Podcasts about rfp

Signal adds Recall blocker Critical Windows Server 2025 dMSA vulnerability warning Pathology lab suffers data breach Huge thanks to our sponsor, Conveyor Still spending hours maintaining a massive spreadsheet of Q&A pairs or using RFP tools to answer security questionnaires? Conveyor's AI doesn't need hand-holding and gets you accurate answers every time with limited knowledge base maintenance. It reads directly from your connected sources—documents, wikis, websites, Confluence, Google drive, and even your Conveyor trust center. You don't maintain a knowledge base. You connect to one. And our AI does the rest for you. See what real auto-fill magic looks like at www.conveyor.com Find the stories behind the headlines at CISOseries.com.

Link to episode page This week's Cyber Security Headlines – Week in Review is hosted by Rich Stroffolino with guest George Finney, CISO, The University of Texas System – check out George's new book plus all his other achievements at his website, WellAwareSecurity. Thanks to our show sponsor, Conveyor Still spending hours maintaining a massive spreadsheet of Q&A pairs or using RFP tools to answer security questionnaires? Conveyor's AI doesn't need hand-holding and gets you accurate answers every time with limited knowledge base maintenance. It reads directly from your connected sources—documents, wikis, websites, Confluence, Google drive, and even your Conveyor trust center. You don't maintain a knowledge base. You connect to one. And our AI does the rest for you. See what real auto-fill magic looks like at www.conveyor.com All links and the video of this episode can be found on CISO Series.com      

Send us a textJoin hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI in classrooms to workforce shifts and EdTech innovation across the globe.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:03:16] Ezra Klein podcast brings AI and education to mainstream conversation[00:07:20] Alex and Ben compare and critique GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and other AI tools[00:09:28] Utah emerges as a leading hub for EdTech startups and innovation[00:12:21] New AI bundles help educators explore tools like Superhuman and Perplexity[00:13:19] Surge in media coverage on cheating, lawsuits, and educator use of AI[00:16:17] Lawsuit filed against professor for using AI-generated content in class[00:18:00] Concerns grow about students using AI tools to bypass cognitive learning[00:23:10] Direct-to-student AI sparks debate about academic integrity and design[00:25:20] Google plans to roll out Gemini to students under 13[00:29:41] AI enables hands-on science learning like virtual frog dissections[00:33:43] AI compared to electricity as foundational infrastructure for the future[00:36:09] Rising youth unemployment signals early impact of AI-driven disruption[00:38:57] Major firms lay off workers while shifting strategy toward AI adoption[00:40:34] EdTech must define and prepare students for new AI-native job rolesPlus, special guest:[00:41:22] Sam Chaudhary, Co-founder & CEO of ClassDojo on tutoring, gamified learning, and community building

Send us a textThis is a very special episode featuring our sponsor, Starbridge. Justin Wenig, Founder and CEO of Starbridge, joins us to discuss how school spending creates barriers to EdTech innovation. Justin previously co-founded Coursedog, scaling it to over 300 institutions and a nine-figure exit. With Starbridge, he's now helping EdTech businesses navigate public sector procurement using AI to identify and close their best-fit leads.

In this episode of The Tech Chef Podcast, Skip Kimpel welcomes Chris Herd, co-founder and CEO of Olive, the AI-powered platform that's redefining how businesses approach vendor selection, RFPs, and strategic sourcing. Chris shares his journey from tech sales to entrepreneurship, the pain points that inspired Olive's creation, and why the traditional RFP process is fundamentally broken.Together, they explore how Olive eliminates bias, accelerates decisions, and empowers consultants, operators, and vendors to collaborate more effectively. Whether you're tired of bloated spreadsheets or questioning the future of your consulting model, this conversation offers a refreshing, forward-thinking take on how to evaluate and adopt technology in a smarter way.Key Takeaways:The RFP Is Broken: Traditional RFPs are slow, manual, and often biased. Olive offers a collaborative, agile alternative powered by AI.AI as an Assistant, Not a Replacement: Rather than replacing consultants, Olive empowers them to work more efficiently, scale faster, and deliver more value by automating tedious tasks.Vendor Fairness & Objectivity: Olive doesn't accept vendor payments, reducing bias and ensuring a level playing field in the selection process.Smarter, Faster Decisions: From consolidating stakeholder input to auto-analyzing vendor responses, Olive dramatically shortens timelines and improves project outcomes.Beyond Hospitality: While widely used in restaurants and hotels, Olive's platform is industry-agnostic and scalable across enterprise sectors.The Future of RFPs? According to Chris, the term “RFP” might be obsolete in five years. Instead, decision-making platforms will lead the wayHow To Contact Me:Websitehttps://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)https://magicgate.comInstagram:https://instagram.com/skipkimpelhttps://www.instagram.com/magicgatetech/X (Twitter):https://twitter.com/skipkimpelhttps://x.com/magicgatetechFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/https://www.facebook.com/magicgatetechLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpelhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/magicgateYoutube:https://www.youtube.com/@magicgatetechYou can always email me at: skip@magicgate.com

Send us a textMacKenzie Price is a Stanford grad, mom of two, and the Co-Founder of 2 Hour Learning - a revolutionary learning platform that harnesses the power of AI to give kids a 1:1 personalized learning experience. Her students excel in academics while spending most of their day learning life skills that set them up for future success. She founded the first Alpha School ten years ago in Austin, Texas and now has eight schools, with others opening in the fall.

This is an old episode that I am re-posting.  (An oldie but goodie you might say).  A lot of people have questions about certifications - how they benefit you, how you qualify etc.  One of the best ways I have seen in my 40 plus years as a consultant, to accelerate your growth in the government market, ios to get a certification and know how to leverage it. This podcast helps you with that.For more help, check out my new book on Amazon, The Sole Source Advantage: How Small Businesses Can Bypass Competition to Win Federal ContractsVisit our website for more info or help - Winning Government Contracts

Send us a textJoin hosts Ben Kornell and Alex Sarlin as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs and policy shakeups to new funding rounds and workforce shifts shaping the future of learning.✨ Episode Highlights:[00:00:00] Silicon Valley debates the rise of “AI Slop” and the impact of vibe coding.[00:03:36] Columbia student suspended for AI cheating tool raises $5.3M to commercialize it.[00:04:56] Anthropic's Drew Bent explains why code literacy now means editing AI-generated code.[00:08:09] 200 CEOs and Code.org push for mandatory AI classes in high school.[00:11:13] Federal government's role in AI education policy under debate.[00:14:04] Duolingo plans to replace contract workers with AI, triggering backlash.[00:20:42] Higher ed faces political attacks; Harvard and Columbia push back.[00:23:32] K-12 faces teacher shortages and $4.5B in proposed federal funding cuts.[00:35:21] Google's AI Overviews cut search click-through rates by 34.5%.Plus, special guests:[00:36:08] Brian Malkin, Co-Founder & CEO of Rang, on rewards programs to improve K-12 attendance.[00:50:29] John Marshall, CEO of BrainFreeze, on AI safety and transparency in schools.[01:12:31] Scott Nadzan, Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategic Communications at Panopto, on AI-generated video and the Elai acquisition.

Episode SummaryThis episode dives into the critical role of data quality in unlocking the true potential of AI for ABM success. Daryn Smith shares how organizations can move from AI hype to AI readiness, focusing on bridging data silos and using AI effectively. The discussion explores practical steps to improving data management, leveraging AI tools to streamline processes, and why leadership plays a pivotal role in driving change. Daryn also reveals fascinating use cases where AI has made a tangible difference in business operations and marketing strategies.Key TakeawaysAI Readiness is LaggingOnly 8.5% of companies are truly AI-ready, despite executives highly prioritizing AI adoption.Data Quality is Key:70% of respondents prioritize data quality over AI, revealing that unstructured or siloed data hampers AI effectiveness.Leadership's Role in AI SuccessLeaders must champion AI adoption while being transparent about the need for continuous improvements in data management and AI training.Blind Automation Can Undermine ResultsAI often requires contextual data and meaningful human oversight to produce relevant, impactful recommendations.Practical AI ApplicationsFrom creating AI-driven RFP agents to developing AI tools that emulate senior employees' knowledge, simple yet impactful use cases can revolutionize workflows.Best Moments (01:10) – Daryn's Career Journey : From web developer to CEO, Daryn details how his unique background has shaped his approach to marketing and AI-led transformation.(04:53) – The Growing Importance of AI Readiness : Daryn highlights how data silos and poor data quality hinder AI's potential and shares insights from Hubble Digital's recent research.(10:57) – AI's Role in Revolutionizing ABM : Daryn and Paul discuss how AI-powered tools are automating manual tasks, leading to better account targeting and personalized campaigns.(14:00) – The Disconnect Between Leadership and Reality : A candid discussion on why executives often overestimate their organizations' AI capabilities.(34:06) – AI in Practical Use Cases : Daryn shares how Hubble Digital uses AI agents to streamline RFP responses and retain institutional knowledge.(22:27) – Evolving Data Systems : Tips on keeping CRM and ABM systems agile to adapt to business changes, ensuring they retain their value long term.Tech RecommendationsHubSpot – A platform supporting ABM strategies and AI integration for CRM efficiency.Fathom.ai – A tool for turning unstructured sales and marketing data into actionable insights.Books:Hacking Marketing by Scott Brinker - Agile Practices to Make Marketing Smarter, Faster, and More InnovativeDharmesh Shah - Founder & CTO, HubSpotDave Gerhardt - Founder, Exit Five

In this episode, we break down the upcoming MA-IDIQ: Administrative, Clerical, and Non-Scientific Support Services contract from the Department of Commerce – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Set aside exclusively for SBA-certified Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs), this $30.28M opportunity includes 6 anticipated awards and a planned RFP release in June 2025.We'll explore:Contract scope and service areasSet-aside requirements for WOSBsInsights on the previous RFP and incumbent landscapeWhat your business can do now to get a head startIf you're a WOSB looking to expand into NOAA or federal administrative support, this episode is a must-listen.

Send us a textMike Yates is a Senior Designer at Teach for America's Reinvention Lab, with over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology and learning. A former classroom teacher and founding member of Alpha School, he now leads the Lab's AI initiatives, creating workshops, coaching educators, and prototyping innovative AI solutions. Mike has built partnerships with organizations like Playlab AI, Google, and Snapchat, and remains dedicated to helping educators navigate the future of learning through practical, human-centered approaches.

RFP - 'Surpassing the Love of Men' by Lillian Faderman, discussed by Sheila Jeffreys & Elizabeth Miller.A live webinar recorded on 11th May 2025 at 10am UK time.On Sundays (10am UK time), our webinar series Radical Feminist Perspectives offers a chance to hear leading feminists discuss radical feminist theory and politics.Attendance of our live webinars is women-only, register at https://bit.ly/registerRFP

Send us a textJoin host Alex Sarlin alongside special guest co-hosts Ben Wallerstein and Anna Kimsey Edwards, Co-Founders of Whiteboard Advisors, as they break down:[00:03:00] Trump's AI Executive Order launches cross-agency education task force[00:05:00] 27 states already advancing AI education policy[00:07:00] Workforce EO targets 1M AI-related apprenticeships[00:10:00] Accreditation EO pushes competition and student outcomes[00:14:00] “Beyond Degrees” report urges non-degree pathways[00:21:00] Edtech funding hits record low in Q1 and Q2, says HolonIQ[00:23:00] ESSER cliff and political uncertainty stall school spending[00:28:00] Falling enrollment squeezes K-12 budgets nationwide[00:30:00] Duolingo adds 150 AI-generated cross-language courses[00:30:45] Google Audio Overview now available in 50 languages[00:31:00] Panorama acquires AI writing tool Class Companion, Kollegio raises seed round for AI college advising[00:32:30] Anthropic forecasts AI-only employees within a year[00:36:00] Israel announces national rollout of AI tutors in schoolsPlus, special guests:[00:36:45] Anna Iarotska, CEO & Co-founder of Robo Wunderkind, unveils the first K–5 AI Literacy Curriculum[00:50:55] Julia Dixon, Founder & CEO of ESAI, reflects on her Shark Tank debut and democratizing admissions advising[01:02:00] Tigran Sloyan, Co-Founder & CEO of CodeSignal, shares how TED Talks are becoming interactive learning journeys

Send us a textBetsy Corcoran and Dr. Jeremy Roschelle co-host the Future Fluent podcast, where they explore how learning is changing in the age of AI. Betsy is the cofounder of EdSurge and now leads Lede Labs, advising education leaders. Jeremy is a leading learning scientist and Executive Director of Learning Science Research at Digital Promise. Together, they bring decades of journalism and research experience to their shared mission: redefining literacy and learning in a world transformed by AI.

The freight market doesn't work the way most people think it does, and Chris Caplice is here to explain why. As the Chief Scientist at DAT Freight & Analytics and Executive Director of MIT's FreightLab, Chris has spent years studying the breakdowns in routing guides, the myth of economies of scale, and why AI isn't a magic bullet for bad freight strategy. In this episode, we're diving deep into how shippers, brokers, and carriers can use benchmarking and dynamic tools to build more resilient freight networks and avoid the common traps in RFP season. Key takeaways: Freight contracts often fail because they're built around ghost lanes that never move freight. AI works best when applied to unstructured transportation data, not generic pricing models. Dynamic routing guides and benchmarking tools help reduce failure points in traditional RFPs. Economies of scale don't really exist in truckload—scope and flexibility matter more. Smart freight strategy comes down to understanding your network's quirks, not copying someone else's.LINKS:Chris' LinkedInDAT Freight & Analytics WebsiteDAT Freight & Analytics on CargoRexWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. CloneOps AI-powered phone operations for inbound and outbound calls with speed, scale, and efficiency. Our virtual agents handle high-volume interactions, automate workflows, and deliver real-time insights, freeing your team to focus on growth. Designed for logistics, retail, and beyond—seamless communication, smarter conversations, faster resolutions. CargoRex – Your Logistics Hub. Explore, discover, and evolve with the all-in-one platform connecting you to the top logistics tools, services, and industry voices. Whether you're a leader, researcher, or creator, CargoRex helps you stay ahead. Explore Now Digital Dispatch maximizes your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. Check out our website services her...

According to the State of Sales Enablement Report, organizations utilizing enablement tools are 52% more likely to engage in formal collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders. So, how can you effectively collaborate across the business to drive transformation?Shawnna Sumaoang: Hi, and welcome to the Win-Win podcast. I’m your host, Shawnna Sumaoang. Join us as we dive into changing trends in the workplace and how to navigate them successfully. Here to discuss this topic is Lauren Richardson, senior vice president of sales transformation operations at NTT Data. Thank you for joining us. Lauren. I’d love for you to tell us about yourself, your background, and your role. Lauren Richardson: Hi, Shawnna, it great to be on the podcast series today. Thank you so much. I am senior vice president of sales operations transformation and in this role we are driving transformation across NTT, especially for the selling community. I’ve been at NTT now 10 years, and prior to that I was at Microsoft, I was at Nandos, and I also had a wonderful opportunity to run my own business for about 10 years. This has really put me in a fantastic position in a generalist role to drive transformation in an integration of a company this size. SS: Well, Lauren, we’re excited to have you here on the podcast as well, so thank you so much for taking the time to join us. In your role as a sales transformation operations leader, what are key initiatives that you’re focused on driving this year, and how are you bringing these transformations to life through your strategic programs? LR: It’s an interesting one, Shawnna. Our journey with NTT Holdings has over the last five years, been taking the companies outside of Japan and then been integrating them or merging them into one organization. So in the last year, we integrated NTT Data, NTT Data Services and Entity Limited. Now in the integration, you can imagine the transformation that would have to drive is more one of standardization, simplification, and really bringing this organization to operate as one. So when we look at sales transformation, we are running projects like one CRM, one revenue enablement platform, one sales performance management tool. So these are the projects that we are focusing on because we need to drive the simplification before we can truly drive innovation and transformation for the organization. SS: I love that. In your opinion, what is the strategic advantage of an enablement platform in supporting the success of your sales transformation initiatives? LR: It’s absolutely critical. So when we launched the one enablement platform in October, 2024, it was the only platform that, regardless of your legacy company, you could access through single sign-on, which meant there was only one place a seller could go to to find out around our one portfolio offering. There was only one place that they could go to for training. They could go for information, they could go for change management. Absolutely critical from our Salesforce team to have this one stop that it doesn’t matter if you’re in Americas, if you’re in Taiwan, if you’re in Australia, you could access Highspot, for example, to be able to find out what is our one portfolio, what are we doing in industry? What is the training that is available for me to learn about our new portfolio? So absolutely critical to drive one repository, one change management, and one enablement tool. SS: Amazing. Now, in the introduction, we talked about the importance of stakeholder relationships. Now I know that that is one of your strengths in building really meaningful long-term stakeholder relationships. How do you foster these relationships at all levels of the business to drive your transformation initiatives forward? LR: Yes, I absolutely love stakeholder management. For me, it’s about building trust and at every level of the organization trust is foundational. I have three things that I look at. First is listen and learn. How to make sure that you truly listening from their perspective, what are the challenges that they are facing and learn from that conversation. The second one for me is around response. So if somebody is contacting me or trying to set up a meeting with me, or sending me an email, or trying to communicate with me, ensuring that I respond immediately or within a 24 hour period to be able to get the trust that I’m going to actually listen and learn. And then finally is around integrity and kindness. I think acting with integrity in everything that you do, whether it’s a crazy transformational project, it takes nothing to have integrity and treat people with kindness. And I think with those three things comes to the core, building that trust, whether you’re an executive member, whether you are part of the project delivery team, if you have those elements in place and they trust you and they believe in you, you can drive the transformation for this organization. SS: I like those three principles. How have these strong stakeholder relationships helped you optimize and innovate your transformation initiatives? LR: I think for us was around simplification in a lot of the integration moments with this organization. I. We didn’t necessarily have the mandate to deliver on something. I’ll give you an example. Highspot was a legacy tool that we used for for limited, and in creating this one NTT data in the tool wasn’t used across the organization and we didn’t have the mandate to operationalize it across the organization and our CEO said to us. Lauren, if you can get the Americas to buy into Highspot, you’ll have the mandate for that to be a tier one enablement platform. But I had to use influence. And with the influence of that, I was working with people I’d never worked with before and I had to build that trust so that when I made the statement, I really believed that this is the right way to go for the organization. They believed in me and they believed that influence is the right thing to do. So, absolutely key to success. If the stakeholder believes in you, you can drive anything, but you’ve gotta follow through on that trust. You’ve gotta deliver on your promise. And that’s how I approached it for this initiative. SS: Amazing. I absolutely love that Lauren. Now, NTT data operates with a pretty complex business structure across 50 countries. How do you maintain consistency in your strategy while still adapting to the unique needs of the different stakeholders in your global teams? LR: It’s a challenging one, because the client is owned at the edge by the edge. It gives them a lot of autonomy to adjust to what the client would need in country. But I strongly believe that without simplification and standardization. You will not scale for growth and their edge or the countries rely on us to make sure that there is one tool, that there is one process, that the operational heartbeat of the company is sound. In order to be able to focus on the client. So I think it’s really understanding that would a group function be responsible for the edge, but also making sure that we are making their life easier through the operational standardization that we are driving, and that the growth strategy can come a lot easier at the edge if those foundational layers are in place. SS: Absolutely. Now, along with the large global reach, your programs also support different role types across the business, from client managers to solution architects and more. What are your best practices for developing programs that really resonate with each role? LR: It’s a topic that’s very close to my heart because I really believe that we need a persona driven strategy. So when we designed the revenue enablement framework – the framework that would inform how we build Highspot for NTT data in. We had a persona first lens to that. And for us it’s around creating how do you make sure that the persona has the right information at their fingertips. In the moment that matters the most. So if it’s a solution architect and he’s preparing for an RFP moment, well, how does he get his hands on that content or training or information or insights or data in the moment that matters in that RFP? If I’m a client manager and I’m preparing for A QBR, how do I find the information that helps me prepare for that QBR? So for when we designed the revenue enablement framework, we selected four primary personas and we did the tagging and the connection of to the material and the training within Highspot, through that persona, identifying that the moment that matters the most for them. And we did a number of interviews across the organization to make sure that we understood their moments. What are those top five, those top eight moments that mean so much to you? And how do we make sure that we can connect you to that moment at the time that it matters with a client? So for us, it’s absolutely critical. Persona driven mapping. Persona driven journeys is where the maturity of the organization will come through in our enablement platform. SS: Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Lauren, to shift gears a little bit, I know that you are a data-driven leader. How do you use data to inform and enhance your strategic programs to drive your transformation efforts and deliver on business goals? LR: I think data is, is there’s so much data. It’s it, it can actually work against you if you are not asking the right question. So when I look at the data, I definitely look with a lens of looking backwards, help me see trends that are happening, help describe a moment for me so I can see the insights against that trend. Then once I have the historic view, what’s happening, I start to look at the predictive. Where are we going with this? How do we forecast? How do we use machine learning to be able to anticipate where we’re gonna be going? And then once we’ve looked at the predictive, then I’ll probably look at how we then use the insights against that to prescribe to the organization how we should address where we are going. So it’ll be the three words for me, you know, describe, to be able to predict and then be able to, uh, look backwards in terms of describing. So, describe, predict and prescribe would be the three words for me. SS: I love that. Since launching Highspot, what results have you seen and are there any key wins or notable business outcomes you can share? LR: So we launched HighSpot for Entity Data Inc in October. First and foremost, we’ve got Americas on board. So you would’ve remembered I said the CEO Lauren get Americas and, and you’ve got a tier one platform. We now have it as a tier one platform for entity entity dating, which means it’s part of our, our digital blueprint and absolutely supported by our IT organization. I think where it came to life for me was when we designed this framework, persona driven framework, and we started to see our pre-sales solution architects, 30% of the data that was being, or the downloads were coming from that audience, which means that we had designed it correctly. And that was really exciting for me. It’s since October 34,000 downloads, we’ve had over 500,000 views. We. I also had to shown it just as a indication a lot of our co countries had changed their go-to market strategy from portfolio led to industry led. And we partnered with primarily, which is one of Highspot partners that has immediately activated in Highspot. And in one month we noted a thousand. Courses were completed, which means that the seven and a half thousand people that have license to Highspot, we were getting activation after activation in the first three months where people were going and consuming this data. So really exciting for me to see how much traction we had. It drove a huge, uh, change management plan, but really good traction. And I think where the rubber hits the road is, yes, we have seven and a half thousand people that are actively using Highspot, but we have a delivery organization that don’t have the license yet to Highspot, and the requests, those are 10, 20,000 people. The quests coming in. Please, please, please can we have access to this content, to this training, to these insights, to this analytics. So the forecast is also bright, which is really fantastic. So I’m really excited about what we’ve delivered. The feedback has been incredible. The stats are there and um, I think we are gonna start to see the functionality of Highspot being consumed a lot more in our maturity phase, but also looking at how do we start to spread the license model across the organization. SS: Lauren, it’s absolutely amazing what you’ve done at NTT Data, I have to say. Absolutely amazing. I have one last question for you, Lauren, if you don’t mind. To close, if you were able to offer one piece of advice to other leaders looking to drive impactful sales transformation efforts, what would it be? LR: For me? Listening to that, we have to be persona led. What does our audience need from us as enablers? They need to drive productivity. They’re complaining to us that they spend so much of their time in administrative talks, whether it’s compulsory training, whether it’s completing their time sheets or their submissions, or preparing for the client engagements. How do we make their lives easier so they’re productive? Where, where they need to be and that is selling for the organization. So whether we are looking at AI, if we are looking at personalization of our content, if we are looking at how do we make sure that we are optimizing the functionality of everything they do, whether it’s in CRM, whether it’s in high spots, whether it’s in the training, make sure you know what your audience’s pain is. What is the opportunity that you designed to address that pain? Our pain was, I’m spending too much time in admin. Our solution is to drive productivity through simplification and transformation and innovation through AI. SS: Amazing advice. Lauren. Thank you again so much for joining us today. I greatly appreciate your time. LR: Thank you so much for having me. SS: To our audience, thank you for listening to this episode of the Win-Win podcast. Be sure to tune in next time for our insights on how you can maximize enablement success with Highspot.

Send us a textIn this special episode, we go behind the scenes of the Edtech Insiders GenAI K-12 Education Market Map, a first-of-its-kind framework connecting real classroom needs to AI-powered tools. Co-created by Alex Sarlin, Laurence Holt, Jacob Klein, and the Edtech Insiders team, this evolving resource helps educators, entrepreneurs, and researchers make sense of a fast-changing landscape. 

This week, we sit down with Kenzo Tsushima, Managing Director of Mine Factory at Morae, to discuss how AI is transforming legal operations and consulting services. Kenzo shares his unique career journey, blending a passion for technology with legal expertise, and highlights why the legal industry is positioned to leverage AI advancements more quickly than heavily regulated sectors like healthcare. With a background that spans consulting leadership and GC roles, Kenzo offers a rare dual perspective on how law firms and corporate legal departments can future-proof themselves by embracing emerging technologies like MorAI, Morae's proprietary AI platform.Kenzo discusses the creation of MorAI, launched in mid-2023, as a response to widespread legal tech “decision fatigue” — where an abundance of AI tools overwhelms buyers. Rather than pushing generic solutions, Morae designed MorAI around highly specific legal workflows such as contract review, RFP response automation, and internal helpdesk queries. Kenzo emphasizes the importance of "solutionizing" AI: showing real, targeted results rather than relying on hype. Using examples like their Helpdesk module, Kenzo explains how legal teams can instantly boost efficiency by querying historical RFP responses and deploying AI for natural language document reviews, significantly reducing administrative burdens across legal and procurement functions.A strong advocate for servant leadership and human-centric AI adoption, Kenzo outlines how Morae's approach goes beyond technology — focusing heavily on change management and upskilling legal professionals. Through programs like SEEDS (Skill Enablement Employee Development Series), Morae invests in developing both consulting and technology skills among its team. Kenzo notes that traditional legal professionals, often unfamiliar with public speaking or technology tools, can thrive when given structured, bite-sized learning opportunities. This consultative-first mindset, he argues, not only improves client outcomes but creates a more resilient and engaged workforce.Addressing cybersecurity and data privacy concerns, Kenzo details Morae's use of private Azure instances and multiple legally trained LLMs to ensure client data security and confidentiality. Unlike public AI tools, MorAI is designed to be a trusted legal companion that never co-mingles client data or trains on external internet content. Kenzo also explains why Morae's strategy of multi-LLM deployment (leveraging OpenAI, Anthropic, and others) future-proofs clients against rapid developments in AI models — ensuring their legal technology stacks remain agile and powerful over time.Finally, Kenzo shares his insights on the challenges ahead for the legal industry: decision fatigue, resistance to change, and the crucial need to align with younger generations' expectations around technology use. He urges law firms and corporate legal departments to rethink build-vs-buy strategies, embrace commercially available solutions, and foster AI champions within their organizations. As new roles like legal engineers and prompt engineers emerge, firms that support AI-enabled upskilling and servant leadership will not just survive — they will lead the next era of legal innovation.Listen on mobile platforms:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[Special Thanks to ⁠Legal Technology Hub⁠ for their sponsoring this episode.]  Blue Sky: ⁠⁠@geeklawblog.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@marlgeb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcript

How can a large language model help your organization answer government RFPs? Carl and Richard talk to Vishwas Lele about his startup pWin, as in proposal win. Vishwas talks about being a year into the startup and his deeper understanding of how AI technologies can augment skilled operators to produce better quality products in less time, including responding to RFPs. The conversation digs into tuning the LLM to focus on the data relevant to each section of the RFP so that the operator can interact with the tool and build better responses!

Congratulations! You've made it to the finals. The client has narrowed down their choices, and you're officially in the running. But this is not the time to sit back and hope your proposal speaks for itself; this is where the real work begins.In Part 3 of our RFP Series on the SALES with ASLAN podcast, Tom Stanfill and Tab Norris discuss the critical transition from a reactive approach to a proactive post-RFP strategy. This episode lays out a game plan for what happens after your proposal makes it through the initial round and how to position your team to win.

Monica Harris, former DHS Senior IT Acquisition Advisor, joins Mike Shanley to discuss the federal funding market. The conversation focuses on how evaluation criteria are determined, government's evaluation and award process, proposal tips, and how to influence before the RFP drops. Resources: GovDiscovery AI Federal Capture Support: https://www.govdiscoveryai.com/ BIOGRAPHY: Monica Padron-Harris recently retired (Nov 2024) from DHS USCIS as a Sr. IT Acquisition Advisor supporting the Office of Technology (OIT) and the Office of Contracting (OCON). She was responsible for preparing and identifying the most effective procurement strategies for OIT's portfolio. This included determining the evaluation factors, contract vehicle, business size (full and open or set aside), authoring the RFI questions and answers, and preparing the procurement documentation to support the decision. This included the evaluation plan, market research, Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE), and Acquisition Plan approvals. She also served as a technical advisor on the source selection panel. As an IT acquisition consultant with over 30 years of experience in a variety of Federal agencies (21 years at DoD/Navy), Monica specializes in identifying strategic acquisition targets and understanding the federal contracting marketplace, specifically within DHS. She spent the last 12+ years at USCIS as a Contracting Officer, Sr. Procurement Analyst (Policy), and Sr. IT Acquisition Advisor to the senior leadership team within OIT and the Office of Contracting. She has an intimate knowledge of the industry landscape within the DMV and specifically within DHS. Monica has excellent external and internal relationships within the Federal landscape and understands the importance and value of industry intelligence. She has the “inside” perspective of industry partners, expertise, and value to ensure partnerships are comprised of the best teaming arrangements to have the highest PWIN. LEARN MORE: Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Global Strategy Podcast with Mike Shanley. You can learn more about working with the U.S. Government by visiting our homepage: Konektid International and GovDiscovery AI. To connect with our team directly, message the host Mike Shanley on LinkedIn.

Send us a textIn this special episode of Sidecar Sync, we dive into the future of AI infrastructure with Ian Andrews, Chief Revenue Officer at Groq (that's Groq with a Q!). Ian shares the story behind Groq's rise, how their LPU chip challenges Nvidia's dominance, and why fast, low-cost, high-quality inference is about to unlock entirely new categories of AI-powered applications. We talk about the human side of prompting, the evolving skillset needed to work with large language models, and what agents and reasoning models mean for the future of knowledge work. Plus, Ian shares how Groq uses AI internally, including an incredible story about an AI-generated RFP audit that caught things humans missed. Tune in for practical insights, forward-looking trends, and plenty of laughs along the way.

How can a large language model help your organization answer government RFPs? Carl and Richard talk to Vishwas Lele about his startup pWin, as in proposal win. Vishwas talks about being a year into the startup and his deeper understanding of how AI technologies can augment skilled operators to produce better quality products in less time, including responding to RFPs. The conversation digs into tuning the LLM to focus on the data relevant to each section of the RFP so that the operator can interact with the tool and build better responses!

On this episode of GovCon Giants, I'm diving deep into one of the biggest shifts we've seen in federal contracting in recent years. I sat down with Chelsea Meggitt—federal contracting strategist, author, and someone who knows this space inside and out—to talk about a powerful Executive Order that's opening up brand-new opportunities for small businesses. If you're tired of waiting on slow, traditional FAR-based contracting processes, this episode is going to open your eyes. We're talking fast-track pathways, non-FAR vehicles, and how to position yourself before an RFP ever drops. Chelsea and I unpack how to build real relationships with government buyers, shape requirements in your favor, and even outcompete the big primes. Whether you're just breaking into federal work or looking for a smarter way to scale, this conversation will give you a competitive edge most people don't even know exists. Chelsea's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseameggitt/  Company Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collaborativecompositions/ Website: https://collaborativecompositions.com/ 

In this episode of the ThinkFreight podcast, Thomas Werdine sits down with Eric Williams, co-founder and CEO of Beagl, to explore his unique journey from financial markets to freight brokerage. They dive into the challenges faced by brokers versus shippers, the importance of understanding the shipper's perspective, and how to optimize freight operations. Eric shares valuable insights on the role of contracts and how to foster successful partnerships in logistics. They also discuss the importance of specificity in brokerage services and building strategic relationships between brokers and shippers. Then, Eric introduces Beagl, a cutting-edge tool that transforms the RFP process using data and automation. Plus, hear about feedback from early Beagl users and what the future of freight sales looks like as technology continues to evolve.—————————————————⚫️ Rose Rocket and TMS.ai are transforming the freight industry with seamless transportation management solutions. Improve your operations, streamline communication, and gain real-time visibility—all in one powerful platform. Try RoseRocket and TMS.ai today!⚫️ Salesdash CRM is built specifically for freight brokers & 3PLs. Organize your sales outreach, notes, follow-ups, and lane profiles for your shippers and carriers. All for an affordable price. Try Salesdash free for 14 days with no credit card required.⚫️ Vendorflow assists dispatch teams and drivers in overcoming typical communication challenges and enhances safety by reducing distractions, including preventing message delivery while drivers are in transit. Check out Vendorflow today!⚫️ Purple Squirrel is enriching careers in logistics. Representing freight agents, brokers, and forwarders, they secure multiple winning offers tailored for today's top freight talent. Check out Purple Squirrel now!

#24: Marc Spector, founder of Spector Companies, unpacks landing one of the most iconic projects of his career: a commission inside the legendary Seagram Building by Mies van der Rohe. No flashy pitches. No designs. Just pure, relationship-driven strategy. In this conversation, Marc breaks down how trust, intuition, and human connection led his team to win big, proving that sometimes, the most powerful tool in architecture isn't the drawing board – it's the people around it.PS - If you're a growth-minded firm owner or leader, apply to join us inside The Studio - https://growthitect.com/studioLearn more about Spector Companies: https://spectorcompanies.com/ Here's what you'll learn in the episode: → What never gets shown in a design presentation, but helped Marc win the Seagram Building project before it even began.→ The unconventional move Marc made before the RFP that built trust and changed everything.→ Why understanding a client's culture beats out the best design proposals.→ The truth about working inside a global architectural icon, and the surprising challenges no one warned them about.→ What happens when your process becomes the product? Inside Marc's game-changing “experience strategy workshop.”→ The quiet system behind Marc's repeat business and steady referrals.→ When every firm is talented, how do you stand out? The overlooked edge Spector Companies uses to win high-stakes projects.→ What Marc really uses to measure success, and why it has nothing to do with awards or headlines.→ The biggest lesson Marc learned from the Advent International project – and the hard truth architects need to hear before taking on prestige work.(04:11) Inside Advent International's bold new project(09:37) How real estate visionaries think differently(13:29) What it's really like to renovate the Seagram Building(16:13) The clever design move that made a mid-floor layout possible(20:33) Why Marc built a “growth studio” for firm owners(23:14) How design and construction teams actually collaborated(28:02) The key to truly understanding what clients need(30:53) Planning strategy before the site even exists(33:35) The power of asking: “What's the why?”(35:29) How Marc keeps client relationships strong post-project(39:27) What 60 years of success looks like from the inside(41:33) The truth about building a business through relationships(44:49) How custom design starts with putting the client firstGROWTHITECT RESOURCES→ Apply to join The Studio - https://growthitect.com/studio → Join thousands of architects on the free Growthitect newsletter - https://growthitect.com/join STAY CONNECTED→ Follow on LinkedIn→ Follow on Instagram→ Subscribe on YouTube→ Follow on Twitter

Today, we're featuring Beagl's founder, Eric Williams, to discuss focusing on daily execution by automating RFP processes! Eric highlights the importance of brand reputation, sustainable business models in freight, winning RFPs through trust and network strengths, and why brokers need to understand their business execution capabilities, deliver ongoing value, and engage in strategic calls to build trust and filter viable prospects!   About Eric Williams Eric is a logistics leader with over a decade of experience driving sales, pricing, sourcing, and technology strategy across top industry players. At Target, he managed $450M in annual freight spend and delivered over $120M in savings during his tenure. He's held leadership roles at US Foods, DAT, and XPO, leading initiatives in consolidation, fleet optimization, pricing model development, and RFP centralization. Before logistics, Eric spent a decade as a member at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He holds a Political Science degree from the University of New Mexico and is a former West Point cadet.   Connect with Eric Website: https://www.beagl.ai/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-w-a7826b6/  

In this episode of Tech Sales Insights, Randy Seidl is joined by Crawford Del Prete, President at IDC, to discuss IT trends for 2025 and what every seller should know about the market direction. The conversation covers Crawford's extensive career path, the role of AI in sales, infrastructure growth, and IDC's new Tech Match product. They delve into the importance of understanding customer needs, leveraging AI for sales preparation, and the transformation in application software businesses. Crawford shares insights on successful sales strategies, the significance of mentorship, and how IDC is positioning itself for future technological trends. The episode is sponsored by ZoomInfo and brought to you by the Sales Community.KEY TAKEAWAYSAI in Sales: Embrace AI tools for significant enhancements in preparedness and effectiveness in sales meetings. Lean into AI to stay competitive.Industry Growth: Infrastructure layer investments will continue growing, driven by AI advancements, with notable 55% growth in the past year.Customer-Centric Approach: Successful companies understand and address the specific "jobs to be done" by customers, leveraging deep market intelligence.IDC Tech Match: IDC's new platform helps IT buyers with AI-assisted RFP generation and vendor shortlisting, easing the buying process.Leadership & Training: Continuous training and adapting to industry trends are crucial for maintaining relevancy and operational excellence.Use of Data: Effective data sovereignty and orchestration are vital in AI adoption for mitigating risks and ensuring data control.QUOTES"If you're a seller and you're not getting prepared for meetings with AI, you're going to get screamed at.""Michael Dell has an uncanny ability to capitalize on industry transitions effectively.""Technology has reinvented itself five times since I started. You gotta love that transition to keep up.""Companies that use IDC services effectively are those that deeply understand customer problems."Find out more about Crawford Del Prete through the link/s below:https://www.linkedin.com/in/crawford-del-prete-082221/This episode is sponsored by ZoomInfo, the GTM Platform sponsor of the Sales Community. ZoomInfo is the go-to-market platform that helps businesses find, acquire and grow their customers. Businesses use ZoomInfo data and platform to increase efficiency, align sales and marketing teams, and consolidate technology stacks.

A frustrated CEO, a legacy system no one liked, and a looming contract deadline — this episode unpacks the story of how one team broke out of vendor-driven inertia and took back control of their tech strategy. What started as confusion and friction turned into clarity and confidence, all through the power of intentional facilitation and a tightly structured two-day workshop. You'll hear how a group of cross-functional stakeholders aligned on priorities, identified risky assumptions, and rapidly shaped a new path forward — including a validated RFP and scoring rubric — in just 16 hours. This episode is packed with practical tips for anyone facing a big, high-stakes decision with too many options and too little time. Inside the episode... A CEO's challenge with legacy tech and vendor pressure How a two-day workshop turned chaos into clarity The role of facilitation in accelerating strategic alignment Stack ranking, 2x2 matrices, and other prioritization techniques Why solo work before group discussion makes a huge difference Designing better user stories from the ground up Using ChatGPT to draft faster, better RFPs and rubrics How to spot and de-risk your most dangerous assumptions Tactical facilitation tips for running your own workshop The impact of intentional structure, breaks, and focus Mentioned in this episode ChatGPT RFP (Request for Proposal) templates and scoring rubrics Integral's Plus/Delta/Learn framework Facilitation techniques like 2x2 matrices, stack ranking, dot voting Data integration planning Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. Subscribe to the Convergence podcast wherever you get podcasts including video episodes to get updated on the other crucial conversations that we'll post on YouTube at youtube.com/@convergencefmpodcast Learn something? Give us a 5 star review and like the podcast on YouTube. It's how we grow.   Follow the Pod Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/convergence-podcast/ X: https://twitter.com/podconvergence Instagram: @podconvergence

In this episode of Category Visionaries, we spoke with Justin Leigh, CEO of Workflow Labs, an e-commerce management platform that's raised $3.5 million in funding. After running a successful Amazon agency for 14 years, Justin identified a critical opportunity: replacing human-driven processes with automation at scale. Workflow Labs is automating e-commerce management tasks that brands traditionally outsource to agencies or offshore teams, allowing for better economics, faster resolution times, and predictable outcomes in managing product listings across platforms like Amazon. Topics Discussed: Transitioning from running a services-based agency to building a software product The strategy of targeting partners who aggregate brands rather than selling to brands individually How retail media networks are driving advertising dollars onto retailer platforms The importance of having clear company objectives that everyone understands Fundraising approaches for early-stage companies Making the pivot from automation-focused messaging to comprehensive solution positioning GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Partner with aggregators instead of selling one-by-one: Workflow Labs recognized that selling directly to individual brands would take too long to reach scale. Justin explained, "If we need to close 3,000 brands in two years, you're not going to do that selling them one by one." Instead, they identified partners who already worked with pools of brands—like ad agencies and supply chain providers—allowing them to sign up "tens, twenties, fifties, hundreds at a time." Align with emerging market trends: Justin identified that retail media networks (Amazon, Walmart, Target) are where advertising dollars are shifting. He positioned Workflow Labs to support this trend: "We said as that shift continues, we support the product. If you're going to advertise a product, you better make sure their title's right, bullets are right, that it's in stock." B2B founders should identify major industry shifts and align their solutions with those trends. Create market pull through RFP requirements: Workflow Labs uses a "push-pull method" by engaging directly with brands to influence their RFP requirements. Justin noted, "We work very hard to engage with brands directly and say...when you RFP for your advertising services, you better make sure your provider is providing an automated way to keep your products accurate." This creates demand that potential partners must satisfy, making partnership conversations easier. Pivot based on customer feedback—even when it contradicts your assumptions: Workflow Labs initially thought customers would care about labor cost reduction but discovered their messaging wasn't resonating. Justin admitted, "We thought initially so many wrong things...When you went to the market and said, 'Hey, you have a 50-person team in India and all they're doing is updating titles, we can make 80% of that labor go away,' no one cared." They pivoted to position themselves as a comprehensive solution rather than just automation. Establish clear, quantifiable objectives: Justin implemented the "rule of three"—focusing on just three key objectives per quarter. He shared a powerful insight about founder transparency: "If you want everybody in your company to row the boat in the same direction...be super clear around what your objectives are." This includes being upfront about exit goals: "Everyone on the team knows what happens when we get to 3,000 [customers], if we can get close to there...that's when liquidity events start to be on the table."   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co

Ever wondered what it takes to turn a new client into a long-term relationship? In this episode, Alyssa and Dakota dive into crafting a successful onboarding process to execute clear deliverables on a structured timeline. From brainstorming creative concepts to executing multi-channel campaigns, we cover it all.Episode highlights: Creating a proper client onboarding process, transparency and communicating deliverables and timelines will lead to long-term client relationships. Here are items to provide to ensure a strong client onboarding experience: Preparation and Welcome:Send a personalized welcome email, introducing the main points of contact and outlining next steps.Share a welcome packet or client guide that includes your services, communication protocols, and project timeline. Kickoff Meeting:Hold an initial meeting to discuss the client's goals, expectations, and any pain points.Review the project scope, deliverables, timelines, and any relevant documentation. Setting Expectations:Clearly define roles and responsibilities on both sides.Establish preferred communication channels and frequency of updates. Gathering Information and Documentation:Collect any necessary files, branding guidelines, login credentials, or project-specific data.Use a checklist to ensure you have everything you need to start effectively. Project Plan and Milestones:Develop a clear project roadmap with key milestones and deadlines.Share the plan with the client to make sure everyone is aligned. Training and Support (if needed):Provide training on how to use client portals, collaboration tools, or project management systems.Offer resources and guides to make the process smoother. Ongoing Communication and Follow-Up:Maintain regular check-ins to update on progress and address any concerns.Gather feedback to continuously improve the experience and build trust.TakeawaysWork with clients that align with your valuesBe transparent about mistakes and any issues around timelines or budgetsEnsure all stakeholders are involved in the kick-off sessionCelebrate your winsIf you enjoyed this episode of Ladies Who Launch, please be sure to take a screenshot and share it on social media and tag us @ladieswholaunchpod OR, link us to a friend or colleague by sharing the episode. Also, please give us a review and a five-star rating if you love what we're putting down! Ladies Who Launch is a podcast for marketers by marketers. ladieswholaunchpod@gmail.comInstagram: @ladieswholaunchpodYour hosts:Dakota Kidby owns Social Centric, a digital marketing agency based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  Instagram: @socialcentricincAlyssa Berry owns Alyssa Berry Communications, a boutique public relations agency based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Instagram: @aly_b_yycResources and links: Get in the queue for our new newsletter, dropping April 2025: https://gmail.us18.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=7ae9fd1fd06734635586825ce&id=4fcdb235baStay tuned to our Instagram for updates on episode drops, merch, newsletter drops, events and more: https://www.instagram.com/ladieswholaunchpod/__Transcript: Dakota Kidby: [00:00:08] Hey, hey, welcome to Ladies Who Launch, the podcast where we cut through the noise, ditch the fluff and get real about all things marketing.Alyssa Berry: [00:00:16] That's right, we are your host, Dakota and Alyssa, two entrepreneurs from Calgary who are here to serve up equal parts solid advice, industry banter, and a whole lot of unfiltered opinions.Dakota Kidby: [00:00:27] So grab your coffee, buckle up, and get ready for a podcast that's equal parts fun and real talk. Whether you're in the biz or just curious about what goes down behind the scenes of marketing, we've got you covered.Alyssa Berry: [00:00:38] Let's get to it. Welcome to Ladies Who Launch.Dakota Kidby: [00:00:46] Welcome back to another episode of the Ladies Who Launch. We are coming at you from a very cold Calgary, Alberta. Yes, that's right friends, it is March 29th and it snowed a lot. So that's the spring tease for you here in Alberta.Alyssa Berry: [00:01:03] Yeah. It's, uh, what? Fake? What do they call it, fake spring or?Dakota Kidby: [00:01:08] The fake spring.Alyssa Berry: [00:01:10] Here we are. Which is why Dakota... Yeah, which is why Dakota and I are in hoodies and hats today. Because it wasn't, it wasn't a day for venturing and getting ourselves suited up.Dakota Kidby: [00:01:23] No, but we endeavor to actually go for dinner after this. And, like, honestly, both of us are like, no, we're staying home. It's so cold. I shoveled, I think like three feet of snow off of my sidewalk today.Alyssa Berry: [00:01:34] It's not even like it's I mean, it's cold, it's chilly, but it's not cold cold. It's just lots of snow and it's that heavy, wet spring snow, which is the worst. Anyway.Dakota Kidby: [00:01:44] Absolutely. But today we want to talk to you guys about going behind the scenes of a successful marketing process. So basically, how to take a concept that a client would bring to you, whether you're in-house or an entrepreneur, and taking that concept to execution. And the reason we want to talk about this is something happened to me this week that I don't think has ever happened to me in my entire time running Social Centric. And it kind of got me thinking about my own processes and transparency in the sense that perhaps I need to be more clear about things sometimes. But I was thinking we could kick off with this because Alyssa hasn't heard the story yet.Alyssa Berry: [00:02:28] Please do.Dakota Kidby: [00:02:29] Okay. So without naming names, I had this really fantastic, cool business reach out to me and ask me for some support with their marketing. The very first thing that I do with a client when they come to me is I ask them if they have a plan. So do you have an overarching plan for your company or like a campaign that you want to run or a product that you want to launch? And I want to say like 98% of the time there is no plan in place, not even an overarching one. So from a due diligence and ethics standpoint, the very first thing that we do, even if we are just focusing on one tactic or solution, is we want to have some sort of a strategy or plan around that.Dakota Kidby: [00:03:12] And so I said to this person, okay, this is step one of our process. This is how this gets executed. And let me know how that sits and we can go from there. And I was very clear, I thought, from day one that it didn't include implementation. And anyway, we go through the process, we work together for three weeks. Great strategy, and of course, strategies always have a bit of a phased out approach. Right? So they can kind of come off as a bit of a timeline, but there's a lot of meat and juice in there that is the solution-oriented piece of what we're doing. And then from there, what will end up happening is clients will often come back to us and say, okay, great, now we need help executing. And so we would send them another contract, which is a different kind of contract and a price that would take care of that scope. And oftentimes we ask clients to sign up for a monthly fee because the project tends to be ongoing, just because it makes more sense from like a expectation standpoint on both sides. But other times we'll just do an hourly. So in this case, I proposed, of course, the monthly because there was a bunch of stuff that we needed to get done, and it was going to take probably about six months. Anyway, she came back and said, oh my God. I didn't realize that this strategy thing didn't include actual execution.Dakota Kidby: [00:04:32] And I was like, oh, well, what do you mean? And she's like, oh, I just like, I probably would not have invested in this had I not known that I was going to get actual help after. And I was like, oh, crap. So how I chose to handle it because first of all, I really respect and appreciate this person and I believe in their product, and I was kind of like, you know, I went back through all of our communications and like all of our agreements and everything like that. And I was like, you know, I'm pretty sure I was clear on this, but maybe I wasn't. And because they're a smaller business owner, perhaps this isn't actually, this isn't like the way I should be running this side of my business. So what I then ended up doing was spending a pretty solid chunk of time creating an actual like process and operation for specific businesses that have a lower budget. And it was like, you know what? Moving forward, I'm going to offer the strategy, but then I'm also going to offer some implementation because for organizations that don't have a huge budget, it might seem like a lot to just get that strategy piece done. So it was a really good learning experience for me because it helped me to like, add more value to this specific piece of my business, but also reminded me that clear-cut communication at every step of the way that is documented is a must.Alyssa Berry: [00:05:52] That is a tough lesson that I think many of us have experienced at some point, whether in our own business or otherwise. I think even in in-house, if you're working in-house, I think sometimes you'll get a, you'll move forward on a project or something, and suddenly your boss or director or something is like, this isn't what I asked you to do, or this isn't the direction and blah blah blah, and that you didn't keep copious notes or anything during the lead-up meetings. And so you have no recourse to be like, no, this is what we discussed and this is what I'm moving forward. So then you get yourself into a pickle. And I think that's just a good learning for everyone. But from a business perspective, I made that mistake early on in running a business and not having processes and like operationally set up from the get go and having very clear contracts. I think that's really where it needs to start with so many projects and even in-house projects like starting with a signed-off creative brief or a signed-off project brief, and then writing a business, it's like a signed-off contract that has very clear outlines of not just deliverables, but also expectations. So one of the things that I had to do in running my business is, I got into trouble moving, with people and clients expecting like proof changes after proof changes after proof changes. And of course, I'm paying for those because I'm paying the designer for their work. So then I'm eating that because I've already quoted the cost of the design to the client, now the designer is coming back to me and charging me for all these over and above changes, like when you're on, like, proof seven or something ridiculous.Alyssa Berry: [00:07:49] So I made that very clear in all my contracts that you get three proofs included in this cost and any more proofs or changes on any design, anything after that is charged at this X fee per hour or per 15 minutes or whatever, if I really wanted to be that. The other thing I added into mine from a process perspective too, and this is just a learning for anybody running their own business, is that I have specific wording in a clause in my contracts that states when our agreement and our contract is over, I'm not obligated to keep all of your stuff. You will get, you will have access to whatever you've done, and you have your folder and your documents. After 90 days, I can get rid of all of that. I'm not, I'm not your legal book, like your legal document holder. And I'm not responsible for anything that happens to anything after that, because I also got into a bit of a pickle with that in my business, too, where I had a complete computer meltdown and lost a whole bunch of files, and no clients ever came back to me and asked for any, like, I mean, but it was just my realization that, oh wait, I lost all of these files, and if anybody came back to me, I had no clear clause in my contract that I'm not responsible for housing your documents, nor should you want me to be either, because I am not a private closed circuit loop document holder situation here either. So.Dakota Kidby: [00:09:31] No. And you shouldn't have to give up that space on your computer or your drive. Unless they're an existing client.Alyssa Berry: [00:09:37] Yeah. So 90 days after our the end date of our contract, once you have everything that you get out of this, all of your file, whatever, you have no claim to anything, after that, that I may or may not have. So, it is interesting, and so when we get, when we talk about like process, like that was a process that we both found, but like that started at a contract stage so that we actually could go back and reference what we outlined and were clear or not clear about.Dakota Kidby: [00:10:14] Absolutely. And it's so funny because I run into that pickle, too, in the sense that we are mostly, you know, for the longest time, social media. And so I'll never forget one of our clients that we were parting ways with, and this was a sticky, toxic situation also, we weren't a fan of the client as they were leaving us. They had kind of taken advantage and been disrespectful and we didn't really leave on the best note, but they came back to me and said, I want all my social media graphics from the last three years. And I said, well, that's not part of our contract. And if you want them, you can go through your Facebook and get them. But now we do encourage our clients to start a Pro Canva account. We don't actually do work on our Canva account for clients for the most part, and then therefore they have access to all their graphics if they want to reuse them and stuff after we potentially part ways. And then that just helps us alleviate not having to make space on our drive, and giving them their Canva. Now, if a client says to us, well, we don't want to pay for that and we're using our Canva account, I've said to that we have a clear clause in our contract that they relinquish all, you know...Alyssa Berry: [00:11:32] Rights.Dakota Kidby: [00:11:32] Expectation that they would get. And then they also, if they ever did need us to do some sort of a downloading situation from social or our Canva for them onto a drive, it's like a $150 fee at the end of their contract for us to do that.Alyssa Berry: [00:11:47] Yeah.Dakota Kidby: [00:11:48] So that's just, we just explained that that's the transfer of file fee and process moving forward.Alyssa Berry: [00:11:55] It is interesting how things have changed, even in like the decade that I've had my business and sort of the expectations now and the amount of software that we all use and having, I was the same. I just used to do client work on my own pro Canva and it's like, yeah, don't do that anymore. Like, I'm not, I'm not, no, and even like ChatGPT. So most of us have business, are paying for business access to ChatGPT for various reasons, but then I think, is this like also something you could get called out on by using ChatGPT for client work? But then I'm like, ah, I use ChatGPT in my full time job all the time, so I'm like, I guess if a client really wanted to get all like nitpicky about it, like cool, but, I think there's a lot of things now that we're using that technically, I guess, could be breach of privacy in that way, because we're really putting client information into ChatGPT even if we're not using their names and stuff, we're still putting client information into ChatGPT. But then I'm like, eh, I do that for the company I work for, I put their, although they have their own corporate private ChatGPT whatever.Dakota Kidby: [00:13:18] But yeah that's another thing, like they have if, you know, and I think there will come a day where it's like you set up a suite of tools for a client and then you use that suite of tools and it's not, you know, far-fetched also for us to manage like a Hootsuite or a Metricool or a Sprout account that a client has, like, we give them that option, we say, hey, we can either use our Metricool, which will give you client access to, and you can see all your analytics in a live dashboard as well as, and that's been a godsend for me, to be honest, but they have access to everything. Or we can use your account, however, like if it doesn't have the capabilities that ours does, then, well.Alyssa Berry: [00:13:55] You just have to know that.Dakota Kidby: [00:13:57] Yeah, we'd recommend this software at this point, but yeah that kind of, yeah, like brings us to getting, we want you guys to get out your notebooks and pay attention because we're going to master the scenes of a successful marketing process from concept to execution. So, Alyssa, you want to kick it off with client onboarding?Alyssa Berry: [00:14:20] Onboarding. Yes.Dakota Kidby: [00:14:21] I feel like you're the best at this.Alyssa Berry: [00:14:24] It's, and it's taken a long time to get to this point, but again, as I said, through the trials and tribulations of me making mistakes and all of that stuff, but onboarding is really the most important step because the onboarding is the relationship. Not only the relationship that you're building personally with your client or, whether internal or external clients, because this relates to internal stakeholders from a business from a corporation perspective too if you're not running your own business, it helps set the parameters that help set the stage for what's going to happen. And ultimately, a successful onboarding process leads to a longer-term business relationship. And I have found in my time that the best onboarding processes that I've had with clients are the ones that ended up being, like clients that were like 3, 4 or 5 years long clients because they understood. And what that starts with is having clear objectives of what this relationship is for. Is this relationship for a social media channel refresh? Is this for a rebrand of my assets? Is this for the development of a communications plan? Is this for an internal communication strategy for your corporation? What is that clear thing that we are here to do?Dakota Kidby: [00:16:07] Like, why are you hiring me? Almost a reminder. Because sometimes clients like - and sorry to interrupt - but I find sometimes clients get really in their own heads, and they rush, I find, to find support. And then when it comes time to sign, it's that conversation of I didn't realize this is how much this cost. I didn't realize that that's what my perception of what I told you I needed, that's your perception. And so this is why that clear communication that Alyssa is talking about is so important, because you almost have to remind the client, like why they're getting into bed with you, so to speak.Alyssa Berry: [00:16:41] Right. And part of that is, is setting them and you up for success. And that means, as we were just sort of alluding to, getting them set up on all the tools that are required to complete this contractual obligation, and also ensuring that we have access to all accounts, information and personnel that we need access to at the beginning, and having those clear, that clear delineation right at the beginning, because that, and I've run into this many times with clients is like, they're like, they'll forget to give you their social media passwords or their Gmail accounts or all this stuff, and it's like, oh no, I'll get to that. You're going to get it today, you're going to get it today. And then like months have gone by and you haven't done any work because you can't access anything. And you, but that's also on me because I didn't set them up for that. In terms of creating, what I do with my clients is everyone gets their own Google file. So it'll be like XYZ Company, this is your Google file, here's the link, you have access to this, this is where all your assets are going to go. This is all your this is where your contracts going to live, this is where everything is going to go. And I will itemize everything, I'll make folders for contracts and documents and logos, whatever, but this is your domain, this is where everything is going to live.Alyssa Berry: [00:18:11] Nothing's going to live on your computer. Nothing's living on my computer. This is our space, and so you can't go and be like, oh, this isn't... So that's step one. Now I will say I don't use any like, Honeybook or any of those sort of like, what Dubsado or any of those sort of processing softwares, mainly because they're expensive and I've just never justified it. So I sort of set up my onboarding manually. Like, it's not a formal process, but like the first thing is they get a welcome package with a copy of the signed contract. And a little bit about me and who they're going to be working with. And this is the designer and this is, yeah, this is the writer that we have, and this is going to be the videographer working on your project, blah, blah, blah. Here's a little synopsis of who's who in the zoo here. So, and then I will then send a follow up email with like here are our key check in dates. So phase one check in date is this, and what's going to be discussed is the draft of this strategy check into is this with the first execution dates or I'll have key check in dates because this also sets the stage that they know they're not going to be emailing me 20 times a day.Dakota Kidby: [00:19:36] Yes, because that can be, that is always a problem.Alyssa Berry: [00:19:40] Right? It's like here's your key dates. Dakota Kidby: [00:19:40] But yeah. If you don't have those key dates, then, you know you fell short when you're getting five emails from the client or even just the question of where are you at right now? Where is this at? You don't want that question. You want to have yourself set up so tightly that the client doesn't have to ask. And that is top tier service.[00:20:00] Hey all, sorry for the interruption. Just wanting to remind you to please give us five stars and subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Honestly guys, this is the way that we build our podcast. And if you're a supporter of Ladies Who Launch, we would really, really appreciate it if you could just give us those five stars and subscribe. Thanks, guys. Now back to the episode.Alyssa Berry: [00:20:19] And once that email with sort of those key dates and all that's in the calendar, then the email goes out about a strategy session or sort of a pre kind of get to know you, what's going on, getting a lay of the land with the client or manager or whoever you're working with. And that can be anything from a two hour session to a half day session to a full day session, depending on how many stakeholders need to be involved in that. Like I know some nonprofit organizations will have it as a full day because they'll want to bring some of their board members in, or some of their or even corporates might want to have some of their C-suite execs be a part of that to just get everyone on the same page before launching into the next phase of like, developing that strategy. So everybody's sort of been in the know of what the project is and what the key deliverables are and when those key deliverables will be delivered.Dakota Kidby: [00:21:17] Absolutely. And the other thing is, it's really funny, I have a girlfriend who works in change management, which is essentially when you come in and you are applying a process or a policy, or there's been a big change in an organization, so big, in fact, that you have to hire like a professional to come in and help manage all your stuff. And oftentimes, depending on the depth of the project, marketing can be very similar in that we have that, and same thing with being a lawyer. We have to almost open the business up and understand and diagnose what the gaps and the issues are before we can come up with proper solutions. And so that conversation that takes place prior to strategy or any sort of strategic planning is very crucial because without knowing what you need to know, like through whether it's a thorough questionnaire and conversation or what have you, it's very challenging to do your job properly.Alyssa Berry: [00:22:09] Agreed. The other thing I'm going to, the other thing I'm going to note before we sort of launch in is when to invoice for this. So I will send my first invoice before the discovery session or the strategy session or whatever you want to call it, because I've also run into issues where I have done work and then invoiced and then not gotten paid, where it's like I don't start work until I get paid for the first bit of work. So however you want to divide out your invoices, whether it's you paid 20%, 20%, whatever, or half and half or a percentage up front or whatever it is, however you want to lay out your invoicing strategy. But I would ensure that you get invoice, you invoice and get paid for any, especially at the beginning if you're out, like you're having to bring on external contractors or you've had to, like, upgrade a software system in order to be able to manage this client or whatever, that you're paid for that before you commence work.Dakota Kidby: [00:23:16] And I'm even going to take it, I'm going to take it a step further and say that we used to do work first and then get paid. And I just moved in January, January 1st, I moved into a new model. None of my clients had a problem with it at all. New clients haven't seemed to have a problem with it. When it comes to a strategy package that we are doing for a client, they must pay up front. And we will not book any sort of chat or conversation past our 30 minute like, client, you know, discovery call, like intro, yeah, we will not even book the discovery without the payment. In fact, I'm actually waiting on a client who sent the invoice to their accountant, which sometimes the accountants put you into a cycle, and I'm going to have to send a note on Monday being like, I'm sorry if you guys have a cycle, but like, this needs to be paid immediately. Otherwise I have to give up your date to someone else. And like, I just find when you have those boundaries, people respect you more and they are actually, like, more willing to work with you in some cases because it's like, oh, you value yourself and your time. You seem like you're in high demand. Cool. This is going to be worth my time. And so, and it just sets up that cadence and that expectation that, yes, I have very firm boundaries about my time and how I get paid. And even for our retainer clients, their invoices come out on the first of every month now, and we get paid before we do things. The other thing is, and actually, I will call out our wonderful producer, Alex, who does our podcast for teaching me this, like extra edits or late, things that come late, like for us, if we're doing, if we're cutting video for a client and they're sending us clips and we need them by a certain date to hit targets, getting really, really, really tough. And if they don't send things on time or they're, like, significantly stressing you out, then there's fees, right? Like, I've had to charge clients a few times for too many emails. It's like, I started literally billing for emails like lawyers do, because we had a client who'd send us 25 emails a week.Alyssa Berry: [00:25:16] Yeah, no. And I, and this is all learning too, that a lot of that can be alleviated during that onboarding phase that we talked about earlier, that those expectations are set up front, and that here's our check in dates, and other than that, I don't want to hear from you.Dakota Kidby: [00:25:35] Unless it's an emergency.Alyssa Berry: [00:25:36] Unless the house is on fire. Yeah.Dakota Kidby: [00:25:37] Or they have a question.Alyssa Berry: [00:25:39] Which is, yeah, why we're reiterating the importance of that onboarding process and those key dates and timelines of when things are going to happen because those dates and timelines are not just for you, they're for them as well, because as Dakota just alluded to, like, if they're late getting you things that you require to complete a deliverable, then you have the recourse to go back to them and a) either charge them for it or b) fire them or like let them go as clients, because that was clearly outlined in the onboarding process as to what the expectations are, both on me as the business owner and you as the client.Dakota Kidby: [00:26:22] Absolutely.Alyssa Berry: [00:26:22] And if either one of us reneges or or isn't able to.Dakota Kidby: [00:26:28] Fulfill our end of the bargain.Alyssa Berry: [00:26:29] Fulfill, then we both have the recourse to walk away.Dakota Kidby: [00:26:32] Absolutely. And so, yeah, I would say number one, as Alyssa has been saying, like your onboarding processes is everything. It really sets the stage for the respect, the boundaries and sort of the story of how things are going to go. The other thing I would highly recommend doing right off the bat, just so that it's out of the way, is getting the client into your invoicing software, making some notes or some sort of recourse around what you're doing for them, for your team, just like a client info document almost. And then during the onboarding, so we actually just overhauled our onboarding process and we're still working on massaging it. But what I do now is I pick one day a week and actually I do have a gal who helps with this, but when it's me doing it, I pick one day a week where I do admin, and actually Alyssa taught me this, and during that day it can be anything from filing to invoices to working on the business, whatever. I will say to a client, Kate, you have an onboarding session with us at 9 a.m. on Monday, this is what you need to have done for that onboarding session, get that welcome package together, send it to them ahead of time, and then you use that hour long session to get all their socials connected. Make sure everything's good in the back end, give them a bit of a warning that, hey, if your social media is, your connections are all screwy and someone's missing access and we have to do a bunch of like digging to fix stuff that does incur another fee.Dakota Kidby: [00:28:04] However, we're going to use this onboarding session to make sure you're all sorted and you kind of give them that foundational onboarding session, and then take that time as well to introduce them to the rest of the team. Just get them acquainted with how things are going to go. Get them acquainted with that timeline, give them their Google Link drive, make sure that they sign off on their contract, and make sure that that invoice is paid. And that's kind of what we're going to do moving forward with our clients. And they seem to really appreciate that. Because the other thing that I find that I run into and have run into in the past is the onboarding process can turn into a month long thing if you don't control it, similarly to what Alyssa had just said, right? So you want to try and get all that shit done right then and there. It should really be you have a 30 minute call with them, if they need more, they have to pay for an hour, right? Because sometimes clients just want some consultation time, they don't actually want to hire you. So that's how you alleviate that gap. And then from there, if they want more, then you book that onboarding call, you send them the documents, they make sure that they are committed pot committed to the to the process. And then from there you book things into your schedule. So Alyssa, how are you managing, like, I'm curious to understand how you, what your thoughts are on managing just like the relationship as it goes.Alyssa Berry: [00:29:29] What I found works the best is that I have one contact that I work with. There is one direct person that is assigned to me or whatever from your organization. I don't have the time or the inclination to deal with six people in your organization or in your business. And oh, but Sally does this and this. I don't care what Sally or Bobby or whatever do in your back end. You're going to make that, you're going to make sure that Sally and Bobby get Linda all the information, and Linda's the one that I'm going to, I'm going to deal with on a regular basis. Not that I don't love Sally and Bobby, but I, with multiple, multiple clients, I don't have time to, like, sift through your business Rolodex to figure out who I need to talk to to get something done. It's like no, one contact. And so me and Linda, we're going to be besties. And if Linda isn't getting what I need, then I'm going to be able to tell Linda. And I don't have to worry about informing Bobby and Sally, because I assume that Linda's going to inform Bobby and Sally or whoever needs to know. That's key one, is having a person or if you have to, two, like if they're married or something, whatever. But no more. I'm not working with your team of people. I do not care what they do. Don't. So that's step one. And the other thing to keep a relationship, or like whether it's an internal corporate relationship or an external business relationship, healthy is being very transparent. I have found that the minute as a business owner, if I've done something or I've missed something or whatever, and I've tried to like, figure it out and manage it on my end it just becomes...Dakota Kidby: [00:31:24] ... terrible. Hide it. No, I would just, but yeah, like you try to manage it yourself or, like, brush it under the rug. Absolutely not. You need to tell them immediately.Alyssa Berry: [00:31:32] Yeah. Transparency. And I expect that of them too. Like if Sally broke her leg and didn't get Linda the photos or whatever, cool. Just let me know. Like, we can work with that. I'm not, like, going to come down there and scream because Sally broke her leg. Like life happens, all that happens, we know that. And that's part of being in a good relationship, is being transparent to be like, hey, I messed up or oh crap, I missed this, I'm going to take care of it right now, blah, blah, blah. I mean, that happens in everyone's day to day life. Like, your husband forgot to go to the grocery store on the way home. Like you just, things happen, but you deal with it and you're transparent about it. So that's like sort of step two is being transparent about things that have happened and being transparent about great things too. Like being very quick to congratulate them on things or praise them on things or if they've got client of the month or, I don't know, like whatever stupid thing you can, stupid thing, but like, people like to also receive positive feedback. Like if every time that you're interacting with someone it's negative or it's to talk about something that went wrong, then that's also a bit of a detriment to a relationship. So make sure that you're like, I would do things like send Starbucks over to clients, like just or if I knew they were having a rough day, I'd like send them.Dakota Kidby: [00:33:01] A Skip the Dishes gift card.Alyssa Berry: [00:33:02] Or some DoorDash or Skip the Dishes or whatever. Because those...Dakota Kidby: [00:33:06] Like, celebrations. Like it's their birthday, like it's their company's birthday or...Alyssa Berry: [00:33:12] Yeah, anniversaries. Or like they just hired someone new, so send them some flowers, or someone's leaving and all those sorts of things matter. I would always keep notes of those kind of things in my calendar if I knew things were coming up or if clients I knew were going to a conference or they had a big presentation coming up or any of that kind of stuff, I would always like, put that in my calendar and send them a note or an email or like a text, be like, good luck, blah, blah, blah. So that's the other thing is that like always leading with the positive instead of the only time you're talking to them is if something went sideways. That's also the other thing. But in parallel to that, this is also a learning, is that your clients aren't your friends, just like your coworkers aren't your friends. You don't share personal information. You don't talk about your personal life. You don't talk about going on dates. Like there is a line, like this is still a professional relationship, and I don't care that they're the same age as you, or they're also single or whatever, it's professional because you don't know who they know, and the world is very small, and you don't ever want to be, like, bitching about a guy that you went on a date with but it turns out like that guy is like their cousin's best friend or something. Like, you have no idea who people know, right? So that's always a very clear line for me, is that you don't know anything about me. You know who I am. You know I do good work, you know, whatever. But you don't know what I do when we're not together, because it's none of your business. And I don't need to know anything about you either. And so that's sort of the number three too, is that be very, have very clear boundaries of client or even boss/staff or like internally, right. Like no one needs, no one wants to or should know about your personal issues.Dakota Kidby: [00:35:11] And if I could add like a what am I trying to say? You know what I mean. And yeah section to that, I would say enjoy your connections with people. Like, that's not to say that you can't have a conversation or something, but case in point, if somebody knows you too well, oftentimes meeting agendas will also get completely out of control. So and I'm...Alyssa Berry: [00:35:40] Totally off the rails.Dakota Kidby: [00:35:41] ... because I like to be friends with everybody. And I am a recovering people pleaser. So the other day, actually, I had the worst migraine of my life, I just like wasn't feeling great, but I, you know, I was at the meeting, showed up, it was all good. And my client and I well, she started talking about politics and...Alyssa Berry: [00:35:58] Oh, God, what is wrong with people?Dakota Kidby: [00:35:59] No, but we always, like, have conversations about politics. Like and we're buds and we, again, going against everything Alyssa said. But I do really love working with this client and like we do have a lot in common. So she and I do banter. But anyway, I literally had to say, I'm so sorry, but like, we only have an hour and I'm exhausted and I'm not feeling the greatest today. Do you think we can just get through this meeting? And then I have to go grab a coffee. Then we'll do our next thing that we have to do. And then I gotta go, like, and she was like, nope, no problem at all, all good, like so sorry. And I was like, no, no, it's fine. It's just that again, if you build that personal rapport with your clients, your objectives with getting work done are going to be more ineffective no matter how you swing it. It's the difference between coming in for an hour, meeting with your counselor, right, and then, like, going for wine with them and then having a meeting. So like, just differentiate those two things. If you want to go banter with your client because you find them interesting as a human being, separate it. Ask them to go for wine as a separate human being. Do you know what I mean? Or don't?Alyssa Berry: [00:36:59] See, I wouldn't even, I wouldn't even recommend that.Dakota Kidby: [00:37:02] But, I mean, I am friends with some of my clients, so like I have a different standpoint.Alyssa Berry: [00:37:05] But here's the thing, though. Like if that personal relationship goes south, what does that mean for your business relationship?Dakota Kidby: [00:37:12] I'm not close with them in that respect. I would say if the, like the personal relationship going south probably isn't a, I'm not like besties with any of my clients. I do have one client who I am pretty good friends with, that if she and I ever had a falling out and then like the contract, it wouldn't bother me because it'd be like, well, I don't really want to work with you anyway, but I will say I am, like, I do have a couple of other clients that like, I'll go, I would go and have a beer with them. But we have a very clear, like line in the sand that we both understand, if that makes sense. And they've just been with me for a really long time, so it's almost been impossible to not develop a friendship because we've been through more with each other than just the work. Like, I've seen them go through things and they've seen me go through things, we've had each other's backs, you know, that kind of stuff. And so sometimes it can be inevitable. But for the most part it, you really should look at it like a relationship with your psychologist. It's, you're there to get work done and you don't need to offer up any more of your time than that. And you're also not their therapist.Alyssa Berry: [00:38:18] No. And they're not your therapist.Dakota Kidby: [00:38:21] Absolutely.Alyssa Berry: [00:38:22] I'm going to caveat that politics talk for a second, because I think Dakota and I need to do an episode on this because when I said, oh, politics, what are you doing? Because, like, normally, like generally politics in a business meeting doesn't really come up. But I mean, and I've said this before in this podcast and like anybody could see, my political affiliations are fairly notable.Dakota Kidby: [00:38:48] Like, people know.Alyssa Berry: [00:38:48] People know my thoughts on things and people know.Dakota Kidby: [00:38:51] They know who you are.Alyssa Berry: [00:38:51] So I do have a caveat to the whole political thing because when people talk about like, oh, don't, don't ever share your politics or whatever online or like separate your personal and your business brand in that way, I'm like, no, because I have seen a lot of people on LinkedIn who I will know I'll never work with because of the shit that they post on LinkedIn of all places. Right? Like when did LinkedIn become Facebook? But that's a whole other conversation.Dakota Kidby: [00:39:21] It's true.Alyssa Berry: [00:39:22] Because, yeah, like they're raging Trumpers.Dakota Kidby: [00:39:26] And so are you saying it's a bad thing?Alyssa Berry: [00:39:28] White nationalists. No. I want to know. Now I know. So I, because I work with people who who align with my values, like I'm a person, no one should be separating their personal feelings or their values about things because of business. Like, and I've said this on this podcast before, but I'm a vegetarian, so I would never work with the like Canadian Beef Association and not because they're bad or that I, but I would have no idea what I would communicate about the Canadian Beef Association, because I don't eat it and I don't have any concept of it. So it's the same with like aligning myself with a Raging Trumper client. I would never do that because I have no interest in promoting whatever the heck you're doing or like you're Elon Muskness or whatever the hell. So I'm a big proponent of like, yeah, share your political leanings like as a personal person, personal person, online so I can know because it's a good way to weed out, and that maybe is an onboarding process too, is that I look at people's socials, I look and see like outside of their business. Because like if you're, if what you're representing on your business goes completely against who you are as a person and what you're promoting on your personal accounts, I also don't want to work with you.Alyssa Berry: [00:40:50] So, and people do that with me too, like, I mean, I'm sure there's people who are like, oh my God, you're like a raging leftist. I'm like, I'm not really a leftist, but I guess if you're like a Trumper, that would seem appropriate. But yeah, I don't want to work with you. Like, yeah, you can weed me out too, like, have at her. So that's the other thing is like, yeah, not being like all besties and like therapists with your clients, but also working with people who you align with and align with your values is really important, because if you're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, like if you're like, can you imagine, like working with, like an anti-abortion organization?Dakota Kidby: [00:41:27] And even if I was like managing their like working on a strategy for call it like their flower shop, and I found out that they were like doing that on the weekend, I would just feel really uncomfortable and I wouldn't want to be aligned with it. That's the other thing. Yeah, like we've had a couple of clients over the years contact us to work with them. And just like the alignment wasn't there based off of a value standpoint. So, but yeah, I think like the final thing I would leave with you guys in terms of, or that we would leave with you guys in terms of like the processes, that your exit process is just as important as your onboarding. So clients are going to go. Everything ends eventually. So just having a really thorough exit process as well, like a nice questionnaire or conversation around like how was the work? Could we have done anything better? Can we get our testimonial, whether it's like a video testimonial or a quote or we're going to prepare a case study. You know, we're going to put that on our website. We'd love for you to, like, spread the word when we post about it on LinkedIn and tag you. So just taking that opportunity to to get that word, and then a referral, maybe offering them like, hey, if you know, things went so well with us, so if you refer to us, we will give you, you know, 10% off your next service or, you know, we would really love a referral. So that's your opportunity.Alyssa Berry: [00:42:48] Yeah. And that's also where that whole piece about here's all of the stuff we worked on, there's your Google Drive, and after this, like I'm not responsible, so don't like send me an email in seven months. Be like, whatever. Can I get a copy of that? Like, yeah.Dakota Kidby: [00:43:05] And it's the opportunity to get removed off their social channels too, which you absolutely should do, and tell them to change their passwords.Alyssa Berry: [00:43:10] You need to get removed.Dakota Kidby: [00:43:11] Yeah. That's right.Alyssa Berry: [00:43:12] Yes. So I mean it's sort of closing the loop and like sending a nice thank you. I've done that in the past, too, for clients is like sent them a bottle of wine to their office or whatever as like a thanks for working with each other and blah, blah, blah, like, always those things because even if it didn't entirely end on the best terms, like if something happened or if maybe the contract ended early for various different reasons, like it wasn't someone's fault, it's just timing or budget or whatever, always be the bigger person because again, you don't know who people know.Dakota Kidby: [00:43:46] Always be the bigger person and just be professional. Stay in your lane, keep your head down. You know, live in your lane.Alyssa Berry: [00:43:55] And that's how, like, Dakota and I have had clients for three, four, five, whatever years. Like you treat people well and do good work, and they will stick around because even if they threaten, like and I've had clients threaten from time to time to be like, well, I think we're going to RFP for this, and I'm like, cool.Dakota Kidby: [00:44:13] Yeah, if you need some fresh blood, I get it. One thing I will say, though, someone, an old boss of mine taught me this, and I think it is some of the best advice I've ever gotten. She said to me, help people in a way that you would never expect anything back. And so I think just from a community standpoint, and if a client has left your roster, but maybe they reach out just for like a quick piece of advice, highly recommend knowing when to differentiate from like, okay, this, I'm going to give you this my time or, you know, or like, oh, it's a big ask so I have to charge for it. Like, I, Alyssa and I are big on like, being there for people where it's appropriate. And of course, this community, Ladies Who Launch is all about that. It's about supporting people who don't have sounding boards and teams, and they need community to thrive. And I'll never forget, I asked a fellow provider for some advice one time, and she was like, well, I'm very busy and I have kids and like, my time is very precious to me, so I do have to charge you for this hour that we're going to chat. And at the time, I remember I was livid. I was like, what a, you know, like, I can't believe she would charge. What the heck? Then as time went on and people started to ask me for things, it was like, oh yeah, a five minute conversation or connection point, no problem. An introduction, no problem. Quick piece of advice, absolutely no worries. Even if it is an hour long conversation, as long as it feels good in my gut. But there are opportunities where, yeah, it's completely appropriate to charge for your time as you become a subject matter expert in something. And now looking back, I'm like, you go, girl, I really shouldn't have been offended. So just knowing when it's time to lend a hand and just be kind versus, you know, charging for your time.Alyssa Berry: [00:46:08] Yeah. Because that's the other thing you learn as grizzled veterans and running businesses is that your time is worth a lot.Dakota Kidby: [00:46:15] It's worth something. Absolutely.Alyssa Berry: [00:46:17] And you can give that time away to the things that you value to give your time to. But for every rando who wants to have to pick your brain for half an hour...Dakota Kidby: [00:46:29] If you're getting those requests like 20 times a week. That being said, too, I will admit, like, I've even caught myself asking for too much sometimes from friends and people that I have in my circle. And yeah, it's, you know, you think that it's okay, but you do have to be respectful of people's time and stuff like that. So with that, we hope that this has been helpful and we would love to hear more from you guys. If you want to know, if you've had any like process mishaps or blow ups, we would love to hear from you guys. So just DM us on Instagram at Ladies Who Launch Pod or send us an email at Ladies Who Launch Pod at gmail.com and we'll see you in two weeks.Alyssa Berry: [00:47:14] Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Ladies Who Launch.Dakota Kidby: [00:47:18] Don't forget to hit the subscribe button and give us five stars anywhere you listen to podcasts. Honestly guys, if you can do that for us, we would be so thankful. It's how we grow our podcast and the more subscriptions and the more five stars we get, the better. So thank you so much for supporting us and we'll see you next time on Ladies Who Launch.

We are in part two of our series on RFPs and this week is all about responding. Tom and Tab help equip you with crucial strategies for effectively evaluating and responding to unsolicited Requests for Proposals. Learn how to determine if an RFP is worth your time (even without a prior relationship!), identify key indicators like competitor associations and process efficiency, and assess solution fit. Discover the power of engaging directly with problem owners and crafting tailored, high-quality responses that stand out from the price-driven crowd.

Does AI represent an extinction-level event for your business? In this episode, we ask the important question: how can your company become the bird, not the pterodactyl, in the age of digital Darwinism? Pete Buer sits down with Wolf Ruzicka, SVP of Strategic Advisory at Solvd and author of AI Driven: Staying Alive in the Age of Digital Darwinism. Wolf lays out a five-step roadmap to move from AI novice to AI-native, including how to reclaim your digital destiny, activate unstructured data, and prepare for generative AI's superpowers. They discuss why executive education is a key barrier to adoption, what “digital marines” can do for your team, and how out-of-paradigm thinking—like intelligent RFP matching—will define the next generation of AI impact. Also, in "AI in the Wild", Courtney Baker and Pete discuss the business implications of Deutsche Telekom's new AI phone and what it signals for device interaction and workplace productivity. Spoiler alert: if done right, AI-first hardware could transform user experience far beyond the consumer world. Don't miss Knownwell's platform showcase! If it's after April 15, watch the replay at www.knownwell.com/showcase.   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RpNzJ257qTs  Learn more and sign up for Knownwell: www.knownwell.com AI Knowhow is brought to you by the team at Knownwell.

Want to know what it takes to win more bids, contracts, and RFPs? In this episode of How to Sell More, Mark Drager sits down with Alex McPhail, one of Canada's leading bid managers with over 35 years of experience in complex government procurements for defence, cyber, aerospace, and more. Alex breaks down the realities of winning massive government contracts, as well as how to navigate the most demanding procurement processes.    In Episode 106, you'll learn: ✅ The strategy behind winning hundred-million to billion-dollar proposals ✅ How shrewd contractors legally play the RFP "game" ✅ Why relationships don't matter in government contracting (and what actually wins contracts) ✅ What a Capture Manager does and why you need the right team in place ✅ The brutal "go/no-go" process that can dramatically improve your win rate ✅ Why making information easy to find is the #1 factor in winning proposals ✅ Who your true "customer" is during the proposal process (hint: it's not who you think)   Meet today's guest: Alex McPhail is the President and CEO of EXA Consulting Group and the Author of Win Big The EXA Way: The Comprehensive Guide to Capture and Proposal Leadership. He is also a recognized public speaker, lecturer, and podcaster in business leadership, Canadian procurement, and government contracting processes. Ready to play a procurement process to your advantage so you can sell more? Listen to the full episode now!  

On episode 824 of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is waking up with the rest of the world to the new tariff world order. With reports of ocean bookings plummeting, small shippers getting hit with customs bills they can't afford, and financial markets in disarray - how bad will freight get hit?  Junction Collaborative Transport COO Ian Weiland brings the port trucking perspective as his drayage firm services the SoCal ports. We will find out what the word on the ground is and how port trucking will ocean volume declines drive the truck load market back into a freight recession?  Eric Williams just founded a FreightTech firm focused on RFPs called Beagl Technologies. Williams also just left a gig with Target's logistics team. We'll get deep insight on how retail will handle tariffs. We'll also find out how Beagl plans to shake up the RFP process, and how freight bids are looking now.  Chapters 3:12 Tariffs and port trucking | Ian Weiland 18:16 Avoiding tariffs 18:36 Retail impact of tariffs | Eric Williams 32:16 Rebuilding RFPs | Eric Williams Catch new shows live at noon EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube, or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player and at 5 p.m. Eastern on SiriusXM's Road Dog Trucking Channel 146. Watch on YouTube Check out the WTT merch store Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On episode 824 of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is waking up with the rest of the world to the new tariff world order. With reports of ocean bookings plummeting, small shippers getting hit with customs bills they can't afford, and financial markets in disarray - how bad will freight get hit?  Junction Collaborative Transport COO Ian Weiland brings the port trucking perspective as his drayage firm services the SoCal ports. We will find out what the word on the ground is and how port trucking will ocean volume declines drive the truck load market back into a freight recession?  Eric Williams just founded a FreightTech firm focused on RFPs called Beagl Technologies. Williams also just left a gig with Target's logistics team. We'll get deep insight on how retail will handle tariffs. We'll also find out how Beagl plans to shake up the RFP process, and how freight bids are looking now.  Chapters 3:12 Tariffs and port trucking | Ian Weiland 18:16 Avoiding tariffs 18:36 Retail impact of tariffs | Eric Williams 32:16 Rebuilding RFPs | Eric Williams Catch new shows live at noon EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube, or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player and at 5 p.m. Eastern on SiriusXM's Road Dog Trucking Channel 146. Watch on YouTube Check out the WTT merch store Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Supply Chain Decoded, Jenni Ruiz sits down with Spencer Piland, CFO and COO of SONAR, for a timely conversation about the freight economy—and what every broker needs to watch as the landscape shifts. Recorded weeks ago but more relevant than ever, Spencer's warning about tariffs rings loud and clear: They're already affecting prices, whether we see it yet or not. Together, they dig into how brokers can sharpen their decision-making by focusing on their own networks, leveraging smarter data, and resisting the temptation to over-index on spot rates alone. Spencer also shares his unconventional path to freight, the evolution of SONAR's partnership with Transfix, and what the top-performing brokerages are doing differently today. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the noise of RFP season, rising intermodal competition, or the ripple effects of macroeconomic change. Tariffs may be just one part of the pricing puzzle—but ignoring them could cost you. -- Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.

Mark Shriner is the Co-Founder and CEO of Breeze Docs, a Gen-AI-powered RFP response platform Sponsors Salalabs - North America and 8-Bit Contest Salalabs specializes in delivering IoT, AI, and Machine Learning to streamline operations and drive innovation. Save up to 70 percent on development costs and 32 percent on time with Salalabs. For more info, email contact@salalabs.com or reach out to Jason Cavness  We are also brought to you by 8-Bit Content, a content marketing agency specializing in boosting awareness and leads for its partners' businesses. As a listener of The Jason Cavness Experience, you can receive a free site audit to help identify opportunities for growth or improvement. Simply visit or emailwill@8bitcontent.comto get started.  Go to www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com for the podcast on your favorite platforms Mark Shriner's Bio Mark Shriner is the Co-Founder and CEO of Breeze Docs, a Gen-AI-powered RFP response platform that helps companies reduce the time needed to respond to RFPs, RFIs, security questionnaires and other important business documents by up to 90 percent. Mark has held several leadership positions including CEO Asia Pacific, for CLS Communication a leading translation provider in the financial services space and Director of Client Engagement North America & Japan for adaQuest a Microsoft Cybersecurity and Compliance Gold Partner. Through his consultancy, M3 Cloud Solutions, Mark has helped a wide variety of companies with market entry and expansion plans in Asia, North America, and Europe. He has also published two books on sales, including “The Inside Game; How to become a top performing salesperson and enjoy every step of the way.” Was Mark has created three business podcasts including The Secure Talk Podcast that discusses cybersecurity and compliance issues and businesses. After publishing 140 episodes, Secure Talk was purchased by a leading cybersecurity start up based in the Seattle area.  His other two podcasts are memoQ talks and The Grow Fast Podcast where he talks to leading sales and marketing professionals on topics related to sales and marketing. Mark was born and raised in Seattle, but has spent over 20 years living and working in Asian countries including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. When he's not working Mark enjoys spending time with his family. He also likes a wide variety of outdoor sports including sailing, and enjoys reading, talking, and most of all, learning.  We talk about the following and other items Daily Routines and Personal Well-being Podcast Dynamics and Personal Connections Hiring and Leadership Insights Alcohol and Social Interactions  Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection Podcasting and Personal Growth  Religion and Philosophical Reflections RFP Responses and AI Automation capabilities  Pricing and Marketing Strategies Podcast Audience and Sponsor Engagement Cultural Differences in Business Practices  Sailing and Nature Appreciation Technological Advancements and Their Impact The Debate on Universal Basic Income (UBI)  Homelessness and Social Issues Travel and Cultural Insights Future Plans and Personal Reflections Discussion on Podcast Interviews and Guest Preferences Challenges in Podcast Interviews Importance of Coaching and Personal Development  Experiences with Martial Arts and Healthcare in Vietnam Breeze Docs and Government Contracts Networking and Business Growth  Personal Development and Life Goals  Breeze Docs Business Strategy and Future Plans Mark's Social Media Mark's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markshriner/ Website: https://www.breezedocs.ai/ The Growth Fast Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@growfastpodcast Mark's Advice What do they say about advice, don't give it because wise men don't need it and fools won't listen.

Send us a textIn 2025, outsourcing isn't just about price, it's about AI, partnership, tech, and long-term CX strategy. In this episode, Tom Laird breaks down exactly what to look for in a modern contact center outsourcing partner and how to build an RFP that separates real CX tech players from the fluff.From AI expectations and data transparency to platform flexibility and agent experience, this is your blueprint for setting the bar higher and finding a partner who can actually meet it. Tom Laird's 100% USA-based, AI-powered contact center. As the only outsourcing partner on the NICE CXone Customer Executive Council, Expivia is redefining what it means to be a CX tech partner. Learn more at expiviausa.com. Follow Tom: @tlaird_expiviaJoin our Facebook Call Center Community: www.facebook.com/callcentergeekConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlairdexpivia/Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callcenter_geekLinkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9041993/Watch us: Advice from a Call Center Geek Youtube Channel

Looking at the origins of the “independent” audit on the Canton police. Who started it? And why did their audit get released right during jury selection? Is this Karen Read and her legal team including David Yannetti and Alan Jackson & their enablers way of side-stepping the gag order?Show Notes: Innocence Fraud Watch "Killer Karen Read Retrial: How Was It Possible For Kerry Roberts To Call Canton Police At 5:04am As Stated By 5 Stones Intelligence In Their April 2025 Audit Report?" - https://theerrorsthatplaguethemiscarriageofjusticemovement.home.blog/2025/04/03/killer-karen-read-retrial-how-was-it-possible-for-kerry-roberts-to-call-canton-police-at-504am-as-stated-by-5-stones-intelligence-in-their-april-2025-audit-report/Canton Citizen "Police Audit Committee begins RFP draft process"-https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/2024/05/23/police-audit-rfp/CBS Boston "Karen Read Supporters Sue Over the Buffer Zone" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ti2sN461HgNBC 10 Boston "Firm Chosen to Audit the Canton Police Department" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKmLesxsWqkWCVB Boston "Audit of Canton Police Department Released as Karen Read's Retrial Begins" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bS_0bE2M0QCanton Police Department Audit - https://town.canton.ma.us/DocumentCenter/View/11832/Canton-Report-April-1-2025Boston Herald "200K Police Audit Triggers More Drama" - https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/09/21/200k-canton-police-audit-triggers-more-drama-solo-cups-and-leaf-blowers/Thank you Patrons!Jen Buell, Ellen Solari, Carol Cardella, Joan Mahon, Marcie Denton, Rosanne Aponte, Tammie, Hanna, Johnny Jay, Spaceydove, Jude Barnes, JenTheRN, Susan, Victoria Devenish, Jeri Falk, Kimberly Lovelace, Penni Miller, Jil, Janet Gardner, Jayne Wallace (JaynesWhirled), Pat Brooks, Jennifer Klearman, Judy Brown Linda Lazzaro, Suzanne Kniffin, Susan Hicks, Jeff Meadors, D Samlam, Pat Brooks, Kathy Chapin, Cythnia, Bonnie Schoeneman-Dilley, Diane Larsen, Mary, Kimberly Philipson, Killer Karen Read Retrial: Sloppy, Inaccurate & Misleading April 2025 “Independent” Onsite Audit Report Of Town Of Canton Police, Massachusetts By 5 Stones Intelligence (5Si) On Murder Of Boston Police Officer John O'KeefeStephanie Damilano, Cat Stewart, Cindy Pochesci, Kevin Crecy, Renee Chavez, Melba Pourteau, Julie K Thomas, Riverdale Pilates, Mia Wallace, Stark Stuff,Yvette Jocklin, Kayce Taylor, Alice, JenTile, Dean, GiGi5, Jennifer Crum, Dana Natale, Marie Patriagnnani, Bewildered Beauty, Pepper, Joan Chakonas, Blythe, Pat Dell, Lorraine Reid, Sandra Guse Van Zeeland, Isa, T.B., Kitties1993, Regan Johnson, Melissa, Victoria Gray Bross, Kay Be, Toni Woodland, Danbrit, Kenny Haines, Maureen P and Toni NatalieGet access to exclusive content & support the podcast by becoming a Patron today! https://patreon.com/robertaglasstruecrimereportThrow a tip in the tip jar! https://buymeacoffee.com/robertaglassSupport Roberta by sending a donation via Venmo. https://venmo.com/robertaglass

AWS partners Braze, Qualtrics, and Tealium share strategies for marketplace success, vertical industry expansion, and generative AI integration that have driven significant business growth. Topics Include:Jason Warren introduces AWS Business Application Partnerships panel.Three key topics: Marketplace Strategy, Vertical Expansion, Gen-AI Integration.Alex Rees of Braze, Matthew Gray of Tealium, and Jason Mann of Qualtrics join discussion.Braze experienced triple-digit percentage growth through AWS Marketplace.Braze dedicating resources specifically to Marketplace procurement.Tealium accelerated deal velocity by listing on Marketplace.Tealium saw broader use case expansion with AWS co-selling.Qualtrics views Marketplace listing as earning a "diploma."Understanding AWS incentives and metrics is crucial.Knowing AWS "love language" helps partnership success.Braze saw transaction volume increase between Q1 and Q4.Aligning with industry verticals unlocked faster growth.Tealium sees bigger deals and faster close times.Tealium moved from transactional to strategic marketplace approach.Private offers work well for complex enterprise agreements.Qualtrics measures AWS partnership through "influence, intel, introductions."AWS relationships help navigate IT and procurement challenges.Propensity-to-buy data guides AWS engagement strategy.Marketplace strategy evolving with new capabilities and international expansion.Brazilian marketplace distribution reduces currency and tax challenges.Partnership evolution: sell first, then market, then co-innovate.Braze penetrated airline market through AWS Travel & Hospitality.RFP introductions show tangible partnership benefits.Tealium partnering with Virgin Australia and United Airlines.MUFG bank case study shows joint AWS-Tealium success.Qualtrics won awards despite not completing formal competencies.Focus on fewer verticals yields better results.Gen AI brings both opportunities and regulatory concerns.First-party data rights critical for AI implementation.AWS Bedrock integration provides security and prescriptive solutions.Participants:Alex Rees – Director Tech Partnerships, BrazeJason Mann – Global AWS Alliance Lead, QualtricsMatthew Gray - SVP, Partnerships & Alliances, TealiumJason Warren - Head of Business Applications ISV Partnerships (Americas), AWSSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon/isv/

Food procurement is one of the biggest challenges facing school business officials today. Between regulatory red tape, supply chain disruptions, and vendor relationships, school districts must navigate a complex system to ensure students receive nutritious meals.In this episode of School Business Insider, host John Brucato is joined by Sacha Pouliot, SFO/RSBA, and Darin Crawford, MBA, RTSBA, to break down their work with the Food Advisory Procurement Workgroup. Together, they explore: Common procurement hurdles and inefficiencies Why schools can be “less-than-ideal” customers for vendors The impact of regulatory complexity on food sourcing The need for plain language and better vendor-school collaboration How electronic bidding & standardization can improve procurementIf your district is looking to streamline the RFP process, improve vendor relationships, and navigate food procurement more effectively, this episode is a must-listen!Contact School Business Insider: Check us out on social media: LinkedIn Twitter (X) Website: https://asbointl.org/SBI Email: podcast@asbointl.org Make sure to like, subscribe and share for more great insider episodes!Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the Association of School Business Officials International. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "ASBO International" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. The presence of any advertising does not endorse, or imply endorsement of, any products or services by ASBO International.ASBO International is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and does not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for elective public office. The sharing of news or information concerning public policy issues or political campaigns and candidates are not, and should not be construed as, endorsements by ASBO Internatio...

Confidence isn't something you're born with—it's built through effort, resilience, and a relentless commitment to growth. In this episode, you'll hear how Leah Emkin, Chief Client Officer at Wilshire, went from not knowing what an RFP writer was to leading client teams at one of the most respected financial firms. Her story is proof that when you show up, stay curious, and do the hard work, you don't just survive—you thrive. Leah shares the mindset shifts and daily habits that helped her grow into a trusted leader, the power of staying in your lane while playing to your strengths, and how to handle rejection without losing momentum. If you've ever questioned whether you belong in the room or wondered how to lead with both empathy and grit, this conversation will give you the real talk—and reassurance—you need. Visit our website where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with our special guest. The key moments in this episode are: [00:00] Introduction to Beyond Barriers Podcast [00:27] Building Confidence Through Competence [01:07] Meet Leah Emkin: A Journey of Hard Work and Curiosity [03:48] Leah's Role and Responsibilities at Wilshire [05:16] Embracing Openness and Curiosity [12:42] Navigating Challenges and Building Resilience [16:48] Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Imposter Syndrome [21:39] Gaining Perspective with Age [22:41] Daily Habits for Success [24:52] Navigating Parenthood and Flexibility [25:32] Building Strategic Relationships [26:49] The Importance of Mentorship [28:28] Women Supporting Women in Investments [29:44] Leveraging Community and Networks [30:51] Embracing Discomfort for Growth [33:23] Advice for Job Seekers [34:52] Lightning Round and Final Thoughts

In this episode, Jack Cochran and Matthew James are joined by Manisha Raisinghani, Founder and CEO of SiftHub, to discuss how AI is transforming the Presales landscape. They explore how SiftHub's AI sales engineer helps solutions teams consolidate tribal knowledge, automate repetitive tasks, and increase productivity. Manisha shares insights on leveraging AI for RFPs, POCs, and competitive intelligence, while emphasizing that AI serves as a sidekick to enhance SEs' strategic value rather than replace them. To join the show live, follow the Presales Collective's LinkedIn page or join the PSC Slack community for updates. The show is bi-weekly on Tuesdays, 8AM PT/11AM ET/4PM GMT. Follow the Hosts Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/  Connect with Matthew James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyoungjames/ Connect with Manisha Raisinghani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manisharaisinghani/ Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack SiftHub: https://www.sifthub.io/  Timestamps 00:00 Welcome 03:34 Manisha's journey to founding SiftHub 08:12 SE to AE ratios in different organizations 13:10 The changing role of SEs in relationship building 15:06 Three main buckets of SE work and how AI can help 16:30 The evolution of tribal knowledge 20:40 SaaS proliferation and knowledge fragmentation 26:51 How SEs can leverage AI effectively 31:02 Using AI to analyze POCs and RFPs Key Topics Covered The Evolution of Tribal Knowledge From undocumented information to knowledge scattered across platforms How AI can consolidate knowledge from Slack, Salesforce, call recordings, and more Leveraging recorded conversations to preserve context and insights SE Challenges and AI Solutions Managing repetitive questions from sales teams and product managers Handling documentation tasks and RFP responses Creating custom solutions across different industries and regions The Changing SE Role Shift from technical support to relationship building Evolving buyer journeys requiring deeper technical engagement Balancing solutioning, question-answering, and demo responsibilities Measuring AI Impact Time savings on RFP responses and repetitive questions Using freed-up time for strategic activities and better customer engagement Supporting more deals simultaneously with AI assistance AI as a Teammate Using AI to enhance rather than replace SE capabilities How AI can work 24/7 across global teams The future of visual and diagram-based AI assistance

Send us a textIn this episode of Mastering Modern Selling, the hosts welcome Brian Doyle, CEO of Holden Advisors, to discuss the critical role of pricing and negotiation in B2B sales. With a background as an Air Force pilot and extensive experience in sales leadership, Brian provides a strategic framework for setting the right price, understanding value, and negotiating effectively.Many salespeople struggle with articulating value and justifying price, often defaulting to discounting instead of defending their worth. Brian breaks down how businesses can maximize profitability without losing customers, and how understanding pricing power is essential for long-term success.1. Pricing Strategy Starts with ValueCompanies must first understand their own value proposition before setting a price.Three key value drivers: Increase customer revenueReduce customer costsMinimize customer riskIf businesses can quantify these benefits, they can charge appropriately without unnecessary discounting.2. Price Increases Can Double ProfitabilityMany companies underprice their offerings without realizing it.Brian shared a case study where a company raised its prices by 50%, resulting in $80 million in new revenue—without losing a single customer.The key to successful price increases is demonstrating value in a way customers understand.3. Customer Conversations Are the Foundation of PricingBusinesses often rely on internal assumptions or biased sales feedback rather than talking directly to customers.Brian's method involves interviewing both current and lost customers to uncover true pricing potential.Customers frequently reveal they are willing to pay more when the value is properly articulated.4. Negotiation is About Framing, Not DiscountingSales teams should shift from a price-first conversation to a value-based discussion.Timing matters: The best time to discuss pricing is early in the buyer's journey, not when an RFP is issued.Instead of immediately discounting, salespeople should anchor the conversation on ROI and competitive advantage.5. The Danger of Cost-Plus PricingMany companies default to "cost-plus" pricing (cost + a percentage markup), which limits profitability.Instead, businesses should align pricing with perceived and real value.Brian suggests segmenting customers: some segments may tolerate price increases better than others, and companies should avoid “one-size-fits-all” pricing.Brian Doyle's insights highlight that pricing and negotiation are not about undercutting competitors but about understanding value, strategic positioning, and customer perception. His approach provides a Don't miss out—your next big idea could be just one episode away! This Show is sponsored by Fist BumpYour prospecting partner to authentically fill your pipeline with ideal customers. Check out our Live Show Events here: Mastering Modern Selling Live ShowSubscribe to our Newsletter: Mastering Modern Selling Newsletter

Analysis on NAPT‘s new three-point, lap-shoulder seatbelt recommendation, the New York City Department of Education's large technology RFP, and hands-on school bus emergency training in Texas. Participate in more discussions about safety and technology at STN EXPO Charlotte and STN EXPO Reno, which both include the Bus Technology Summit and the Green Bus Summit. “We're not looking for a buyer, we're looking for a partner.” Jason Yan, vice president of sales at RIDE Mobility, discusses how battery safety and development enhances electric school bus operation and range. Read more about operations. Episode sponsors: Transfinder, RIDE.

RFP - 'Spinning and Weaving' ed. by Elizabeth Miller, discussed by Dorothea Annison and Jill Raymond.A live webinar recorded on 16th March 2025 at 10am UK time.On Sundays (10am UK time), our webinar series Radical Feminist Perspectives offers a chance to hear leading feminists discuss radical feminist theory and politics.Attendance of our live webinars is women-only, register at https://bit.ly/registerRFP

Choosing the right marketing agency can make or break your strategy—so how do you get it right? This week on Ignite, Cardinal's CEO, Alex Membrillo and EVP, Strategy & Business Development of True North Custom, Jane Crosby, dive into the RFP process, red flags to watch for, and why industry expertise is non-negotiable when choosing a healthcare marketing agency. Plus, our hosts explore the latest in media, performance marketing, and technology to help you stay competitive. Tune in for expert insights that will elevate your agency partnerships and marketing success! RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Jane - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeastrup/  How to Select a Digital Marketing Agency for Your Healthcare Organization - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/how-to-select-a-digital-marketing-agency-for-your-healthcare-organization/  How to Create an RFP That Finds You the Ideal Marketing Agency - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/how-to-create-an-rfp-that-finds-you-the-ideal-marketing-agency/  How Our Agency Maintains Exclusivity in Competitive Healthcare Markets - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/maintaining-exclusivity-in-competitive-healthcare-markets/ 

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Are you focusing your energy on growing existing client relationships or acquiring new ones? Building strong client relationships requires a commitment to proactive communication from the very beginning, as today's featured guest clearly demonstrates. Our guest runs a brand agency that prioritizes nurturing and growing client relationships through three key strategies: establishing clear expectations, maintaining proactive communication, and implementing careful qualifying processes to ensure they partner only with the right culture fits. This intentional approach has made her agency irreplaceable to clients. Discover the specific strategies and insights that have contributed to her success in building lasting, valuable client partnerships that stand the test of time. Charlene Coughlin is president and partner at Twist Creative, a thriving brand agency founded by a husband and wife duo who combined their talents in writing and design to create a unique agency focused on brand growth. She discusses how to excel at scaling client accounts by nurturing existing relationships and creating strong partnerships, why she stopped participating in RFPs, and more. In this episode, we'll discuss: Nurturing relationships vs. landing clients. The art of proactive client communication. RFPs don't equal quality clients. Building trust through consistent communication. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources Wix: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by Wix Studio, the all-in-one platform designed to help agencies scale without the headaches. With intuitive tools, robust native business solutions, and low maintenance, Wix Studio lets your team focus on what matters most—delivering exceptional value to your clients. Ready to take your agency to the next level? Visit wix.com/studio and discover how Wix Studio can transform your workflow, boost profits, and strengthen client relationships. Nurturing Relationships vs. Just Landing Clients Many agencies get caught in the endless task of getting more and more accounts and don't spend nearly as much time on growing those accounts. For Charlene, the business has always been about relationships. She feels it's useless to have amazing creative if it won't get used because relationships go sour. First and foremost, she recommends aiming to understand the client, their motivations, and goals to build a relationship based on really listening to them. By actively listening to clients and demonstrating authentic interest in their success, agencies can transform the traditional vendor-client dynamic into a true partnership built on trust and mutual understanding. This shift fundamentally changes how clients perceive the agency's role. When this transformation occurs, agencies become irreplaceable strategic partners rather than interchangeable service providers. The relationship evolves from clients dictating specific deliverables to collaborative planning sessions where both parties work together on annual goals and budget development. This partnership approach not only secures long-term client retention but also creates opportunities for account growth that far exceed what's possible through constant new business acquisition. The Art of Proactive Client Communication Building strong client partnerships that grow over time requires intentionality from the very beginning of the relationship. Charlene's team implements this philosophy through a proactive approach to client communication that starts during the onboarding process. Rather than reactively waiting for clients to reach out with needs or concerns, they systematically initiate engagement, establishing a foundation of trust and collaboration that benefits both parties. This proactive communication extends even to prospective clients who are still evaluating whether to work with the agency. Through consistent follow-up and responsive answering of questions, potential clients develop clear expectations about the working relationship before making their decision. By the time they commit, the groundwork for effective collaboration has already been established. Setting clear expectations from the outset is crucial to this approach. Charlene's team conducts candid conversations to understand what clients value in agency partnerships and what previous experiences have frustrated them. This transparency acknowledges that challenges will inevitably arise while emphasizing their commitment to navigating difficulties together. Ultimately, ensuring that potential clients align with the agency's core principles will help you cultivate a more harmonious working relationship. This selectivity not only reduces friction but also enhances the overall experience for both the agency and the client, leading to more productive collaborations. Protecting Your Agency's Culture by Prioritizing Healthy Client Relationships Establishing client alignment from early on also helps agencies avoid the difficult relationships that arise with clients that are just a bad fit. These are the type of clients that will expect a response at any hour of the day and treat your team poorly. The stress and dissatisfaction that arise from such relationships overshadows the potential for creative opportunities, ultimately resulting in a toxic work environment. For Charlene, these projects are just not worth it and usually require more time and effort than originally estimated. There was a time when her agency was willing to compromise its standards due to financial pressures. However, this mindset only leads to a cycle of negativity, where the agency finds itself mired in challenging relationships that drain energy and resources. By being willing to say "no" to clients who do not respect their team, agencies protect their culture and morale, allowing them to focus on meaningful partnerships that foster growth. Why RFPs Don't Always Equal Quality Clients Like many agencies, Charlene's team used to spend hundreds of hours on Requests For Proposals, putting a lot of effort into its content and correct format only to never hear back from these companies. Additionally, the RFP process can inadvertently encourage agencies to engage in practices that undermine the value of their work, like the pressure to provide free spec work to stand out among competitors. This happened to Charlene and her team in 2018 with a project they really wanted to win. However, they only agreed to participate in this RFP after negotiating payment for their spec work. This way they not only got compensated for their time but also demonstrated the value they placed on their creative output. Still, Charlene found that with RFPs the final decision tended to be based on budget more than what each agency offered, which made those clients the wrong fit for her agency. Therefore, they stopped spending time on RFPs altogether as she found this would actually save the agency time and money they could spend in finding actual qualified clients. How Charging for Strategy Pays Off in the Long Run Agencies that sell a Foot-in-the-Door project rather than pitching a big project gain more in the long run. A FIYD is an alternative where agencies propose smaller projects or consultations that allow them to demonstrate their expertise while fostering a collaborative environment. This strategy not only positions the agency as a trusted advisor but also creates a sense of ownership for the client, enhancing their investment in the relationship. It also provides more opportunities for conversations where the agency can find out more about the clients' issues and what they really need. Creating a foot-in-the-door offer requires a shift to start charging for insights and strategy many are giving away for free. Clients may struggle with the transition from receiving complimentary advice to paying for it. However, this shift is crucial for establishing the agency as a valued partner rather than just a service provider. When clients begin to pay for strategic insights, they are more likely to engage deeply with the process, leading to better outcomes and a stronger relationship. Building Trust Through Consistent Communication In client relationships, anxiety typically arises when communication is lacking. This is why Charlene focuses on building strong connections that extend beyond merely addressing problems to fostering open dialogue. When clients feel comfortable reaching out, it reflects the solid foundation of trust and understanding she has established. Charlene's agency implements a proactive communication strategy, sending regular status updates even when there is little to report. This consistent attentiveness reassures clients that they are valued and their needs are being addressed, creating a true sense of partnership. The results of this approach are evident in client behavior. Not only do clients readily discuss business issues with Charlene, but they also seek her expertise on other matters. This pattern demonstrates how thoughtful communication cultivates relationships where clients feel supported, understood, and confident in the partnership. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

What is the future of document generation in 2025, and how should businesses navigate the risks of AI? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Christian Lund, co-founder of Templafy, to explore how AI-powered document automation is reshaping productivity, compliance, and security in modern enterprises. As companies push for greater efficiency, many are adopting AI tools to streamline workflows. But AI's effectiveness depends heavily on context—and context is something you can't always rely on users to provide. Christian shares why most people approach AI like a search engine, entering a handful of keywords and expecting the right results. But would you brief a colleague with just a few disjointed words? Better briefs lead to better outputs, whether you're working with humans or AI.  This is where Templafy steps in, delivering AI-powered document generation solutions that integrate seamlessly with platforms like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Salesforce. Trusted by over 800 enterprises, including KPMG, BDO, and Adobe, Templafy automates document creation while maintaining compliance and brand consistency—saving employees up to 30 days per year. We also dive into why the best automation happens when humans are less involved. Far from sidelining human input, this approach reduces compliance risks and frees employees to focus on high-value work that drives business growth. Christian explains how Templafy orchestrates AI models, data sources, and workflows to ensure optimal outcomes, from sales collateral to RFP responses. Plus, we explore future trends, including AI agents and stronger orchestration that allows businesses to stay in control of AI-powered processes. How can businesses balance the push for faster workflows with the need for secure, compliant documents? And what role will AI agents play in tomorrow's document generation landscape? Tune in to discover how Templafy is paving the way for smarter, safer automation.