shift, where brands are looking beyond traditional agency models and toward a new paradigm of 'agentic AI'—using automated agents to handle execution, freeing up human experts to focus on what they do best: strategy.We are here at eTail Palm Springs, and to help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Himanshu Jain, Co-Founder and Head of Product, and Bill Schneider, VP Product Marketing at CommerceIQ. About Bill Schneider and Himanshu Jain Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Bill Schneider and Himanshu Jain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-schneider-b32a6a/ Resources CommerceIQ: www.commerceiq.ai The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Miko Branch. Here is a clear, structured summary of the Miko Branch interview with Rushion McDonald, along with its purpose, key takeaways, and notable quotes, drawn directly from the transcript you provided.All information cites the uploaded file. SUMMARY OF THE INTERVIEW In this Money Making Conversations Masterclass episode, Rushion McDonald interviews Miko Branch, co‑founder and CEO of Miss Jessie’s, a pioneering hair‑care brand serving people with textured, curly, kinky, and wavy hair. Miko recounts how she and her late sister, Titi Branch, built Miss Jessie’s from their kitchen table in their Brooklyn brownstone, developing products designed to genuinely work for people with textured hair. She highlights the brand’s deeply personal roots—named after their grandmother Jessie Mae Branch, the first “CEO” they ever observed in action. Throughout the interview, Miko explains how Miss Jessie’s expanded from grassroots marketing, word‑of‑mouth, and early internet chat rooms to becoming a national brand found in Walgreens, CVS, Target, and more. She stresses the brand’s emphasis on education, authenticity, and providing solutions for all textured hair types. Miko also discusses signature product lines (Curly Pudding, Pillow Soft Curls, Daily Soft Curls, sulfate‑free shampoo) and how Miss Jessie’s became a leader in the natural hair movement—well before it became a mainstream trend. PURPOSE OF THE INTERVIEW 1. To showcase Miss Jessie’s origin story and entrepreneurial journey McDonald highlights how Miko built a multimillion‑dollar brand from her kitchen table. 2. To inspire current and aspiring entrepreneurs Miko demonstrates how authentic problem‑solving creates brand loyalty and long-term success. 3. To educate listeners about textured hair and the natural hair care industry The interview reinforces that natural hair is not a trend—it's an identity and lifestyle. 4. To highlight the importance of cultural heritage and family influence Miko shares how her grandmother, her sister, and her Brooklyn salon shaped Miss Jessie’s values and innovation. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Miss Jessie’s was built on authenticity and real consumer needs The brand emerged from real hairstyling challenges Miko and Titi solved for themselves and their salon clients.. 2. Education is central to the brand’s success Miss Jessie’s teaches customers how to understand and care for their curl types—wavy, curly, kinky, multicultural, or transitioning.McDonald says the site offers more information than any hair‑care brand he has interviewed. 3. Family legacy guides the company Their grandmother Jessie Mae’s leadership, work ethic, and kitchen‑table lessons inspired their business approach. 4. The natural hair movement is here to stay People increasingly embrace their God‑given texture; straightening is no longer the dominant norm. 5. Social media amplified—did not create—their success Word‑of‑mouth began long before social media; platforms today simply extend their reach. 6. Miss Jessie’s serves everyone with texture—not just Black women Men, boys, Latinas, mixed‑race individuals—anyone with curls or waves—can find a solution. 7. Product innovation drove their growth Curly Pudding, Pillow Soft Curls, Daily Soft Curls, and sulfate‑free shampoos transformed textured hair care. 8. Their Brooklyn salon doubled as R&D It allowed the sisters to test products directly on customers and ensure real‑world performance. NOTABLE QUOTES (from transcript) On the company’s beginnings “We started our business in our brownstone right at our kitchen table.” “Curly Pudding was the groundbreaker—the game changer.” On the brand’s philosophy “The bottom line is being able to create products that are helpful.” “Information and communication is key to success.” On inclusivity “Anyone who has texture… we have something for you.” On natural hair “Natural hair, curly hair is preferred… it’s how people want to express themselves.” “Natural hair is not a trend—it’s here to stay.” On social media and growth “We were going viral before ‘going viral’ was a word.”. On legacy “Our grandmother Jessie was the first female CEO we’d ever seen.”. #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumers aren't lacking for choice. Instead, they're usually drowning in a sea of options, and it's up to brands to find ways to go beyond simply removing friction and bring back the joy in shopping. Adding AI, and agentic AI into the mix can unlock new opportunities, but also brings with it new challenges. We're going to talk a little about all of it.We are recording here at eTail Palm Springs, and hearing from leading brands and the platforms and companies they rely on to innovate in retail. To help me discuss these topics, I'd like to welcome back to the show Noah Zamansky, VP Product, Tech, & Design, Client Experience at Stitch Fix About Noah Zamansky Noah Zamansky serves as the Vice President of Product and Client Experience at Stitch Fix, where he leads cross-functional teams spanning Product, Design, Engineering, Algorithms, and Platform Development. A seasoned leader, Noah has a proven track record of shaping product vision and strategy, designing exceptional user experiences, and spearheading the launch of new business ventures. Before joining Stitch Fix, Noah held the role of Senior Director of Product Management at eBay, overseeing Fashion and Vertical Experiences. Noah Zamansky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nzamansky/ Resources Stitch Fix: https://www.stitchfix.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Episode 2769 - Vinnie Tortorich and Anna Vocino discuss trusting product certifications as well as make some fun announcements. https://vinnietortorich.com/2026/03/trusting-product-certifications-episode-2769 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS Pure Vitamin Club Pure Coffee Club NSNG® Foods VILLA CAPPELLI EAT HAPPY KITCHEN YOU CAN WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE - @FitnessConfidential Podcast Vinnie's workout videos are available to purchase! Choose from a 2-day, 4-day, or 6-day workout–or buy all three at a discount! TO PURCHASE VINNIE'S WORKOUT VIDEOS, CLICK THIS LINK: https://vinnietortorich.com/workout Trusting Product Certifications Anna was just on the Mike Rowe podcast, "The Way I Heard It". (2:00) Vinnie is excited about his guest, D-D Breaux, who is a legendary gymnastics coach. (7:00) D-D's episode has already been posted so that you can enjoy it sooner. You can listen to it here: https://sites.libsyn.com/40024/building-excellence-with-d-d-breaux-episode-2768 Vinnie wants to be back into skiing for the first time in nine years! (13:00) Anna received her Jaspr air scrubber. (22:00) Certification of products—what is that about, and is it real? (32:00) Anna explains how it works, and they discuss olive oil as an example. Compliance and scaling up manufacturing needs are important. Vinnie won't work with a company unless it is GMP- and NSF-certified. GMP is Good Manufacturing Practices. NSF is the National Science Foundation. Supplements can be suspect if they are manufactured in a facility without GMP or NSF practices. Certifications can matter and can also be abused. (48:00) Anna has a fantastic announcement: she is stepping into the shoes of the late Estelle Harris and becoming the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 5! (50:00) They discuss a little of the darker side of being an actor in L.A. (1:00:00) Did you miss it?: The NSNG® VIP group closed, but you can get onto the waitlist for next time by signing up at https://www.nsngvip.com/join. A New Sponsor Jaspr Air Scrubbers has a discount code, VINNIE, that gets you $300 off for a limited time. Jaspr offers a lifetime warranty. Go to Jaspr.co for more information or to purchase. (1:05:00) You can book a consultation with Vinnie to get guidance on your goals. https://vinnietortorich.com/phone-consultation-2/ More News Serena has added some of her clothing suggestions and beauty product suggestions to Vinnie's Amazon Recommended Products link. Self Care, Beauty, and Grooming Products that Actually Work! https://www.amazon.com/shop/vinnietortorich/list/3GPVU29UHHPMY?ref_=aipsflist Don't forget to check out Serena Scott Thomas on Days of Our Lives on the Peacock channel. "Dirty Keto" is available on Amazon! You can purchase or rent it here.https://amzn.to/4d9agj1 Please make sure to watch, rate, and review it! Eat Happy Italian, Anna's next cookbook, is available! You can go to https://eathappyitalian.com You can order it from Vinnie's Book Club. https://amzn.to/3ucIXm Anna's recipes are in her cookbooks, on her website, and on Substack —they will spice up your day! https://annavocino.substack.com/ PURCHASE DIRTY KETO (2024) The documentary launched in August 2024! Order it TODAY! This is Vinnie's fourth documentary in just over five years. Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries Then, please share my fact-based, health-focused documentary series with your friends and family. Additionally, the more views it receives, the better it ranks, so please watch it again with a new friend! REVIEWS: Please submit your REVIEW after you watch my films. Your positive REVIEW does matter! PURCHASE BEYOND IMPOSSIBLE (2022) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries FAT: A DOCUMENTARY 2 (2021) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries FAT: A DOCUMENTARY (2019) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries