Podcasts about Salesforce

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    Latest podcast episodes about Salesforce

    Experiencing Data with Brian O'Neill
    Why AI Adoption Moves at the Speed of User Trust Irina Makova on Lessons Learned Building Data Products at Salesforce

    Experiencing Data with Brian O'Neill

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 47:50


    In this episode of Experiencing Data, I chat with Irina Malkova who is the VP of AI Engineering and VP of Data and Analytics for Tech and Product at Salesforce. Irina shares how her teams are reinventing internal analytics, combining classic product data work with cutting-edge AI engineering—and her recent post on LinkedIn titled “AI adoption moves at the speed of user trust,” having a strong design-centered perspective, inspires today's episode. (I even quoted her on this in a couple recent product design conference talks I gave!)  In today's drop, Irina shares how they're enabling analytical insights at Salesforce via a Slack-based AI agent, how they have changed their AI and engineering org structures (and why), the bad advice they got on organizing their data product teams, and more. This is a great episode for senior data product and AI executives managing complex orgs and technology environments who want to see how Salesforce is scaling AI for smarter, faster decisions.

    Salesforce Commerce Cloud Innovations
    117: Commerce Cloud's Future and Storied Past, Featuring Red Van CEO, Harvey Bierman

    Salesforce Commerce Cloud Innovations

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 34:19


     From the peaks of Breckenridge to the streets of Chicago, Harvey Bierman, CEO of Red Van and a pivotal force in the Salesforce Commerce Cloud ecosystem, shares his insights at the Connections 2025 event. He discusses Salesforce's ambitious plans to revolutionize B2C commerce with integrated customer experiences. The conversation goes into the evolution from Demandware to Salesforce, the importance of order management systems in cross-channel orchestration, and Red Van's strategic approach to building a specialized order management practice.  Harvey also highlights the enduring community spirit within the Demandware ecosystem and reflects on the technological advancements that have shaped modern commerce. Show Highlights: Salesforce's plans to enhance the B2C customer experience by integrating front-end engagements with back-end order management. Highlights from the Connections 2025 event in Chicago and its significance for the B2C commerce strategy. The importance of community events and partnerships. The role of order management systems in cross-channel orchestration. Redvan's Audubon platform's role in integrating B2C and order management systems with marketing clouds. The evolution of technology in commerce and the emphasis on operational empathy and trust within the ecosystem. Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review,” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Harvey Bierman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hlbierman/ | Red Van: https://www.redvanworkshop.com/  Learn more about Agentforce for Commerce: https://www.salesforce.com/commerce/ai/  Join the Commerce Cloud Community Unofficial Slack: https://sforce.co/commercecrew *** Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

    Live Greatly
    The Power of Storytelling for Personal and Professional Development with Priya Sam

    Live Greatly

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 23:54


    On this Live Greatly podcast episode, Kristel Bauer sits down with Priya Sam, former national morning show host and news anchor turned storytelling expert.  Kristel and Priya discuss how to fine tune your story to support career advancement, optimal relationships and success.  They discuss how to boost courage and confidence to tell your story, some tips and tricks to help you amplify your story and lots more!  Tune in now!  Key Takeaways From This Episode: How to use storytelling to support career advancement A look into Priya's journey from being a news anchor to becoming a storytelling expert How to boost confidence in telling your story How to overcome feeling boastful while telling your story Why details and preparation are important for optimal storytelling ABOUT PRIYA SAM Priya Sam is a Story Architect and the creator of the Power Story—a transformational approach to professional storytelling that helps high-achieving women unlock career-defining opportunities.  Her expertise is rooted in two high-performance arenas: national television and Big Tech. As a former national morning show host and news anchor, Priya didn't just read the news—she built instant trust and rapport with politicians, celebrities, and everyday people alike. Her ability to draw out compelling, memorable stories under pressure became her superpower when she pivoted to tech.  In just two years, Priya doubled her salary and became a go-to speaker at Salesforce, a global company of 70,000+ employees. She's received an offer for every job she's interviewed for—proof that her Power Story methodology works in high-stakes environments.  Today, through her signature frameworks and coaching, Priya helps women step into the spotlight with confidence, communicate their value with clarity, and become unforgettable in rooms where decisions are made. Her clients have landed Director-level roles, secured five-figure raises, and built personal brands that open doors to the next big opportunity. Connect with Priya Website: https://priyasam.com/#/  Instagram: @priyasam Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyasam/ The Power Story Playbook: https://priya-sam.mykajabi.com/the-power-story-playbook About the Host of the Live Greatly podcast, Kristel Bauer: Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness and performance expert, keynote speaker and TEDx speaker supporting organizations and individuals on their journeys for more happiness and success. She is the author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony, and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business November 19, 2024). With Kristel's healthcare background, she provides data driven actionable strategies to leverage happiness and high-power habits to drive growth mindsets, peak performance, profitability, well-being and a culture of excellence. Kristel's keynotes provide insights to “Live Greatly” while promoting leadership development and team building.   Kristel is the creator and host of her global top self-improvement podcast, Live Greatly. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, and she is an influencer in the business and wellness space having been recognized as a Top 10 Social Media Influencer of 2021 in Forbes. As an Integrative Medicine Fellow & Physician Assistant having practiced clinically in Integrative Psychiatry, Kristel has a unique perspective into attaining a mindset for more happiness and success. Kristel has presented to groups from the American Gas Association, Bank of America, bp, Commercial Metals Company, General Mills, Northwestern University, Santander Bank and many more. Kristel has been featured in Forbes, Forest & Bluff Magazine, Authority Magazine & Podcast Magazine and she has appeared on ABC 7 Chicago, WGN Daytime Chicago, Fox 4's WDAF-TV's Great Day KC, and Ticker News. Kristel lives in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area and she can be booked for speaking engagements worldwide. To Book Kristel as a speaker for your next event, click here. Website: www.livegreatly.co  Follow Kristel Bauer on: Instagram: @livegreatly_co  LinkedIn: Kristel Bauer Twitter: @livegreatly_co Facebook: @livegreatly.co Youtube: Live Greatly, Kristel Bauer To Watch Kristel Bauer's TEDx talk of Redefining Work/Life Balance in a COVID-19 World click here. Click HERE to check out Kristel's corporate wellness and leadership blog Click HERE to check out Kristel's Travel and Wellness Blog Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions.  Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations.  They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.  Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests.  Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content.  Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.

    Growth Now Movement with Justin Schenck
    What It Really Takes to Build a Startup with Michael Dodsworth of Fanfare

    Growth Now Movement with Justin Schenck

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 30:15


    In this episode of the Growth Now Movement, I sit down with Michael Dodsworth, the founder and CEO of Fanfare, to unpack his inspiring and deeply personal journey from the high-paced world of tech giants to the unpredictable, purpose-driven path of entrepreneurship. Before starting Fanfare, Michael worked as an engineer at some of the most recognizable companies on the planet—including Salesforce and Ticketmaster. But despite the corporate wins and impressive resume, something was missing. In our conversation, he opens up about the internal tension and the calling that pushed him to leave the comfort of big tech to chase a deeper mission. We talk about how his passion for live events and community inspired him to create Fanfare—an innovative platform that helps creators, artists, and brands manage high-demand product drops, from concert tickets to exclusive merch, without the chaos and disappointment we've come to expect in the current system. Michael gets real about: The emotional rollercoaster of launching a startup How he went from being a behind-the-scenes engineer to a front-facing founder The importance of clear communication, even when you're building in silence What it takes to go from corporate stability to entrepreneurial risk Why solving real problems for real people has been his North Star How Fanfare is empowering creators, entrepreneurs, and fans to connect more authentically Whether you're a tech lover, a startup dreamer, or a creator looking to scale—this episode delivers powerful insight into what it truly takes to build something meaningful, one step (and sometimes one mistake) at a time. What You'll Learn: How Michael transitioned from working at Salesforce to launching his own venture The difference between working in a corporation vs. building your own startup The story behind Fanfare and its mission to reinvent product drop culture How to communicate your vision clearly—even if you're not a natural storyteller Why community building is a secret weapon for modern entrepreneurs Lessons from managing high-stakes tech challenges and turning them into simple, scalable solutions Tips for founders, creators, and innovators looking to make a difference in noisy market

    Knowledgebase Ninjas
    Why Documentation Toolchains Should Match Contributor Needs — with Laura Novich, Salesforce

    Knowledgebase Ninjas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 17:28


    In this episode of the Knowledgebase Ninjas Podcast, Laura Novich, Lead Technical Writer at Salesforce, shares what truly makes a documentation toolchain effective. It's not just about the tools themselves, but how seamlessly they integrate into team workflows—and how confident contributors feel using them. Laura explains why features like content reuse, automation, and collaboration only add value when they align with the needs of different contributors—developers, product managers, support teams, and non-technical writers alike. She emphasizes the importance of training that meets non-technical users where they are, engaging with writing communities, and leveraging AI to bridge knowledge gaps. Through two real-world examples, Laura shows how honoring individual tool preferences can transform documentation into a strategic business asset. Catch the full conversation on the Knowledge Base Ninjas podcast for valuable takeaways and pro tips. Stay tuned for expert insights and actionable strategies you don't want to miss out on.

    Wizard of Ads
    Clarity and Brevity are It

    Wizard of Ads

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2025 5:01


    Clarity and Brevity are the highest creativity. But “clear and brief” does not mean simple and predictable.One the most talented writers of advertising in the world would be surprised to hear me call him that. Jonathan Edward Durham is a novelist. He recently posted this random thought.“‘Why am I so sad today?' I ask myself after staring at my little handheld sadness machine and clicking all the sad little things that will definitely make me sad.”You may not agree with Durham's statement, but you will agree it was artfully crafted.What Durham gave us was clarity and brevity without predictability. This is the mark of a great ad writer.“Why am I so sad today?” immediately gets our attention. We are compelled to keep reading.We are surprised that he owns “a little handheld sadness machine.” But our cleverness allows us to translate it as “iPhone” and we receive a tiny spasm of delight.You have never heard of “a little handheld sadness machine” but you knew exactly what it was.His 30-word sentence demonstrated clarity, brevity, and creativity, but none of what Jonathan Edward Durham wrote was simple or predictable.Durham's ability to bring us – his readers, his listeners, his customers – into active participation in a one-way conversation is pure genius.Jonathan Edward Durham causes us to become engaged with what he is saying.You can do it, too.“Time + Place + Character + Emotion.” That's it. That's how Stephen Semple turns a weak story into a powerful one in his famous TED-X talk.Here's how Jonathan Edward Durham uses Time + Place + Character + Emotion to tell us a story in less than 30 seconds.“About two years ago, we moved across the country. It was a big, stressful move, and anxieties were high all around, and it had only been about six months since we rescued Jack, so he was really just beginning to adjust to having a forever home. Needless to say, Jack didn't understand why a bunch of strangers were taking all of our things, and he was having a very, very ruff time with the whole process.”“We want Jack to live forever. That's why we feed him The Wizard's Magic dog food.”Jonathan Edward Durham's wonderful story became an excellent ad with my addition of just 16 words. “We want Jack to live forever. That's why we feed him The Wizard's Magic dog food.”You already know how to write the 16 words. Now you need to learn how to tell a wonderful story in 76 words like Durham did.Time + Place + Character + Emotion. Give it a try.Roy H. WilliamsPS – Most people use too many words to make too small a point. The average writer wraps lots of words around a small idea. Inflated sentences are fluffy and empty like a hot air balloon. Good writers deliver a big idea quickly. Tight sentences hit hard. – Indy Beagle“Facts tell. Stories sell.” – Tom SchreiterWho do you call when you need your people to cooperate, innovate, and create? Meta, Google, Salesforce, and other big companies call a woman who has a golden reputation for legendary results. Her methods are unorthodox, unconventional, and irresistible. And her credentials are unique: she is an improv entertainer who trained to be a dancer at Juilliard. Her name is Melissa Dinwiddie and she can play the ukulele. Roving reporter Rotbart...

    Belkins Growth Podcast
    From SEO to GEO: How G2 Is Redefining Their Growth Strategy | Belkins Podcast Episode #15

    Belkins Growth Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2025 83:29


    Building software today? Easy. But standing out in a saturated SaaS market—with 40,000+ new apps launching each year—is a whole different game.In this can't-miss episode, Godard Abel—Co-Founder and CEO of G2—breaks down exactly how G2 thrives amidst the AI explosion shaking up the B2B software industry. With 50 new AI software categories emerging in the past year alone, discover how the industry's top platform stays ahead.Tune in to uncover:How G2 navigates an app marketplace flooded by AI startups (and how you can, too).The surprising shifts in buyer behavior that are transforming B2B sales.G2's unique strategy for embedding their platform into leading AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot.Practical tactics for positioning your software as the go-to choice in an overcrowded market.Why brands leveraging authentic, human-driven content dominate AI-powered discovery platforms."AI won't replace humans, but humans with AI will replace humans without AI," Godard warns. If you're serious about staying ahead in sales, marketing, or RevOps, this conversation will equip you with actionable strategies you can use right now.About Godard Abel:Godard has built and sold three software companies. His first two exits—BigMachines and SteelBrick—went to Oracle and Salesforce for a combined $760 million. Now he's running G2, which became the world's largest software marketplace and trains the AI tools your prospects use to research vendors.About the Show:What does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it.The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights—CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators—who've navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and mastered the realities of revenue growth.You'll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable tactics directly from leaders who've actually done the work.Chapters:00:00 - Introducing Godard Abel02:30 - Why Building Software is Easy But B2B Marketing is 10x Harder in 202504:14- 40,000 New Apps Launched on G2 in One Year: Software Market Saturation05:42 - Should Your SaaS Company Pivot to AI or Add AI Features?09:01- Multi-Product Strategy: How to Compete in Multiple Software Categories16:13- HubSpot's API Integration Strategy: How to Build on Existing Platforms19:54- AI Categories See 100% Traffic Growth While Traditional SaaS Declines23:29- Personal Branding vs Corporate Marketing: Why CEO Posts Get 10x More Engagement39:16 - How to Rank in ChatGPT and Claude: Building Authority for AI Training Data (Tips for writers)48:13- How G2 Competes with ChatGPT: Partnership Strategy vs Fighting AI Search53:49 - AI Buying Agents: The Future of B2B Software Purchasing (G2AI Demo)01:15:01- From Single-Function BDRs to Full-Stack Revenue Professionals01:17:24 - From Hiring More to Revenue Per Employee: The New Growth Metric01:23:01 - Thanks for watching!

    Monday Morning Radio
    Using Lego Bricks and ‘Crappy Doodles,' Melissa Dinwiddie Unleashes Business Innovation Through Play

    Monday Morning Radio

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2025 49:43


    Melissa Dinwiddie doesn't have an MBA. She's never worked for a consulting giant, such as McKinsey, Boston Consulting, or Bain. She is a ukulele-playing, jazz-singing, Julliard-trained dancer and improv entertainer. Yet when companies, including Meta, Google, Uber, Intuit, and Salesforce, seek fresh thinking on innovation and team creativity, they turn to Melissa for results. Melissa draws parallels between performance troupes, such as her All That Jazz improv jazz group, and business teams. To be successful, she notes, all members must listen closely, support one another, adapt on the fly, and create something from nothing.   Melissa is the founder and CEO of Creative Sandbox Solutions, communication, connection, and creativity experts. Her firm's specialty is helping teams blast through creative roadblocks. She is the author of The Creative Sandbox Way: Your Path to a Full-Color Life, which she wrote to help readers be comfortable with and embrace their own, authentic creativity. As Melissa explains this week, her unconventional background and unorthodox methods —  including having six- and seven-figure salaried executives build with Lego bricks — consistently unlock breakthrough ideas and enhance team performance. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Melissa Dinwiddie, Creative Sandbox SolutionsPosted: July 21, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 49:42 Episode: 14.7

    CPQ Podcast
    Salesforce RCA & CPQ Trends with Spaulding Ridge

    CPQ Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2025 30:49


    In this episode, we sit down with Derik Quinn, Managing Director at Spaulding Ridge, to explore the fast-evolving landscape of CPQ, Revenue Management, and Salesforce Revenue Cloud Advanced (RCA). Derik shares insights from his two-decade journey across BigMachines, Apttus, Argano, and now Spaulding Ridge, where he leads large-scale quote-to-cash transformations in manufacturing, high-tech, and medtech. We discuss the shift toward constraint-based configuration, the excitement around Dynamic Revenue Orchestration (DRO), and why Salesforce RCA is gaining traction across industries. Derik highlights differences in adoption trends—new implementations in manufacturing versus migrations in high-tech—and the growing interest in AI for sales efficiency and revenue intelligence. With over 100 RCA consultants globally, Spaulding Ridge is driving momentum into Dreamforce and beyond. Plus, we hear about Derik's passion for endurance sports, parenting two active daughters, and how customer KPIs shape project success. If you're interested in quote-to-cash innovation, Salesforce RCA adoption, or industry-specific CPQ trends, this episode delivers expert perspectives you won't want to miss.

    The Media Leader Podcast
    The great AI work transformation — with RX Global's Robin Tapp and Salesforce's Felicity Starr

    The Media Leader Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2025 26:16


    This episode was produced in partnership with Salesforce.AI is changing the world of media and marketing at a rapid pace. But how are brands using the technology to drive better business outcomes and efficiencies?In part two of a series of special episodes, Robin Tapp, chief intelligence officer at events giant RX Global, and Felicity Starr, regional vice-president at Salesforce, join host Jack Benjamin to discuss how pragmatic approaches to AI can enhance business efforts.The trio also discuss how work will be augmented by AI transformation, challenges and risks faced by businesses scaling AI use cases and what it means for the future of work.Highlights:3:31: The importance of centralised data architecture8:00: Hurdles to AI transformation and concerns over governance12:04: The potential of agentic tools — and the continued importance of face-to-face interaction17:12: What is exciting and daunting about AI? Labour impact, data security and model biasRelated articles:How Tottenham Hotspur FC is integrating AI — with Rob Pickering and Salesforce's Felicity StarrBehave: Significant gaps exist between C-suite and employees over AI implementationCannes reflections: AI took centre stage, but didn't address our industry's profound questions---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

    Advisor Talk with Frank LaRosa
    Future-Proofing Your Tech Stack: What Advisors Need Now

    Advisor Talk with Frank LaRosa

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2025 22:59


    Key Highlights:-Signs your current tech stack might be holding you back.-Why decentralized, stagnant systems are a red flag.-The importance of automation, integration, and mobile access.-What top-performing firms are using today (hint: Salesforce, AI, and more).-How to evaluate new tools without getting overwhelmed by vendor hype.-The hidden risks of relying on key-person knowledge and disconnected data.-How small tech improvements can deliver massive results over time.Whether you're building your firm or planning for succession, this episode is packed with tactical insights to help you make smarter, more future-ready technology decisions.Ready to audit your tech stack or just want a second opinion? Contact Sue at SueCheema@eliteconsultingpartners.com or Stacey at Stacey@eliteconsultingpartners.com.

    Spark of Ages
    The Freemium Formula: Converting Fear Into 10X Growth/Bill Macaitis - Slack, PLG, Pivots ~ Spark of Ages Ep 42

    Spark of Ages

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2025 62:40 Transcription Available


    Subscribe now to get more insights delivered to your inbox from today's most innovative business leaders and marketing pioneers who are redefining how companies grow in the digital age.Bill Macaitis shares his expertise on Product-Led Growth (PLG), revealing insights from his time as CMO at Slack, Zendesk, and SVP of Marketing at Salesforce where he helped drive remarkable growth through customer-centric strategies.• PLG is about recognizing that people spend more time in products and infusing marketing, sales, and support directly into the product experience• Enterprise software often fails because it prioritizes features over usability, while successful PLG focuses on making products beautifully simple• Freemium models can transform free users into powerful marketing assets—at Slack, Bill saw 10 million free users as an extension of his marketing team• Teams need shared metrics beyond traditional funnel metrics to prevent "warfare" between sales and marketing departments• AI is transforming go-to-market strategies through personalization at scale, enabling outcome-based pricing, and lowering barriers for new businesses• Google faces a classic innovator's dilemma by clinging to search-based revenue while competitors deliver direct answers through AI• Successful PLG implementation requires company-wide commitment rather than just assigning a small "tiger team"Visit SaasCMOPro.com to access Bill's free educational content about product-led growth, freemium models, and modern B2B marketing strategies.When Bill Macaitis talks about product-led growth, he speaks from experience—not theory. As the marketing mastermind behind Slack's explosive expansion, Zendesk's IPO journey, and Salesforce's growth engine, Bill's insights cut through the noise of business buzzwords to reveal what actually works in today's tech ecosystem.Bill dismantles conventional wisdom about enterprise software sales, arguing that, "Most enterprise products suck. They're really hard to use."Bill makes a compelling case for freemium models, challenging the widespread fear of giving away products for free. At Slack, he viewed their 10 million free users not as lost revenue but as "a 10 million strong marketing team" who organically spread the word. The show also addresses the AI revolution reshaping marketing. From enabling personalized engagement at scale to facilitating outcome-based pricing models, AI is lowering barriers to entry for new businesses while forcing established companies to adapt. His assessment of Google's apparent reluctance to fully embrace AI answers ("a classic innovator's dilemma") serves as a powerful warning about the dangers of clinging to outdated business models.Whether you're a CMO wrestling with attribution models, a founder contemplating your first go-to-market strategy, or a business leader navigating technological disruption, Bill's insights will reshape how you think about growth in today's rapidly evolving landscape. Bill Macaitis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmacaitis/Bill's was the CMO and CRO at Slack Before that, he was the CMO at Zendesk, guiding them through the through their IPO, and Bill served as SVP of Marketing at Salesforce.Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: spark@position2.com

    The Salesforce Admins Podcast
    How Should I Clean Metadata for Salesforce AI Agents?

    The Salesforce Admins Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2025 29:16


    Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jonathan Fox, Head of Salesforce Architecture at IntellectAI. Join us as we chat about why we should rethink how we label, structure, and maintain Salesforce metadata. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Jonathan Fox. How […] The post How Should I Clean Metadata for Salesforce AI Agents? appeared first on Salesforce Admins.

    It's No Fluke
    E210 Lawrence Nwajei: Increasing The Surface Area of Your Luck

    It's No Fluke

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2025 31:34


    Lawrence Nwajei is an Enterprise Account Executive at Salesforce, a published author, life coach, and business consultant dedicated to living and helping others achieve a balanced, purposeful life. With deep expertise in enterprise sales and marketing technology, Lawrence brings a strategic mindset to driving business growth and digital transformation.Outside the corporate world, Lawrence is the author of One Step Into Spirituality, a guide designed to help readers begin their spiritual awakening and find balance in today's fast-paced world. Blending practical wisdom with personal insight, his work empowers others to align their inner growth with professional success.

    Sunny Side Up
    Ep. 550 | How Intercom fixed bad Salesforce data and revived outbound prospecting

    Sunny Side Up

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2025 35:02


    Episode SummaryAlexander DeMoulin joins the OnBase Podcast to share his candid and inspiring journey from a failed salesperson to a respected RevOps leader. In this episode, he offers a behind-the-scenes look at how trust is built between sales and marketing teams—and why “bad data” is often the first and biggest barrier to collaboration.From his apartment (formerly his basement), Alexander details how he used scrappy problem-solving and tools like Clay and Clearbit to rebuild trust with sales by cleaning up data, operationalizing lists, and turning feedback into action. His story is not just about tools and processes, but about earning buy-in and enabling cross-functional teams to take confident action.Key TakeawaysFailure Fuels ClarityAlexander's early struggles in sales revealed his strengths in operations, eventually guiding him into GTM Ops.Trust Is EverythingYears of failed outbound efforts eroded sales trust. Only deep collaboration and transparency could repair it."Bad Data" Isn't Just a Problem—It's the ProblemNo enrichment tool fixes poor internal hygiene. Alexander tackled duplicates, rogue opportunities, and data mismatches at scale.Operational Alignment Enables Strategic FeedbackOnce trust was restored, sales, marketing, and ops could collaboratively address messaging, strategy, and execution with accountability in all directions.Quotes“There's never perfect data in Salesforce. What matters is if your team can trust it enough to act.”Best Moments (01:11) From Fired Salesperson to Ops Leader Alexander recounts the painful but transformative early career journey that shaped his specialization in ops.(06:11) Where Outbound Lists Fail The unsexy truth behind bad data, duplicate accounts, and trust breakdowns between marketing and sales.(11:44) The Turning Point A Slack message on a weekend sparks a rethinking of the entire outbound engine—led by Alexander.(14:06) Peanut Butter and Clay How Alexander turned wild sales criteria (“they need peanut butter on their site”) into scalable enrichment using Clay.(21:03) The 6-Column Salesforce Truth Test His most impactful solution: a system that ensured every account passed a rigorous check before reaching sales.(26:19) From Bad Data to Collaborative Gold With trust rebuilt, feedback loops expanded across ops, sales, and marketing, unlocking real collaboration.Tech RecommendationsClay – A web scraping and enrichment platform that empowered solo operators to iterate quickly, prototype creatively, and scale list building.Clearbit – The foundational enrichment layer that Alexander used for domain normalization and duplicate detection in Salesforce.Resource RecommendationsNewsletter:Growth Unhinged by Kyle Poyar – Offers practical go-to-market and pricing insights, especially relevant in the AI era.About the GuestAlexander DeMoulin is the Director of Go-To-Market Operations at Intercom. With a career that started in university fundraising and took a winding journey through failed sales roles and marketing operations, Alexander brings a grounded, hands-on perspective to operational strategy. He's led transformative work in sales and marketing alignment and is especially known for operationalizing outbound programs through innovative use of enrichment tools like Clay and Clearbit.Connect with Alexander.

    The Tony Robbins Podcast
    Shocking Near Death Experience Reveals Deep Life Lessons

    The Tony Robbins Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 58:44


    Content Warning: This video contains discussions of loss, trauma, and near-death experiences. While it touches on heartbreaking events, it ultimately offers a powerful message of healing, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit. Recorded live at Tony and Sage Robbins' 2024 Platinum Partners Happiness event, this raw and deeply emotional conversation features best-selling author Jeffrey Olsen (Knowing, Where Are You?). Jeff shares a journey few could imagine — after a devastating car crash that claimed the lives of his wife and youngest son and left him critically injured, he was plunged into unimaginable grief. But through 18 surgeries, profound out-of-body experiences, and a powerful spiritual awakening, Jeff discovered what it truly means to live again. In this intimate interview, Jeff opens-up about his near-death experience and the clarity it revealed—offering profound insights into who we are, why we're here, and what truly matters. His story is a testament to the fact that even in our darkest moments, light, love, and purpose are still possible. In the second half of this episode, Jeff is joined by fellow NDE survivor, author, and artist Nancy Rynes for a heartfelt audience Q&A. Their conversation offers comfort and connection to anyone navigating grief, trauma, or a deeper spiritual search. Whether you're healing from loss, curious about life after death, or simply seeking hope—this conversation will stay with you. Prepare to be moved, inspired, and reminded: even in the darkness, there is light. Please enjoy.   *Want to watch the recorded video version?  Please go to: https://www.youtube.com/@TonyRobbinsLive   Tony Robbins is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the nation's #1 Life and Business Strategist. For more than four and a half decades, more than 100 million people from 195 countries have enjoyed the warmth, humor, and transformational power of his business and personal development events.   Mr. Robbins is the author of seven internationally bestselling books, including three #1 New York Times bestsellers: Money: Master the Game, Unshakeable, and Life Force. He created the #1 personal and professional development program of all time, and more than 10 million people have attended his live seminars.    Anthony Robbins is the chairman of a holding company comprising more than 110 privately held businesses with combined sales exceeding $7 billion a year. He has been named in the top 50 of Worth Magazine's 100 most powerful people in global finance for three consecutive years, honored by Accenture as one of the "Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World''; by Harvard Business Press as one of the "Top 200 Business Gurus"; and by American Express as one of the "Top Six Business Leaders in the World" to coach its entrepreneurial clients.   He is a leader called upon by leaders, and has worked with four US presidents, top entertainers -- from Aerosmith to Green Day, to Usher and Pitbull, as well as athletes like Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and the 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Billionaire business leaders seek his advice as well; casino magnate Steve Wynn, and Salesforce.com founder Marc Benioff are among those grateful for his coaching.

    The Agile World with Greg Kihlstrom
    #705: What happens to your KPIs when both CLV and Customer Acquisition Costs rise? With Jamie Domenici, Klaviyo

    The Agile World with Greg Kihlstrom

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 25:43


    Customer lifetime value is a critical KPI, but with customer acquisition costs rapidly rising, what can brands do to successfully build long-term value for the business? Agility requires seeing past vanity metrics to the durable value hidden in customer relationships. When customer acquisition costs climb and privacy affects easy targeting, only nimble brands—those that align teams, data, and KPIs around lifetime value—stay ahead. All of this (and a few more things) are discussed in the recently-released Klaviyo B2C Report. To discuss it, I'd like to welcome Jamie Domenici, CMO at Klaviyo. About Jamie Domenici Jamie is Chief Marketing Officer at Klaviyo, the only CRM built for consumer brands. She has served as the Chief Marketing Officer since August 2023. With more than 20 years of experience in SaaS Marketing, Jamie has become a pioneer in SMB Marketing and a champion for small businesses. Prior to Klaviyo, Jamie served as the CMO of GoTo, a provider of SaaS and cloud- based remote work tools for collaboration and IT management, and before that, she held various marketing leadership positions at Salesforce for over ten years. Jamie holds a B.A. in International Relations from California State University, Chico. Jamie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters. Jamie Domenici on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdomenici/ Resources Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com https://www.klaviyo.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150" Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

    The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
    Episode #288: A CIO's Guide to Surviving (and Thriving) in EdTech

    The Higher Ed Geek Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 17:50


    In this final episode recorded live from Transact 360, Dustin chats with Derek Bierman, CIO at Doane University, for a candid, future-focused, and wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to lead digital transformation on campus. From AI overload to cloud sticker shock to the very real challenge of prioritizing hundreds of tech contracts, Derek offers a rare look behind the scenes of modern campus IT leadership.This is the episode for anyone who's ever tried to balance innovation with budget constraints—or wondered how CIOs are juggling AI, cybersecurity, and the relentless pressure to do more with less.Guest Name: Derek Bierman, Chief Information Officer at Doane UniversityGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: Derek Bierman is a strategic technology leader and Chief Information Officer at Doane University, where he drives digital transformation to enhance student success, service excellence, and institutional efficiency. With a passion for innovation in higher education, he has led key initiatives, including an award-winning service center, a multi-institutional shared services consortium, and a Salesforce-powered student success platform recognized as a model for higher education. Under his leadership, Doane has modernized operations through enterprise service management, cloud transformation, and cybersecurity advancements, ensuring a future-ready institution. A frequent speaker on innovation, analytics, and digital transformation, Derek is particularly curious about the evolving role of AI in higher education and its potential to revolutionize learning, operations, and student success. He remains dedicated to bridging technology and strategy to create lasting impact in the field. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

    The Data Stack Show
    253: Why Traditional Data Pipelines Are Broken (And How to Fix Them) with Ruben Burdin of Stacksync

    The Data Stack Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 58:37


    This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and welcomes back Ruben Burdin, Founder and CEO of Stacksync as they together dismantle the myths surrounding zero-copy ETL and traditional data integration methods. Ruben reveals the complex challenges of two-way syncing between enterprise systems like Salesforce, HubSpot, and NetSuite, highlighting how existing tools often create more problems than solutions. He also introduces Stacksync's innovative approach, which uses real-time SQL-based synchronization to simplify data integration, reduce maintenance overhead, and enable more efficient operational workflows. The conversation exposes the limitations of current data transfer techniques and offers a glimpse into a more declarative, flexible approach to managing enterprise data across multiple systems. You won't want to miss it.Highlights from this week's conversation include:The Pain of Two-Way Sync and Early Integration Challenges (2:01)Zero Copy ETL: Hype vs. Reality (3:50)Data Definitions and System Complexity (7:39)Limitations of Out-of-the-Box Integrations (9:35)The CSV File: The Original Two-Way Sync (11:18)Stacksync's Approach and Capabilities (12:21)Zero Copy ETL: Technical and Business Barriers (14:22)Data Sharing, Clean Rooms, and Marketing Myths (18:40)The Reliable Loop: ETL, Transform, Reverse ETL (27:08)Business Logic Fragmentation and Maintenance (33:43)Simplifying Architecture with Real-Time Two-Way Sync (35:14)Operational Use Case: HubSpot, Salesforce, and Snowflake (39:10)Filtering, Triggers, and Real-Time Workflows (45:38)Complex Use Case: Salesforce to NetSuite with Data Discrepancies (48:56)Declarative Logic and Debugging with SQL (54:54)Connecting with Ruben and Parting Thoughts (57:58)The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it's needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we'll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.

    Les Cast Codeurs Podcast
    LCC 328 - Expert généraliste cherche Virtual Thread

    Les Cast Codeurs Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 90:13


    Dans cet épisode, Emmanuel et Antonio discutent de divers sujets liés au développement: Applets (et oui), app iOS développées sous Linux, le protocole A2A, l'accessibilité, les assistants de code AI en ligne de commande (vous n'y échapperez pas)… Mais aussi des approches méthodologiques et architecturales comme l'architecture hexagonale, les tech radars, l'expert généraliste et bien d'autres choses encore. Enregistré le 11 juillet 2025 Téléchargement de l'épisode LesCastCodeurs-Episode-328.mp3 ou en vidéo sur YouTube. News Langages Les Applets Java c'est terminé pour de bon… enfin, bientot: https://openjdk.org/jeps/504 Les navigateurs web ne supportent plus les applets. L'API Applet et l'outil appletviewer ont été dépréciés dans JDK 9 (2017). L'outil appletviewer a été supprimé dans JDK 11 (2018). Depuis, impossible d'exécuter des applets avec le JDK. L'API Applet a été marquée pour suppression dans JDK 17 (2021). Le Security Manager, essentiel pour exécuter des applets de façon sécurisée, a été désactivé définitivement dans JDK 24 (2025). Librairies Quarkus 3.24 avec la notion d'extensions qui peuvent fournir des capacités à des assistants https://quarkus.io/blog/quarkus-3-24-released/ les assistants typiquement IA, ont accès a des capacités des extensions Par exemple générer un client à partir d'openAPI Offrir un accès à la,base de données en dev via le schéma. L'intégration d'Hibernate 7 dans Quarkus https://quarkus.io/blog/hibernate7-on-quarkus/ Jakarta data api restriction nouvelle Injection du SchemaManager Sortie de Micronaut 4.9 https://micronaut.io/2025/06/30/micronaut-framework-4-9-0-released/ Core : Mise à jour vers Netty 4.2.2 (attention, peut affecter les perfs). Nouveau mode expérimental “Event loop Carrier” pour exécuter des virtual threads sur l'event loop Netty. Nouvelle annotation @ClassImport pour traiter des classes déjà compilées. Arrivée des @Mixin (Java uniquement) pour modifier les métadonnées d'annotations Micronaut sans altérer les classes originales. HTTP/3 : Changement de dépendance pour le support expérimental. Graceful Shutdown : Nouvelle API pour un arrêt en douceur des applications. Cache Control : API fluente pour construire facilement l'en-tête HTTP Cache-Control. KSP 2 : Support de KSP 2 (à partir de 2.0.2) et testé avec Kotlin 2. Jakarta Data : Implémentation de la spécification Jakarta Data 1.0. gRPC : Support du JSON pour envoyer des messages sérialisés via un POST HTTP. ProjectGen : Nouveau module expérimental pour générer des projets JVM (Gradle ou Maven) via une API. Un super article sur experimenter avec les event loops reactives dans les virtualthreads https://micronaut.io/2025/06/30/transitioning-to-virtual-threads-using-the-micronaut-loom-carrier/ Malheureusement cela demander le hacker le JDK C'est un article de micronaut mais le travail a ete collaboratif avec les equipes de Red Hat OpenJDK, Red Hat perf et de Quarkus et Vert.x Pour les curieux c'est un bon article Ubuntu offre un outil de creation de container pour Spring notamment https://canonical.com/blog/spring-boot-containers-made-easy creer des images OCI pour les applications Spring Boot basées sur Ubuntu base images bien sur utilise jlink pour reduire la taille pas sur de voir le gros avantage vs d'autres solutions plus portables d'ailleurs Canonical entre dans la danse des builds d'openjdk Le SDK Java de A2A contribué par Red Hat est sorti https://quarkus.io/blog/a2a-project-launches-java-sdk/ A2A est un protocole initié par Google et donne à la fondation Linux Il permet à des agents de se décrire et d'interagir entre eux Agent cards, skills, tâche, contexte A2A complémente MCP Red hat a implémenté le SDK Java avec le conseil des équipes Google En quelques annotations et classes on a un agent card, un client A2A et un serveur avec l'échange de messages via le protocole A2A Comment configurer mockito sans warning après java 21 https://rieckpil.de/how-to-configure-mockito-agent-for-java-21-without-warning/ les agents chargés dynamiquement sont déconseillés et seront interdis bientôt Un des usages est mockito via bytebuddy L'avantage est que la,configuration était transparente Mais bon sécurité oblige c'est fini. Donc l'article décrit comment configurer maven gradle pour mettre l'agent au démarrage des tests Et aussi comment configurer cela dans IntelliJ idea. Moins simple malheureusement Web Des raisons “égoïstes” de rendre les UIs plus accessibles https://nolanlawson.com/2025/06/16/selfish-reasons-for-building-accessible-uis/ Raisons égoïstes : Des avantages personnels pour les développeurs de créer des interfaces utilisateurs (UI) accessibles, au-delà des arguments moraux. Débogage facilité : Une interface accessible, avec une structure sémantique claire, est plus facile à déboguer qu'un code désordonné (la « soupe de div »). Noms standardisés : L'accessibilité fournit un vocabulaire standard (par exemple, les directives WAI-ARIA) pour nommer les composants d'interface, ce qui aide à la clarté et à la structuration du code. Tests simplifiés : Il est plus simple d'écrire des tests automatisés pour des éléments d'interface accessibles, car ils peuvent être ciblés de manière plus fiable et sémantique. Après 20 ans de stagnation, la spécification du format d'image PNG évolue enfin ! https://www.programmax.net/articles/png-is-back/ Objectif : Maintenir la pertinence et la compétitivité du format. Recommandation : Soutenu par des institutions comme la Bibliothèque du Congrès américain. Nouveautés Clés :Prise en charge du HDR (High Dynamic Range) pour une plus grande gamme de couleurs. Reconnaissance officielle des PNG animés (APNG). Support des métadonnées Exif (copyright, géolocalisation, etc.). Support Actuel : Déjà intégré dans Chrome, Safari, Firefox, iOS, macOS et Photoshop. Futur :Prochaine édition : focus sur l'interopérabilité entre HDR et SDR. Édition suivante : améliorations de la compression. Avec le projet open source Xtool, on peut maintenant construire des applications iOS sur Linux ou Windows, sans avoir besoin d'avoir obligatoirement un Mac https://xtool.sh/tutorials/xtool/ Un tutoriel très bien fait explique comment faire : Création d'un nouveau projet via la commande xtool new. Génération d'un package Swift avec des fichiers clés comme Package.swift et xtool.yml. Build et exécution de l'app sur un appareil iOS avec xtool dev. Connexion de l'appareil en USB, gestion du jumelage et du Mode Développeur. xtool gère automatiquement les certificats, profils de provisionnement et la signature de l'app. Modification du code de l'interface utilisateur (ex: ContentView.swift). Reconstruction et réinstallation rapide de l'app mise à jour avec xtool dev. xtool est basé sur VSCode sur la partie IDE Data et Intelligence Artificielle Nouvelle edition du best seller mondial “Understanding LangChain4j” : https://www.linkedin.com/posts/agoncal_langchain4j-java-ai-activity-7342825482830200833-rtw8/ Mise a jour des APIs (de LC4j 0.35 a 1.1.0) Nouveaux Chapitres sur MCP / Easy RAG / JSon Response Nouveaux modeles (GitHub Model, DeepSeek, Foundry Local) Mise a jour des modeles existants (GPT-4.1, Claude 3.7…) Google donne A2A a la Foundation Linux https://developers.googleblog.com/en/google-cloud-donates-a2a-to-linux-foundation/ Annonce du projet Agent2Agent (A2A) : Lors du sommet Open Source Summit North America, la Linux Foundation a annoncé la création du projet Agent2Agent, en partenariat avec Google, AWS, Microsoft, Cisco, Salesforce, SAP et ServiceNow. Objectif du protocole A2A : Ce protocole vise à établir une norme ouverte pour permettre aux agents d'intelligence artificielle (IA) de communiquer, collaborer et coordonner des tâches complexes entre eux, indépendamment de leur fournisseur. Transfert de Google à la communauté open source : Google a transféré la spécification du protocole A2A, les SDK associés et les outils de développement à la Linux Foundation pour garantir une gouvernance neutre et communautaire. Soutien de l'industrie : Plus de 100 entreprises soutiennent déjà le protocole. AWS et Cisco sont les derniers à l'avoir validé. Chaque entreprise partenaire a souligné l'importance de l'interopérabilité et de la collaboration ouverte pour l'avenir de l'IA. Objectifs de la fondation A2A : Établir une norme universelle pour l'interopérabilité des agents IA. Favoriser un écosystème mondial de développeurs et d'innovateurs. Garantir une gouvernance neutre et ouverte. Accélérer l'innovation sécurisée et collaborative. parler de la spec et surement dire qu'on aura l'occasion d'y revenir Gemini CLI :https://blog.google/technology/developers/introducing-gemini-cli-open-source-ai-agent/ Agent IA dans le terminal : Gemini CLI permet d'utiliser l'IA Gemini directement depuis le terminal. Gratuit avec compte Google : Accès à Gemini 2.5 Pro avec des limites généreuses. Fonctionnalités puissantes : Génère du code, exécute des commandes, automatise des tâches. Open source : Personnalisable et extensible par la communauté. Complément de Code Assist : Fonctionne aussi avec les IDE comme VS Code. Au lieu de blocker les IAs sur vos sites vous pouvez peut-être les guider avec les fichiers LLMs.txt https://llmstxt.org/ Exemples du projet angular: llms.txt un simple index avec des liens : https://angular.dev/llms.txt lllms-full.txt une version bien plus détaillée : https://angular.dev/llms-full.txt Outillage Les commits dans Git sont immuables, mais saviez vous que vous pouviez rajouter / mettre à jour des “notes” sur les commits ? https://tylercipriani.com/blog/2022/11/19/git-notes-gits-coolest-most-unloved-feature/ Fonctionnalité méconnue : git notes est une fonctionnalité puissante mais peu utilisée de Git. Ajout de métadonnées : Permet d'attacher des informations à des commits existants sans en modifier le hash. Cas d'usage : Idéal pour ajouter des données issues de systèmes automatisés (builds, tickets, etc.). Revue de code distribuée : Des outils comme git-appraise ont été construits sur git notes pour permettre une revue de code entièrement distribuée, indépendante des forges (GitHub, GitLab). Peu populaire : Son interface complexe et le manque de support des plateformes de forge ont limité son adoption (GitHub n'affiche même pas/plus les notes). Indépendance des forges : git notes offre une voie vers une plus grande indépendance vis-à-vis des plateformes centralisées, en distribuant l'historique du projet avec le code lui-même. Un aperçu dur Spring Boot debugger dans IntelliJ idea ultimate https://blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2025/06/demystifying-spring-boot-with-spring-debugger/ montre cet outil qui donne du contexte spécifique à Spring comme les beans non activés, ceux mockés, la valeur des configs, l'état des transactions Il permet de visualiser tous les beans Spring directement dans la vue projet, avec les beans non instanciés grisés et les beans mockés marqués en orange pour les tests Il résout le problème de résolution des propriétés en affichant la valeur effective en temps réel dans les fichiers properties et yaml, avec la source exacte des valeurs surchargées Il affiche des indicateurs visuels pour les méthodes exécutées dans des transactions actives, avec les détails complets de la transaction et une hiérarchie visuelle pour les transactions imbriquées Il détecte automatiquement toutes les connexions DataSource actives et les intègre avec la fenêtre d'outils Database d'IntelliJ IDEA pour l'inspection Il permet l'auto-complétion et l'invocation de tous les beans chargés dans l'évaluateur d'expression, fonctionnant comme un REPL pour le contexte Spring Il fonctionne sans agent runtime supplémentaire en utilisant des breakpoints non-suspendus dans les bibliothèques Spring Boot pour analyser les données localement Une liste communautaire sur les assistants IA pour le code, lancée par Lize Raes https://aitoolcomparator.com/ tableau comparatif qui permet de voir les différentes fonctionnalités supportées par ces outils Architecture Un article sur l'architecture hexagonale en Java https://foojay.io/today/clean-and-modular-java-a-hexagonal-architecture-approach/ article introductif mais avec exemple sur l'architecture hexagonale entre le domaine, l'application et l‘infrastructure Le domain est sans dépendance L‘appli spécifique à l'application mais sans dépendance technique explique le flow L'infrastructure aura les dépendances à vos frameworks spring, Quarkus Micronaut, Kafka etc Je suis naturellement pas fan de l'architecture hexagonale en terme de volume de code vs le gain surtout en microservices mais c'est toujours intéressant de se challenger et de regarder le bénéfice coût. Gardez un œil sur les technologies avec les tech radar https://www.sfeir.dev/cloud/tech-radar-gardez-un-oeil-sur-le-paysage-technologique/ Le Tech Radar est crucial pour la veille technologique continue et la prise de décision éclairée. Il catégorise les technologies en Adopt, Trial, Assess, Hold, selon leur maturité et pertinence. Il est recommandé de créer son propre Tech Radar pour l'adapter aux besoins spécifiques, en s'inspirant des Radars publics. Utilisez des outils de découverte (Alternativeto), de tendance (Google Trends), de gestion d'obsolescence (End-of-life.date) et d'apprentissage (roadmap.sh). Restez informé via les blogs, podcasts, newsletters (TLDR), et les réseaux sociaux/communautés (X, Slack). L'objectif est de rester compétitif et de faire des choix technologiques stratégiques. Attention à ne pas sous-estimer son coût de maintenance Méthodologies Le concept d'expert generaliste https://martinfowler.com/articles/expert-generalist.html L'industrie pousse vers une spécialisation étroite, mais les collègues les plus efficaces excellent dans plusieurs domaines à la fois Un développeur Python expérimenté peut rapidement devenir productif dans une équipe Java grâce aux concepts fondamentaux partagés L'expertise réelle comporte deux aspects : la profondeur dans un domaine et la capacité d'apprendre rapidement Les Expert Generalists développent une maîtrise durable au niveau des principes fondamentaux plutôt que des outils spécifiques La curiosité est essentielle : ils explorent les nouvelles technologies et s'assurent de comprendre les réponses au lieu de copier-coller du code La collaboration est vitale car ils savent qu'ils ne peuvent pas tout maîtriser et travaillent efficacement avec des spécialistes L'humilité les pousse à d'abord comprendre pourquoi les choses fonctionnent d'une certaine manière avant de les remettre en question Le focus client canalise leur curiosité vers ce qui aide réellement les utilisateurs à exceller dans leur travail L'industrie doit traiter “Expert Generalist” comme une compétence de première classe à nommer, évaluer et former ca me rappelle le technical staff Un article sur les métriques métier et leurs valeurs https://blog.ippon.fr/2025/07/02/monitoring-metier-comment-va-vraiment-ton-service-2/ un article de rappel sur la valeur du monitoring métier et ses valeurs Le monitoring technique traditionnel (CPU, serveurs, API) ne garantit pas que le service fonctionne correctement pour l'utilisateur final. Le monitoring métier complète le monitoring technique en se concentrant sur l'expérience réelle des utilisateurs plutôt que sur les composants isolés. Il surveille des parcours critiques concrets comme “un client peut-il finaliser sa commande ?” au lieu d'indicateurs abstraits. Les métriques métier sont directement actionnables : taux de succès, délais moyens et volumes d'erreurs permettent de prioriser les actions. C'est un outil de pilotage stratégique qui améliore la réactivité, la priorisation et le dialogue entre équipes techniques et métier. La mise en place suit 5 étapes : dashboard technique fiable, identification des parcours critiques, traduction en indicateurs, centralisation et suivi dans la durée. Une Definition of Done doit formaliser des critères objectifs avant d'instrumenter tout parcours métier. Les indicateurs mesurables incluent les points de passage réussis/échoués, les temps entre actions et le respect des règles métier. Les dashboards doivent être intégrés dans les rituels quotidiens avec un système d'alertes temps réel compréhensibles. Le dispositif doit évoluer continuellement avec les transformations produit en questionnant chaque incident pour améliorer la détection. La difficulté c'est effectivement l'évolution métier par exemple peu de commandes la nuit etc ça fait partie de la boîte à outils SRE Sécurité Toujours à la recherche du S de Sécurité dans les MCP https://www.darkreading.com/cloud-security/hundreds-mcp-servers-ai-models-abuse-rce analyse des serveurs mcp ouverts et accessibles beaucoup ne font pas de sanity check des parametres si vous les utilisez dans votre appel genAI vous vous exposer ils ne sont pas mauvais fondamentalement mais n'ont pas encore de standardisation de securite si usage local prefferer stdio ou restreindre SSE à 127.0.0.1 Loi, société et organisation Nicolas Martignole, le même qui a créé le logo des Cast Codeurs, s'interroge sur les voies possibles des développeurs face à l'impact de l'IA sur notre métier https://touilleur-express.fr/2025/06/23/ni-manager-ni-contributeur-individuel/ Évolution des carrières de développeur : L'IA transforme les parcours traditionnels (manager ou expert technique). Chef d'Orchestre d'IA : Ancien manager qui pilote des IA, définit les architectures et valide le code généré. Artisan Augmenté : Développeur utilisant l'IA comme un outil pour coder plus vite et résoudre des problèmes complexes. Philosophe du Code : Un nouveau rôle centré sur le “pourquoi” du code, la conceptualisation de systèmes et l'éthique de l'IA. Charge cognitive de validation : Nouvelle charge mentale créée par la nécessité de vérifier le travail des IA. Réflexion sur l'impact : L'article invite à choisir son impact : orchestrer, créer ou guider. Entraîner les IAs sur des livres protégés (copyright) est acceptable (fair use) mais les stocker ne l'est pas https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/anthropic-wins-key-ruling-ai-authors-copyright-lawsuit-2025-06-24/ Victoire pour Anthropic (jusqu'au prochain procès): L'entreprise a obtenu gain de cause dans un procès très suivi concernant l'entraînement de son IA, Claude, avec des œuvres protégées par le droit d'auteur. “Fair Use” en force : Le juge a estimé que l'utilisation des livres pour entraîner l'IA relevait du “fair use” (usage équitable) car il s'agit d'une transformation du contenu, pas d'une simple reproduction. Nuance importante : Cependant, le stockage de ces œuvres dans une “bibliothèque centrale” sans autorisation a été jugé illégal, ce qui souligne la complexité de la gestion des données pour les modèles d'IA. Luc Julia, son audition au sénat https://videos.senat.fr/video.5486945_685259f55eac4.ia–audition-de-luc-julia-concepteur-de-siri On aime ou pas on aide pas Luc Julia et sa vision de l'IA . C'est un eversion encore plus longue mais dans le même thème que sa keynote à Devoxx France 2025 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxjGZBtp_k ) Nature et limites de l'IA : Luc Julia a insisté sur le fait que l'intelligence artificielle est une “évolution” plutôt qu'une “révolution”. Il a rappelé qu'elle repose sur des mathématiques et n'est pas “magique”. Il a également alerté sur le manque de fiabilité des informations fournies par les IA génératives comme ChatGPT, soulignant qu'« on ne peut pas leur faire confiance » car elles peuvent se tromper et que leur pertinence diminue avec le temps. Régulation de l'IA : Il a plaidé pour une régulation “intelligente et éclairée”, qui devrait se faire a posteriori afin de ne pas freiner l'innovation. Selon lui, cette régulation doit être basée sur les faits et non sur une analyse des risques a priori. Place de la France : Luc Julia a affirmé que la France possédait des chercheurs de très haut niveau et faisait partie des meilleurs mondiaux dans le domaine de l'IA. Il a cependant soulevé le problème du financement de la recherche et de l'innovation en France. IA et Société : L'audition a traité des impacts de l'IA sur la vie privée, le monde du travail et l'éducation. Luc Julia a souligné l'importance de développer l'esprit critique, notamment chez les jeunes, pour apprendre à vérifier les informations générées par les IA. Applications concrètes et futures : Le cas de la voiture autonome a été discuté, Luc Julia expliquant les différents niveaux d'autonomie et les défis restants. Il a également affirmé que l'intelligence artificielle générale (AGI), une IA qui dépasserait l'homme dans tous les domaines, est “impossible” avec les technologies actuelles. Rubrique débutant Les weakreferences et le finalize https://dzone.com/articles/advanced-java-garbage-collection-concepts un petit rappel utile sur les pièges de la méthode finalize qui peut ne jamais être invoquée Les risques de bug si finalize ne fini jamais Finalize rend le travail du garbage collector beaucoup plus complexe et inefficace Weak references sont utiles mais leur libération n'est pas contrôlable. Donc à ne pas abuser. Il y a aussi les soft et phantom references mais les usages ne sont assez subtils et complexe en fonction du GC. Le sériel va traiter les weak avant les soft, parallel non Le g1 ça dépend de la région Z1 ça dépend car le traitement est asynchrone Conférences La liste des conférences provenant de Developers Conferences Agenda/List par Aurélie Vache et contributeurs : 14-19 juillet 2025 : DebConf25 - Brest (France) 5 septembre 2025 : JUG Summer Camp 2025 - La Rochelle (France) 12 septembre 2025 : Agile Pays Basque 2025 - Bidart (France) 18-19 septembre 2025 : API Platform Conference - Lille (France) & Online 22-24 septembre 2025 : Kernel Recipes - Paris (France) 23 septembre 2025 : OWASP AppSec France 2025 - Paris (France) 25-26 septembre 2025 : Paris Web 2025 - Paris (France) 2 octobre 2025 : Nantes Craft - Nantes (France) 2-3 octobre 2025 : Volcamp - Clermont-Ferrand (France) 3 octobre 2025 : DevFest Perros-Guirec 2025 - Perros-Guirec (France) 6-7 octobre 2025 : Swift Connection 2025 - Paris (France) 6-10 octobre 2025 : Devoxx Belgium - Antwerp (Belgium) 7 octobre 2025 : BSides Mulhouse - Mulhouse (France) 9 octobre 2025 : DevCon #25 : informatique quantique - Paris (France) 9-10 octobre 2025 : Forum PHP 2025 - Marne-la-Vallée (France) 9-10 octobre 2025 : EuroRust 2025 - Paris (France) 16 octobre 2025 : PlatformCon25 Live Day Paris - Paris (France) 16 octobre 2025 : Power 365 - 2025 - Lille (France) 16-17 octobre 2025 : DevFest Nantes - Nantes (France) 17 octobre 2025 : Sylius Con 2025 - Lyon (France) 17 octobre 2025 : ScalaIO 2025 - Paris (France) 20 octobre 2025 : Codeurs en Seine - Rouen (France) 23 octobre 2025 : Cloud Nord - Lille (France) 30-31 octobre 2025 : Agile Tour Bordeaux 2025 - Bordeaux (France) 30-31 octobre 2025 : Agile Tour Nantais 2025 - Nantes (France) 30 octobre 2025-2 novembre 2025 : PyConFR 2025 - Lyon (France) 4-7 novembre 2025 : NewCrafts 2025 - Paris (France) 5-6 novembre 2025 : Tech Show Paris - Paris (France) 6 novembre 2025 : dotAI 2025 - Paris (France) 6 novembre 2025 : Agile Tour Aix-Marseille 2025 - Gardanne (France) 7 novembre 2025 : BDX I/O - Bordeaux (France) 12-14 novembre 2025 : Devoxx Morocco - Marrakech (Morocco) 13 novembre 2025 : DevFest Toulouse - Toulouse (France) 15-16 novembre 2025 : Capitole du Libre - Toulouse (France) 19 novembre 2025 : SREday Paris 2025 Q4 - Paris (France) 20 novembre 2025 : OVHcloud Summit - Paris (France) 21 novembre 2025 : DevFest Paris 2025 - Paris (France) 27 novembre 2025 : DevFest Strasbourg 2025 - Strasbourg (France) 28 novembre 2025 : DevFest Lyon - Lyon (France) 1-2 décembre 2025 : Tech Rocks Summit 2025 - Paris (France) 5 décembre 2025 : DevFest Dijon 2025 - Dijon (France) 9-11 décembre 2025 : APIdays Paris - Paris (France) 9-11 décembre 2025 : Green IO Paris - Paris (France) 10-11 décembre 2025 : Devops REX - Paris (France) 10-11 décembre 2025 : Open Source Experience - Paris (France) 28-31 janvier 2026 : SnowCamp 2026 - Grenoble (France) 2-6 février 2026 : Web Days Convention - Aix-en-Provence (France) 3 février 2026 : Cloud Native Days France 2026 - Paris (France) 12-13 février 2026 : Touraine Tech #26 - Tours (France) 22-24 avril 2026 : Devoxx France 2026 - Paris (France) 23-25 avril 2026 : Devoxx Greece - Athens (Greece) 17 juin 2026 : Devoxx Poland - Krakow (Poland) Nous contacter Pour réagir à cet épisode, venez discuter sur le groupe Google https://groups.google.com/group/lescastcodeurs Contactez-nous via X/twitter https://twitter.com/lescastcodeurs ou Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/lescastcodeurs.com Faire un crowdcast ou une crowdquestion Soutenez Les Cast Codeurs sur Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LesCastCodeurs Tous les épisodes et toutes les infos sur https://lescastcodeurs.com/

    The Rebooting Show
    The return of brand marketing

    The Rebooting Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 47:33 Transcription Available


    Of all the areas AI is poised to overturn, marketing is at the top of the list. In truth, Silicon Valley has long held marketing is low esteem. Google CEO Eric Schmidt once sniffed that brand marketing is "the last bastion of unaccountable corporate spending." The mathification of marketing will go into hyperdrive, as AI is used to create some kind of agentic ecosystem of bots persuading bots. All of this is great scifi to Anonymous Brand Marketer, a Fortune 500 marketer who sees as much BS as promise in AI's application to marketing. ABM sees it both rationalizing and driving efficiencies in performance marketing while leading to a mini-resurgence in the kinds of brand marketing that connects to humans in ways that a Salesforce agent cannot.

    Martha Debayle en W
    Todas las maneras en las que la IA puede ayudarte en tu negocio y no lo sabías

    Martha Debayle en W

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 26:30


    Juan Lombana, experto en inteligencia artificial nos compartió que de acuerdo con Salesforce (empresa que analiza tendencias globales sobre el servicio al cliente), el 95% de las empresas que utilizan IA, tiene una reducción de costos y un aumento del ahorro de tiempo, lo que se traduce en mayores ganancias, por eso invité a Juan Lombana, experto en Inteligencia Artificial 

    HALO Talks
    Episode #558: Mary Laudati's Playbook for Boosting Health Club Revenue and Member Loyalty

    HALO Talks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 30:27 Transcription Available


    In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Mary Laudati, a seasoned sales and marketing leader with deep roots in the HALO (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor) space. From her days leading the sales group at Sports Club LA to her current role as a consultant working with top clubs across the U.S. and internationally, Mary shares her insights on building effective sales strategies, leveraging cutting-edge software like Salesforce, and creating a powerful culture of member engagement and retention. She provides boots-on-the-ground, immediately actionable tips on using data, recording sales calls, and mystery shopping to pinpoint where clubs are leaving revenue on the table—plus, the importance of strong onboarding and personal connections to keep members coming back. Mary also discusses the latest trends in CRM technology, club operations, and the shift toward shared memberships and referral models. Whether you're a club owner, sales team leader, or just passionate about the business of the HALO space, Mary's advice on finding—and keeping—members is pure gold. On early member retention, she states, "Those three months are crucial . . . for those clubs that don't have salespeople, not only do you want to embrace the incoming (they've got to follow up and make a lot of phone calls), but they also have to check on the new members and look at their attendance to make sure that they're coming in." Key themes discussed Importance of sales strategies and processes in health clubs. Customizable CRM/software solutions for sales and retention. The critical role of training and investing in your employees. KPIs, net growth, revenue, and retention. Mystery shopping and call recording for sales team improvement. Enhancing member engagement, onboarding, and relationship-building. Shared membership/referral programs to boost membership and loyalty. A few key takeaways:  1. Sales Process Needs Structure and Ongoing Evaluation: Mary emphasized that many clubs claim to have a strong sales team, but more often than not lack strategies, scripts, or KPIs. She underlined the importance of having sequential, process-driven systems and regular evaluation—often through recording, analyzing calls, and “mystery shopping” the current experience. 2. CRMs and Custom Software Are Game-Changers: A major part of the episode centers around the critical need for effective, customizable CRMs. Mary championed Salesforce for its adaptability, noting her experience implementing it at Millennium Partners. She highlighted recent successes helping clubs (like Powerhouse Gyms in Novi, MI) leverage technology to understand their numbers, coach their teams, and boost revenue. 3. Training and Investment in People Drives Revenue: Laudati strongly advocates investing in employee training alongside technology. She's seen clients who paired software adoption with robust training, and realized up to 25% growth year-over-year. She's a believer in hands-on onboarding, coaching, and ensuring team members are held accountable—not just to sales, but to ongoing member engagement. 4. Retention is as Critical as Acquisition: Both Mary and Pete stressed the importance of looking beyond just new member acquisition to also address attrition. Laudati recommends clubs track net growth (sales minus cancels), invest in the early months of a member's journey, proactively reach out to disengaged members, and create meaningful connections (a la “Cheers,” where everyone knows your name!) 5. Shared Memberships and Ongoing Engagement are Winning Strategies: Highlighting clients like Bay Clubs, Laudati also talked about the explosion of shared or referral-based memberships and how they can create instant community and value. She noted the value of actively integrating new members into programs or group activities (think personal training, group ex, or even pickleball) during the crucial first three months to help maximize retention. Resources:  Mary Laudati: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-laudati-89206232 Mary Laudati Sales Consulting: https://www.marylaudati.com   HALO Talks 2 Minute Financial Drills (Videos): https://bit.ly/2minutedrills  Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com  Promotion Vault: http://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: http://www.higherdose.com

    Detection at Scale
    Illumio's Erik Bloch on Getting Security Fundamentals Right Before Adding AI

    Detection at Scale

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 44:04


    In this episode of Detection at Scale, Jack speaks with Erik Bloch, VP of Security, Illumio, about why most security operations teams aren't ready for AI tools and what fundamental processes must be in place first. Erik challenges the industry's obsession with new technologies, sharing stories from his experience transforming underperforming security teams at major companies like Cisco, Salesforce, and Atlassian.  His conversation with Jack explores how to measure what actually matters in security operations, from team capacity utilization to business outcome dispositions, and why proper ticketing systems and actionable metrics are prerequisites for any advanced tooling to be effective. Topics discussed: The importance of establishing fundamental processes like ticketing systems and metrics before implementing AI tools in security operations. How to measure team capacity utilization and resource allocation to identify when security operations teams are operating beyond sustainable levels. Why traditional security metrics like mean time to detect are often vanity metrics that don't provide actionable business intelligence. The critical need for security leaders to communicate in business language with concrete data rather than anecdotal risk assessments. How managed service providers will likely be the first to successfully adopt AI tools due to their standardized processes. The challenge of proving AI tool effectiveness when most organizations lack baseline metrics to measure improvement against established benchmarks. Why security teams gravitate toward building custom tools and how this impacts their approach to adopting commercial AI solutions. The role of MCP in enabling security teams to create their own agents and integrate multiple tools. How AI should focus on eliminating routine tasks like phishing email analysis rather than trying to catch advanced persistent threats. The framework for implementing AI tools by starting with business outcomes, defining metrics, identifying capabilities, and then inserting automation.  Listen to more episodes: Apple  Spotify  YouTube Website

    The Watchung Booksellers Podcast
    Bonus Episode: Amy Larocca and Jason Tanz

    The Watchung Booksellers Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 53:33


    In this bonus episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, we share a recording from an in-store event this spring with Amy Larocca, author of How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time, in conversation with Jason Tanz.Amy Larocca is an award-winning American journalist. She spent twenty years working at New York magazine as both fashion director and editor at large. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Vogue, Town & Country, and the London Review of Books, among other publications. She lives with her family in New York and North London.Jason Tanz is currently a writer at Salesforce and formerly the editor-in-chief at Lyft. Before that he worked at Wired for many years. He is the author of Other People's Property: A Shadow History of Hip Hop in White America.Resources:Amanda Chantal Bacon Elle InterviewOura Ring AnxietyBooks:A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events.The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids' Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch!Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.comSocial: @watchungbooksellersSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    Talent Hub Talk
    How AI is transforming the Salesforce landscape with Amit Choudhary

    Talent Hub Talk

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 34:42


    In this week's episode of the Talent Hub Talk podcast, we're joined by Amit Choudhary, Founder and CEO of GetGenerative.ai, who shares his extensive journey through the Salesforce ecosystem, detailing his entrepreneurial ventures and the evolution of his businesses. He discusses the impact of AI on consulting, the future of Salesforce, and the implications for the job market. Amit emphasises the need for professionals to adapt to an AI-first mindset and the importance of rethinking traditional consulting practices. He also highlights the potential for increased productivity and efficiency through AI integration, while acknowledging the challenges and fears surrounding job security in the industry. Make sure you're following Amit here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitchou/ You can learn more about GetGenerative.ai here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getgenerativeai/   You can find more content from us at Talent Hub, here: LinkedIn@ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talent-hub-global/ YouTube@ https://www.youtube.com/@talenthub1140 Facebook@ https://www.facebook.com/TalentHubGlobal/ Instagram@ https://www.instagram.com/talenthubglobal/ Twitter X@ https://twitter.com/TalentHubGlobal We hope you enjoy the episode!  

    Build Your Network
    Make Money with E-Commerce | Michael Dodsworth

    Build Your Network

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2025 30:03


    Michael Dodsworth is the founder and CEO of Fanfare, a platform built to help e-commerce brands handle massive product drops without breaking under pressure. With a background as a founding engineer and multiple startup exits—including to Salesforce and Ticketmaster—Michael has spent his career building systems that can handle huge spikes in demand. After years of solving ticketing chaos for live events, he created Fanfare to bring that same reliability to e-commerce, powering launches like SKIMS' $1 million-in-a-minute drop and making high-pressure product launches seamless for brands of all sizes. On this episode we talk about: – Michael's first job delivering newspapers in the UK and how early discipline shaped his work ethic – Discovering coding as a teen and the path from hobbyist to startup engineer – Lessons learned from early-stage startups, rapid-growth environments like Salesforce, and the difference between startup and corporate life – Building and scaling systems for massive ticketing events, including Taylor Swift and Disney, and the pain points of high-demand launches – The origin story of Fanfare: why e-commerce brands struggle with product drops and how Fanfare solves for scale, bots, and customer experience – The value of capturing data from failed buyers and turning negative sentiment into future sales – How relationships and reputation lead to new opportunities in the startup world – The impact of AI on software development, product launches, and democratizing the ability to build apps—even for non-coders – Practical advice for anyone looking to break into tech or launch their own product in the age of AI Top 3 Takeaways 1. Discipline and Action Matter: Early lessons in discipline and showing up every day translate directly to entrepreneurial success—momentum comes from taking the first step, even when the path is unclear. 2. Solve Real Problems at Scale: Fanfare was born from firsthand frustration with broken product launches and ticketing drops. The best businesses address urgent, widespread pain points for both brands and consumers. 3. AI Is Leveling the Playing Field: The latest AI tools make it easier than ever for anyone to experiment, build, and launch products—regardless of coding background. Knowing how to prompt, direct, and design will be as important as traditional engineering skills. Notable Quotes “The more you do it, the more you get used to it, and the more it becomes habit, the easier it becomes.” “At a startup, you just have to fix and chart those paths. There's nothing there—you have to define the process.” “You have to make sure you're ready to capitalize on whatever luck comes your way.” “Being able to direct AI agents to do a particular thing is a real skill. Knowing how products should be laid out will matter even more in the future.” Connect with Michael Dodsworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dodsworth Website: fanfare.io

    Impact Pricing
    How AI is Breaking Traditional Per-User Pricing Models with Alan Hollander

    Impact Pricing

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2025 32:25


    Alan Hollander, VP of Offer Packaging and Pricing Strategy at Blackbaud, has led pricing initiatives for six years. With nearly three decades in pricing, his impressive career began in 1994 when Tom Nagle hired him after Alan excelled in Nagle's "Strategy and Tactics of Pricing" course. He also held key roles at Ellucian and Simon-Kucher & Partners, bringing deep expertise in large-scale pricing transformations. In this episode, Alan addresses a major challenge for SaaS companies: how AI disrupts traditional per-user pricing. Drawing on his experience at Blackbaud (serving nonprofits with CRM and financial tools), he explains why AI's efficiency conflicts with seat-based pricing. He and Mark discuss the difficulties of shifting customers to new pricing models, managing multiple approaches, and implementing pricing innovations gradually.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Understand why AI is fundamentally incompatible with per-user pricing and what alternatives actually work in practice. Learn how to implement pricing model changes without overwhelming your organization's operational capabilities. Discover the "crawl, walk, run" approach to pricing transformation that builds momentum through proven results.   "Don't go right to the end goal, in the future state, because people are just going to look at you cross-eyed. Start with quick wins, start with test pilots, test the concepts, show the results, quantify the results so you can build momentum in launching new pricing models." — Alan Hollander   Topics Covered: 01:30 — Alan's pricing journey: From Tom Nagle's student to Strategic Pricing Group veteran 02:45 — The AI pricing dilemma: Pricing products with AI vs. using AI for pricing 04:15 — Why AI pricing isn't different: It's still all about jobs-to-be-done and value creation 11:15 — The nonprofit sector challenge: Selling efficiency when budgets are already tight 14:30 — Human augmentation vs. job replacement: Reframing the AI conversation 16:45 — The Salesforce problem: When AI doubles productivity but revenue stays flat 19:20 — Blackbaud's approach: Combining user-based and consumption-based models 21:45 — Market segmentation reality: Financial vs. fundraising as separate buying centers 24:10 — The PayPal model: Why percentage-of-success pricing works for fundraising 26:30 — Optional pricing models: Letting customers choose fixed vs. variable approaches 28:45 — The operational reality check: Systems and processes needed for pricing flexibility 31:00 — The "crawl, walk, run" philosophy: Building momentum through incremental wins   Key Takeaways: "Per user is not going to be the answer. You're going to stagnate because unless you're just going to increase your per user price, it doesn't align with how they consume, how they use, what value they get." — Alan Hollander "Sometimes you have to do the right things before you do things right... you can have a beautiful strategy in terms of how you monetize and price, and it's very elegant and you've done all the analytics and it looks super cool. But sometimes you actually need to basically what I would say, do a crawl, walk, run." — Alan Hollander "If you don't lead with the value, I don't care if it's AI, SaaS, it doesn't matter what it is. If you don't lead with the value in a business case... you're not going to get anywhere." — Alan Hollander   Resources and People Mentioned: Blackbaud: https://www.blackbaud.com/  Tom Nagle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-tom-nagle  Reed Holden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-holden-913ab69/    Connect with Alan Hollander: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-hollander-753167/  Email: alan.hollander@blackbaud.com   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

    How We Got There
    How We Got There: Blakely Graham, board advisor to ISVs and Founder and former CEO of TaskRay

    How We Got There

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2025 45:01


    I am joined by Blakely Graham, who is a board advisor to Left Main REI, host of the Not All Business Podcast, Founder and former CEO of TaskRay⁠. This one was a long time coming. On a personal note, my time at TaskRay was some of my most formative. I found a balance while there between my previous experience of excellence with true work life balance and a focus on values that stays with me. I am so grateful that Blakely and team took a chance in hiring me for a role that I was almost kind of qualified for and her friendship since then.I'll do my best to summarize this episode, but it's more than worth a listen because I don't have enough characters to summarize it all. Blakely's Salesforce journey starts in 2001 and spans a ton of roles and experiences. We dig deep into her experience founding TaskRay 15 years ago in 2010 as Bracket Labs as one of the early ISVs on the AppExchange where VCs told her that her business was not investable and it was "a lifestyle business" at best because the Salesforce ecosystem was too small. She grew it in spite of that and by the time they sold the business, they were getting endless inbound interest.We talk about culture and values and why they were so important to her and the team at TaskRay. One of the core values was Connection that was the inspiration for Project Connection where the founders and I went to 5 cities and sat across the table from over 20 customers without an agenda outside of learning how our customers used the app. It drove focus for years to come that had nearly endless valuable outcomes like clarity of product roadmap, dramatically reduced churn, drove brand/marketing strategy, and much more. She shares how founder conflict snuck up on her with Eric Wu as well as how they (eventually) resolved it. As we switched gears to talk about gtm, Blakely shares how TaskRay evolved from the primary source of leads being the AppExchange with mostly SMB customers to more enterprise selling with content strategies, partnership motions, events, and more knobs we turned. The lesson is you are going to try stuff - some will work, some won't but you have to innovate and measure.We talk about how to select and what you can expect from an advisor. At TaskRay, we rolled an advisor program out modeled after a talk Blakely listened to from Andy Wilson, founder of Logikcull. Shoutout to Phil Stern who was my sales leader advisor at TaskRay who helped me avoid many mistakes.Show notes:Jolene Chan's LinkedIn where she was talking about a personal board of directors: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenec/Not All Business podcast with Heather Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/company/not-all-business/Podcast with Andy Wilson from Logikcull where he discusses his advisor program that we modeled TaskRay's after: it starts at 14:05 and lasts 4 minutes  starts at 14:05 and lasts 4 minutes -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saastr-236-logikcull-ceo-andy-wilson-on-%240-to-%2410m/id1089973241?i=1000439148009This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠Invisory⁠⁠⁠. Invisory is designed to meet you where you are: in your cloud marketplace journey through a strong go-to-market strategy that helps drive prospect and co-sell opportunities with Salesforce, AWS, Microsoft, and Google. 

    Insurance Monday Podcast
    Erfolgsrezepte für Versicherer: Vom klassischen Vertrieb zum hybriden, datengetriebenen Lead Management

    Insurance Monday Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2025 38:57 Transcription Available


    In dieser Episode dreht sich alles um die Herausforderungen und Chancen der Digitalisierung im Lead Management und CRM in der Versicherungsbranche. Host Herbert Jansky, Co-Host Dominik Bardane und ihre hochkarätigen Gäste – Sven Gerhardus von BearingPoint, Detlef Jahnke von der Deutschen Ärztefinanz und Holger Babier von der Öffentlichen Versicherung Braunschweig – teilen ihre spannenden Einblicke aus Praxis und Beratung.Gemeinsam werfen sie einen Blick darauf, wie digitale Systeme helfen, Kundenprozesse zu optimieren, Abläufe effizienter zu gestalten und die Kundenansprache individueller sowie datenbasierter zu machen. Detlef und Holger berichten offen von ihren eigenen Digitalisierungsreisen, den Stolpersteinen und Erfolgsrezepten und wie der Wandel die Versicherungen nachhaltig verändert. Zwischen Best-Practices, Skalierungsfragen und dem Einfluss moderner Technologien bleibt es ehrlich, praxisnah – und bisweilen auch humorvoll.Freut euch auf lebendige Diskussionen und wertvolle Tipps für alle, die Kundenmanagement und Digitalisierung in der Versicherungswelt mit frischen Ideen vorantreiben möchten!Schreibt uns gerne eine Nachricht!PPI – Inspired by Simplicity. PPI verbindet Fach- und Technologie-Know-how, um komplexe Finanzprojekte in der Versicherungs- und Bankenwelt unkompliziert umzusetzen. Mit über 800 Expert:innen, europaweit führenden Lösungen im Zahlungsverkehr und der Vision „From Paper to Pixels“ begleitet PPI ihre Kunden erfolgreich in die digitale Zukunft.

    Newcomer Investor
    Quality Investing With Aria: Part 2

    Newcomer Investor

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2025 72:25


    Welcome to the Newcomer Investor Channel! In this episode, I chat once again with Aria, a brilliant investing Youtuber. We discuss his investing strategy and his perspective on a range of stocks. Please note, this conversation was recorded on July 6th 2025. As a result, any references to specific future dates/events in the episode may refer to a time that has already passed.  Connect:Newcomer Investor on X:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/NewcomerInvest⁠⁠⁠⁠Aria on X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/QualityInvest5⁠⁠Aria on Youtube: ⁠https://youtu.be/0Xd2YcfkKRE?feature=shared⁠ Fiscal AI: my favourite research tool: ⁠https://fiscal.ai/?via=anthony⁠ Episode Highlights:(0:00) - Introduction(2:24) - Mastercard(5:00) - Fiserv(20:00) - Salesforce(29:00) - Transmedix(37:30) - Hims & Hers(42:20) - Uber, Tesla, Waymo & the future of AVs(58:50) - ASML(01:03:50) - Google

    The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
    20Growth: The Death of Growth Teams? | How Hubspot Use AI to Triple Email Conversion | The Future of AI SEO | Why Prompt Engineering is the New Coding | What Every CMO Needs to Know About AI in 2025

    The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2025 75:51


    Kieran Flanagan is the CMO at HubSpot, where he's led the transformation of their growth strategy from SEO-led to multi-channel and AI-powered. Formerly SVP of Marketing, he helped scale HubSpot's user base to millions and revenue past $2B. Before HubSpot, he drove breakout growth at Marketo and Salesforce. Kieran is one of the most respected voices in SaaS marketing and a pioneer in growth-driven content strategy. Agenda: 00:03 – The Death of Growth Teams? Kieran's Wild Prediction 06:44 – AI Innovation Pods: The New Org Structure for Startups 10:18 – Email Personalization That Tripled Conversions 13:21 – From Software Budget to Labor Budget: The Shift is Happening 16:35 – The Big Lie: Why Autonomous Agents Still Suck 19:24 – The Secret Sauce Behind HubSpot's Email AI Stack 21:44 – Segment-Based Marketing Is Dead. Enter Micro Audiences. 24:15 – Content Collapse: Why Google Organic Is Getting Torched 30:52 – The Future of AI SEO: 1 Product, 100 Pages, Infinite Prompts 33:16 – Memory = Moat: Why ChatGPT Is Becoming Unbeatable 35:46 – Prompt Engineering is the New Coding: Here's How to Win 41:03 – The Death of the Middle Manager Marketer 46:17 – OpenAI vs. Anthropic: Kieran's $400M Bet 48:00 – Europe Is Falling Behind: The Harsh Truth on Regulation 52:39 – CMO Playbook 2025: Micro-Audiences, Creator-Led, AI at Scale    

    The Salesforce Admins Podcast
    How Are 2025 Admin Predictions Holding Up So Far?

    The Salesforce Admins Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 20:26


    Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jennifer Lee, Joshua Birk, and Kate Lessard from the Admin Evangelist team at Salesforce. Join us as we revisit the team's predictions from the beginning of the year for how Agentforce will change the game for admins in 2025.  You should subscribe for the full episode, […] The post How Are 2025 Admin Predictions Holding Up So Far? appeared first on Salesforce Admins.

    What's Next! with Tiffani Bova
    The Future of AI with Steve Lucas

    What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 28:45


    Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    This week, we hear from Steve Lucas. Steve is a seasoned executive with nearly 30 years of experience in enterprise software leadership. As the CEO of Boomi, he spearheads efforts to connect the world through a transformative technology platform. Previously, he was the CEO of Marketo and iCIMS. At Marketo, he transformed the company's sales, marketing, and product strategies, culminating in its 2018 acquisition by Adobe. At iCIMS, he introduced the Talent Cloud, enabling 40% of the Fortune 100 to hire millions of employees annually. Earlier roles included senior executive positions at Adobe, SAP, Salesforce, and BusinessObjects.    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…business leaders navigating digital transformation, especially those eager to understand how AI will reshape organizations.   TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…it's easy to get swept up in the hype around AI, but what does transformation actually look like in practice? Steve explores the dramatic shift AI is bringing to enterprise software, from the rise of AI agents to the decline of traditional user interfaces. He shares how businesses can prepare for an agentic future where success will depend on collaboration between humans and AI.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Human resistance to change is often about trust and not capability AI won't replace humans but augment them (if we allow it) Leaders should focus less on tools and more on the business outcomes they unlock   WHAT I LOVE MOST…Steve's reminder that in a world full of hype and disruption, trust is still the currency that matters most. No matter how powerful AI becomes, if people don't trust it or the companies using it, it won't deliver value.   Running Time: 28:44    Subscribe on iTunes     Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X    Find Steve Online: LinkedIn   Steve's Book: Digital Impact: The Human Element of AI-Driven Transformation  

    The Quarterback DadCast
    Balancing Friendship and Accountability: One Dad's Journey with Travis Webb

    The Quarterback DadCast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 55:22 Transcription Available


    Send us a textWhat happens when a builder's hands meet a teacher's heart? Travis Webb, VP of Sales at PARQA and father of three nearly-grown children, joins us to share how his unique upbringing created the blueprint for his parenting approach.Travis reveals how his father, a union electrician turned entrepreneur, equipped him with both literal and figurative tools for life – teaching him to build everything from skateboard ramps as a kid to the tiki bar with electricity and plumbing that now stands in his backyard. Meanwhile, his mother's 44-year teaching career instilled in him a patience and calm demeanor that balances his entrepreneurial drive. This blend has shaped not only his successful career in staffing and sales leadership, but also his thoughtful approach to raising three children who are now 23, 21, and 18.The conversation explores a provocative question: can you be friends with your kids? Travis challenges conventional wisdom, suggesting that friendship and accountability aren't mutually exclusive when you know how to "flip the switch" between roles. He shares candid stories about navigating disagreements with his teenage daughter, learning when to engage and when to step back, and prioritizing presence at his children's activities despite demanding work commitments.One particularly insightful moment comes when Casey and Travis discuss a question that transformed both his business and parenting approaches: "Do you want to be right or do you want to get what you want?" This simple but profound question has helped him check his ego and focus on outcomes rather than winning arguments—whether in the boardroom or at the dinner table.As his children transition to adulthood, Travis reflects on the bittersweet reality of watching them leave home while celebrating their independence. For younger parents, his experiences with youth sports, travel tournaments, and building lasting memories offer valuable perspective on what truly matters in the long run.Ready to rethink your approach to leadership—whether at home or in business? Listen now and discover how blending compassion with accountability might just be the blueprint you've been searching for.PARQA is a technology consulting and implementation agency for the staffing industry dedicated to making your technologies work for you, driving measurable business outcomes from your technical investment. Our expertise spans the Salesforce & Bullhorn ecosystems.Please don't forget to leave us a review wherever you consume your podcasts! Please help us get more dads to listen weekly and become the ultimate leader of their homes!

    THE 505 PODCAST
    164. He made $750 million, but it almost killed him… ft. Mike Lazerow

    THE 505 PODCAST

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 102:23 Transcription Available


    The 10 Minute Personal Brand Kickstart (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/personalbrandkickstartWhat's up, Rock Nation! Today we sit down with Mike Lazerow, the founder of Buddy Media, a billion-dollar startup he sold to Salesforce, and the author of Shoveling Sht: A Love Story, one of the realest takes on entrepreneurship you'll ever read.In this episode, Mike unpacks the hidden cost of success - from nearly dying after scaling too fast, to rebuilding his identity after stepping away from a company worth hundreds of millions. We go deep on why founders burn out, how to avoid it, and the mindset shift that saved his life.We also talk about selling to Salesforce, the early days of Facebook and Instagram, building with Gary Vee, investing in Liquid Death, and his 6-part Go Gauge framework for picking winning startups.If you're building something big, or thinking about it, this conversation is your warning and your roadmap.Check out Mike here here:https://www.instagram.com/kassandmike/https://www.youtube.com/@UCgLzz0yep6lUaE5i62zMXTw https://shovelingshit.com/SUSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: https://the505podcast.ac-page.com/rock-reportThe Creator Pricing Guide - The No BS Guide to Pricing Your Creative ServicesCoupon Code: ROCKNATION10 gets you $10 off at checkout for the bouldershttps://courses.the505podcast.com/pricing-guideJoin our Discord! https://discord.gg/xgEAzkqAvsMore Free Products:Our 5 Positioning Tips to Land Bigger Clients (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/5positioningtips 6 Questions to ask on Every Sales Call (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/6questionsfordiscoverycallCOP THE BFIGGY "ESSENTIALS" SFX PACK HERE: https://courses.the505podcast.com/BFIGGYSFXPACKKG Presets Vol. 1https://www.kostasgarcia.com/store-1/p/kglightroompresetsKostas' Amazon Storefront:https://amzn.to/3GhId2515% OFF Prism Lens FX with code: KOSTAS15https://bit.ly/42sNdejTimestamps: 0:00 - Intro1:21 - The cost of building a $745 million company4:24 - prioritizing health6:58 - Mike's biggest tradeoffs7:30 - Mike's relationship with his father9:41 - Getting out of your own way12:46 - The most important trait of a good leader13:26 - How to fire someone17:23 - The fuel that drove Mike early on21:06 - Early days of facebook23:36 - The common trait of ultra successful entrepreneurs27:42 - The process of making a book30:45 - Shoveling sh*t in Central Park33:00 - The biggest life lesson from Marc Benioff37:46 - Processing selling Buddy Media for $745 million40:02 - The challenges of working with your wife41:50 - Venture Capital is broken42:36 - Why pizzeria are great business44:59 - You can't fire your own kids46:36 - Go Gauge - 6 steps to determine if Mike invests49:31 - Not investing in Uber52:27 - Everyone is born an entrepreneur53:31 - Investing in Liquid Death57:06 - Pivoting the revenue model 4 times for Buddy Media59:44 - Not every business can become a $100 million business1:01:07 - Pizza business roleplay1:03:16 - People don't know how to market1:04:36 - What founders get wrong with scaling1:08:00 - Going all in on social media1:11:17 - How Kass and Mike push each other1:12:17 - Finding the right business partner1:14:08 - What makes Kass (Mike's wife) an amazing entrepreneur1:18:32 - Tips for becoming a better manager1:20:10 - Hiring A Players1:22:16 - How to keep employees motivated1:24:46 - How to divide equity of a business1:27:04 - Meeting and working with Gary Vee1:30:12 - Mike was college roommates with Seth Myers1:34:04 - Reminiscing on the journey1:37:36 - Advice to 18 year old selfIf you liked this episode please send it to a friend and take a screenshot for your story! And as always, we'd love to hear from you guys on what you'd like to hear us talk about or potential guests we should have on. DM US ON IG: (Our DM's are always open!) Bfiggy: https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.instagram.com/kostasg95/ TikTok:Bfiggy: https://www.tiktok.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.tiktok.com/kostasgarcia/

    The Net Promoter System Podcast – Customer Experience Insights from Loyalty Leaders
    Ep. 249: Scott Taber | Why Four Seasons Turned Guests Away

    The Net Promoter System Podcast – Customer Experience Insights from Loyalty Leaders

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 43:04


    Episode 249: When “revenge travel” brought guests roaring back to Four Seasons Hotels, they capped occupancy, turning away guests and revenue. Scott Taber, senior vice president of global hospitality, describes the Four Seasons philosophy: No points, no perks. Just great properties, individual recognition, personal service, and an emphasis on making sure the first five minutes after check-in are spectacular. That belief was put to the test when the world started traveling again and labor gaps persisted at the end of the pandemic. The company had a choice: chase revenue or protect intimacy. It chose intimacy. To avoid overextending staff and diluting the experience, Four Seasons capped occupancy. The organization focused on preserving what Scott calls the “first five”: those opening minutes that define a guest's stay. “People want to see your eyes and your teeth,” he says. They want to be recognized, not processed. That doesn't mean resisting tech. Four Seasons embraced tools that support connection: a CRM “golden record” surfaces each guest's preferences so staff can deliver personal touches at scale. They also rolled out a proprietary 11-platform chat tool that helps staff resolve 80% of requests within 90 seconds. Last year, they set an NPS record.  Culture provides the foundation for the organization's enduring success. Recruiting favors empathy, veterans mentor newcomers, and managers celebrate tiny moments of recognition as fiercely as revenue. With management contracts that stretch a whopping 80 years, Four Seasons plays the long game: culture first. For Four Seasons, the strongest currency isn't points, but people. Guest: Scott Taber, Senior Vice President for Global Hospitality, Four Seasons Hotels Host: Rob Markey, Partner, Bain & Company Give us feedback: Customer Confidential Podcast Feedback Send us a note: Contact Rob Topics Covered: 00:04 How occupancy caps protect service under pressure 00:12 No points program means loyalty through recognition 00:20 Salesforce “golden record” and how it personalizes at scale 00:30 The benefits of their chat platform that responds instantly to guests 00:35 Getting culture right, like hiring empathetic staff and having veterans mentor newcomers 00:41 How their 80-year contracts reinforce a culture-first strategy Notable Quotes: 00:02 “It's the service excellence that we want to have in our properties every single day, and making sure that we have the right tools, training, support, structure, to truly bring that to life. And all while creating great jobs and helping to have amazing leaders and supporting them to create great memories and experiences for our guests.” 00:03 “We had a record year last year with our guest experience score, Net Promoter Score.” 00:11 “Our typical management agreement is 80 years. We want to be with this hotel, we want to be with this project, for the long term. It's the vision of Mr. Sharp [Four Seasons' founder] committing himself to the property and us being committed to the property for that period of time. I think there are some pretty good foundational elements to keep us going for a long time to come.” 00:12 “ [Customers] want to be remembered and appreciated for their business. Four Seasons doesn't have a loyalty program. We're a small brand: 133 hotels. So, how do we do that in a way that is thoughtful and that helps our employees to be able to remember our guests in the right way?” 00:25 “We want to hire for attitude and teach the skills. So you are looking for someone who wants to connect with that guest and be in sync with what that guest needs at that moment. And that comes with how we teach and how we coach that behavioral side to engage with the guests—what's important for them in the moment.” Additional Resources: Connect the dots between the present and the past with our Customer Confidential podcast from 2016, Inside the Four Seasons Approach to Five-Star Service Learn more about how Four Seasons was impacted by Covid-19 in our brief: The Power to Change

    DevOps Diaries
    059 — Amy Oplinger Singh: What they don't teach you about a career in Salesforce!

    DevOps Diaries

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 48:36


    Think you know the path to success in the Salesforce ecosystem? Think again. In this candid conversation, Jack McCurdy and Data Importer's Amy Oplinger-Singh pull back the curtain on the untold truths of a career in tech.From battling imposter syndrome to mastering the art of data management, Amy provides a masterclass in navigating the complexities of the industry. Learn why your network is your most valuable asset and how to find a role that truly aligns with your personal and professional goals.This isn't just another tech talk. It's a guide to building a resilient and authentic career.Key Insights:- The power of authenticity in a competitive industry.- How to turn networking from a chore into a superpower.- Leadership strategies to foster a burnout-proof team culture.About DevOps Diaries: Salesforce DevOps Advocate Jack McCurdy chats to members of the Salesforce community about their experience in the Salesforce ecosystem. Expect to hear and learn from inspirational stories of personal growth and business success, whilst discovering all the trials, tribulations, and joy that comes with delivering Salesforce for companies of all shapes and sizes. New episodes bi-weekly on YouTube as well as on your preferred podcast platform.Podcast produced and sponsored by Gearset. Learn more about Gearset: https://grst.co/4iCnas2Subscribe to Gearset's YouTube channel: https://grst.co/4cTAAxmLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gearsetX/Twitter: https://x.com/GearsetHQFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/gearsethqAbout Gearset: Gearset is the leading Salesforce DevOps platform, with powerful solutions for metadata and CPQ deployments, CI/CD, automated testing, sandbox seeding and backups. It helps Salesforce teams apply DevOps best practices to their development and release process, so they can rapidly and securely deliver higher-quality projects. Get full access to all of Gearset's features for free with a 30-day trial: https://grst.co/4iKysKWChapters:00:00 Introduction to Amy02:48 Amy's Salesforce Journey and Early Experiences05:36 Navigating Imposter Syndrome08:11 The Importance of Networking10:51 Understanding and Managing Imposter Syndrome13:30 The Pressure of Visibility and Burnout16:06 Finding Alignment in Career Choices18:58 Transitioning to Data Importer21:38 Reflections on Career Growth and Future Goals23:56 Building a Supportive Work Environment30:56 Navigating Data Management Challenges36:08 Leadership and Team Well-being40:47 The Importance of End Users in Projects

    Win Win Podcast
    Episode 125: Aligning Sellers for a High-Impact Product Launch

    Win Win Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025


    According to the State of Sales Enablement Report 2024, 31% of organizations are preparing to launch a new product or service as a key go-to-market initiative. So, how can you prepare your sellers to be ready for a successful product or service launch that drives business results? Riley Rogers: Hi, and welcome to the Win Win podcast. I’m your host, Riley Rogers. Join us as we dive into changing trends in the workplace and how to navigate them successfully. Here to discuss this topic is Kate Stringfield, senior manager of revenue enablement at Dialpad. Thank you so much for joining us, Kate. Before we get started, I’d love to learn a little bit more about yourself, your role, and your background. Kate Stringfield: Yeah, so I’m Kate Stringfield, as you called out. Was in sales prior to being in enablement, and I was in sales for about seven years, both in hospitality as well as SaaS. And then I made the jump into enablement around six years ago, and now I’m over at Dialpad. RR: Amazing. Thank you for sharing that. I feel like it’s always so helpful to get insight from people who make that transition and have experience on both sides of the playing field.We’re so excited to have you on the podcast for that reason. You have such extensive experience as both a sales and sales enablement leader. So can you maybe walk us through your journey into enablement, how you made that shift, and then maybe a little bit about how that sales background helps influence your enablement strategy? KS: Yeah, so I was in hotels, like I mentioned, for a number of years, and I found my passion helping other people as they started out in their new roles and getting them up to speed. And so when I made the move into SaaS, I learned about this cool role called enablement, and I was like, oh my gosh, I gotta—I gotta learn more and get into that.So since helping others be successful was a—or still is—a passion of mine, I made that jump. And once I landed in an enablement position, I was like, man, I found my place.So I spent a number of years doing enablement for the sellers that I was once a seller for—like, I was doing that role. And then I did another two and a half years in enablement at an enablement company, where I focused on role-specific enablement, as well as launching a sales methodology, three sales motion changes, and various other initiatives that I supported along the way.And then I moved over into Dialpad, where I’m now leading a team of six incredibly gifted, talented revenue enablers across sales, success, and partner enablement. RR: Wonderful. Thank you for walking us through that. It seems like it’s been quite the journey to get where you are today. I’m curious then—we’ve talked about how it informs your strategy—but maybe how does it inform action?So I kind of want to shift gears a little bit and maybe talk about a recent initiative that I know Dialpad has been running, which is that you rolled out a new SKU after an acquisition, and product launch has become a priority for you this year. So can you maybe talk to us a little bit about that initiative? KS: Yeah, absolutely. So making sure that our product is up to speed and ahead of the market is imperative. And so, gosh, around eight months ago, back in October, we acquired a WFM company—so workforce management—which is part of a solution of ours that we did not currently have. So we acquired a company in order to offer that as a complementary solution with what we already had.This was a completely new product line, and we had to figure out, okay, how could we enable our reps to be able to go ahead and sell this? And it’s a slightly different selling motion, so we had to talk through what is it, why does it matter, as well as how do they then position the value of it. And so in true SaaS fashion, we were also, in addition to launching this new SKU, we also had other product enhancements that we were sharing along the same time, as well as a rebranding and new marketing strategy and a new pitch deck.So there was a lot going on. So we had to make sure that we also landed this and landed it well. And so we did some pre-launch awareness where we equipped our sellers with content in the form of kits as well as micro-learnings and giving them the foundation to get them ready for that launch moment so they could start having introductory conversations with customers.So how do you first scope that? Then we did our launch moment and made our just-in-time much more robust and turned them into true sales plays where they learned how to really position this product in the right way and along the whole sales process. And with that, we also did additional learning moments, such as full-blown e-learnings and certifications for how to sell this.Then we really wanted to focus on reinforcement that stuck, and so we looked at, okay, how can we get our managers speaking about this product in team meetings? What kind of activities could we give to managers to run in team meetings, such as trainings in a box? And how can we continue to evolve the conversation and get our reps learning more?And so we focused on PEC talk as well as more thorough, in-depth enablement from a product standpoint, and then that later along the line sales motion and how to sell that. And overall, we saw around $500,000 of closed-won sales initially, and we built around $3 million in pipeline. And through that, we also looked at data with the kit and with the play that—you know, the kit that shifted into the play—and a lot of our reps were using it. There was high adoption of it. They were going back to it multiple times and spending about four minutes consuming the content.And so we were able to track, alright, they did the enablement, they were using the content and sharing it with customers, and then that translated to those closed-won numbers and that pipeline build that I discussed. RR: That sounds like such a thoughtful approach and also like quite a lot of work. I’m sure that was quite difficult to execute, but I love that you’re already seeing the results that you’re looking for. I’d like to maybe dig a little bit more into kind of the initial concept phases where you’re staring down the barrel of this initiative.What kind of challenges do you see reps tending to face when it comes to things like product launch, and what were your best practices for overcoming them as you were executing over the next few months? KS: Yeah, information overload is a big one. And it’s one that—you know, I mentioned we did this in conjunction with other product enhancements and a marketing branding shift in our messaging, as well as a pitch deck launch.So you know, besides that, reps are always being overloaded with information, and so that’s always something you have to contend with as a challenge. Also, when reps are learning about how to sell a new product, it’s something that’s outside of their existing knowledge and skill set a lot of the time or, you know, is just stretching them in a different way.And so you have to figure out how to use the foundation that they already had and build upon that. And then sometimes there’s additional complexities as well. And so when I think about those challenges and how to solve for them, I think about, you know, making sure that you’re taking a crawl-walk-run approach with those product launch moments and building upon what they already have to get them into that run state, but not expecting them to run right out of the gate—which a lot of times is an expectation that happens.So making sure that we’re setting them up for success in learning and building upon that learning, and then also creating resources that really meet them where they are in their tenure and their journey, and being able to translate complex information into simple information that they can digest, consume, put into practice, and then go and evangelize.And then also weaving in sales subject matter experts that really know how to sell your current product and what talking to your customers is like currently, and using them as subject matter experts to really inform that sales motion of that product launch. RR: Great. I think those are all wonderful strategies. And I know kind of a common one when it comes to product launch that you need to keep in mind is just how crucial cross-functional alignment is for the success of a launch. So can you talk to me a little bit about how you create and maybe maintain alignment as you’re building and executing your launch enablement strategy? KS: Yeah, it is so critical. And communication in general in all relationships is so important. And so this is one that really is the make-or-break fail point in a lot of companies. And so having regular touchpoints with subject matter experts across various teams such as—you know, as I called out, sales and success—but also product marketing and other marketing teams. Operations is another really key one.There are so many different teams, and if you’re lucky, you’ll have a business transformation team or a project management team that’s there to foster all of those cross-functional relationships and create that alignment.We work really closely with our product managers and our product teams. We meet with them regularly within our enablement role. In fact, we have somebody in enablement at Dialpad that’s focused on our product and pricing strategy, and so he has these deep relationships with these different teams and different individuals across the business.Additionally, we have a product launch playbook that we have socialized with these cross-functional partners so they know what that playbook looks like, how it can act modularly, and where they play in the process of the playbook—or where they fit into the process, so to speak.And so that really helps us create that alignment and speak the same language. Lastly, we focus on retrospectives—so making sure that we’re learning from each product launch or product release to the next, and by performing retrospectives and having that discussion over, hey, what worked really well, what maybe didn’t work as well, and what can we make better the next time? RR: I love those strategies. I think the Product Launch Playbook is such a clever idea to kind of get everybody on board and aligned with what you’re expected to accomplish. I also love the idea of coming back and reviewing. Sometimes the business runs so fast that you feel like you can’t, but that moment is just as essential—almost—as that next product launch. So I love to hear that.Thinking then of how you’re launching, I’d also like to know a little bit about once you’ve established alignment, how you’re then developing that launch strategy to start running with. Could you talk me through the components of your launch strategy and then maybe how you’re partnering with an enablement platform to support and scale it? KS: Yeah, so that product launch playbook is key. And making sure that it’s modular and nimble to work with various forms or shapes and sizes in which products or, you know, product launch moments happen.Highspot is truly the home—or I guess any platform that people might use—to host just-in-time resources. For us, it’s Highspot, and it truly is the home and where we expect reps to go to first. And so if we think about it in that way, we need to build around that concept.So having that host pre-launch and post-launch and launch materials, having it give guidelines on how to execute—whether it is, you know, as an SDR, BDR, ADR, picking up the phone, what to say, how sellers should be selling the product, how our Customer Success Managers should be reviewing adoption for the product—all needs to live there.We also focus on asynchronous learning, so making sure that we’re not pulling reps out of prime-time selling and giving them space and time to learn on their own, but also checking their knowledge through knowledge checks and certifications. And then all of this new information happening during a product launch needs to, in some way, shape, or form, be folded into onboarding.So thinking about how that comes back into onboarding so that reps who start tomorrow can benefit from that information and be able to hit the ground running. RR: Yeah, there are a lot of different lenses to look at it and areas in which it needs to be embedded, so that all makes sense. On the note of enablement platforms, I know that Dialpad had previously partnered with another enablement solution, so can you maybe share why Highspot was the better fit for your organization as well as how it supports your enablement strategy today? KS: Yeah, Highspot is integral.It’s integral in that it is where our reps start their day and where they end their day. It hosts all of our content, both internal-facing and external-facing. So Highspot is a game changer for us because within my team it’s easy for us to manage from an admin perspective and to practice governance across the various teams that are content creators or host content and manage it there.Our reps are familiar with using it. That’s another thing—you know, having a solution like Highspot is something that reps come to expect nowadays, and so they’re familiar with it, they know how to use it, and we’re constantly thinking about how they interact with it and how we can train them to interact with it better.Our Highspot team—so the team that helps us at Highspot—is a differentiator. So that is our CSM and our AM. So Jess, Emily, our Technical Account Manager Brian, and Matt Hunin, our Solutions Engineer, all help us be able to learn the latest and greatest, utilize what we already have, and maximize our value.And then potentially look at other things that might help us as we overall, as a company, shift to more of a just-in-time strategy. So moving away from live sessions that people are going to forget most of what you said, moving away from, you know, long e-learnings, and more of, okay, I’m in—you know, I have to prepare for this call in 15 minutes—where am I going to find that information?Surfacing it up in Highspot and making it easy to find has become a game changer in helping them—meeting them where they're at and giving them the information they need to be successful.And then we can use data from Highspot and correlate that to leading indicators on whether reps are doing the kind of behaviors we want to see and how that ties to business outcomes. And are the reps actually closing deals or protecting revenue as a result? RR: Well, that’s all great to hear, and I always love to hear a really positive experience. I’m so glad that your account team is there to support you through all of it.We have heard through the grapevine, actually, that you’re doing some really awesome work with the platform, and one area where you’ve seen a lot of success is actually through Digital Rooms—with over 342 Digital Rooms created in Highspot, as well as a 9% increase in external engagement, which is wonderful just to call that out.So what are some of your best practices for driving that adoption? KS: Yeah, yeah. We moved to Digital Rooms just last year, if you can believe it, from pitch templates. And one of the things we did first off was—there was a Highspot University course around Digital Rooms that we took, and we also used materials that we were able to find from Highspot so we could become proficient ourselves as the people that were enabling the reps.We then built a dedicated Digital Room kit to help reps get familiar with the why and the how of Digital Rooms and provided them with walkthroughs. And then we hosted sessions, we did asynchronous learning, we do one-on-one support for our reps on why it’s important, how to build, how to find engagement and analytics.And we regularly also work with reps to get feedback—so figure out what’s working, how do we build templates that make it really easy for them to add in what they want to add in, what information do they always add in so we can just add it into the template for them.Another thing that we thought about was—we use Consensus for demo videos, and so integrating Consensus into there, and how do we make that easy?We have also thought about Digital Rooms not just for sales. We’ve thought about it for our sales development reps and what are their use cases, and built templates for them, and done specific training for them, and gotten feedback from them.We’ve also thought about the post-sales journey a lot. So how do we get our client sales reps using it to position cross-sell and upsell? And then customer success—where do we feed in content for QBRs or other conversations that they’re having with customers and integrating in their feedback to make their templates better?So we’re always thinking about how to get our reps more and more proficient and making that a focal point month over month. And we’re really excited for some of the enhancements coming to Digital Rooms that we’re going to capitalize on moving forward and making sure our reps know how to use it. RR: Yeah. I love that you led with educating yourself first, because how can you enable on something that you haven’t been in those weeds with as well?Well, that’s one of the biggest things you can give your reps—is to build with them in mind. You know their work, you can build something for them, and then actually they’ll use it. It sounds simple, but it’s really hard to do.So I’d love to hear a little bit of a shift in focus, but I’m curious if you could walk me through how you measure the impact of—and maybe then begin to optimize—some of your enablement efforts? KS: Yeah, I think about measuring impact of enablement in three ways. So you have the first prong, which is your enablement effort in general. So how do you measure enablement through, like, what activities are you doing?So this is—you know, if you think about the Kirkpatrick model—this is Level 1 and Level 2: Was your training effective? Were you able to certify, you know, X number of reps? That sort of thing. Those are examples of that.Then I think about the second prong, which is leading indicators. And this is about behavior. Are the reps able to take what they have learned and apply it to their daily workflow?Maybe it looks like building pipeline, maybe it looks like having certain conversations with customers or sending information to customers. You know, it could be various things that are that kind of Level 3 of Kirkpatrick.And then the third prong is at Level 4—so thinking about those business outcomes that are the goals of why you are doing this whole enablement approach to begin with. What kind of revenue are you trying to impact? Are you trying to impact conversion rates, you know, average deal size? Are you trying to increase revenue? Are you trying to protect revenue—so reduce churn and downsell?Those are all things that, you know, are on my mind. And then the correlation between the three—the correlation between the enablement efforts, the behavior change that you’re seeing through leading indicators, and the business outcomes.And so when it comes to then, okay, we’ve launched something, we’ve measured it, and now we’re trying to optimize it—it is then looking at, alright, what are the different checkpoints along the way in which we can say, did we do our job? Or do we need to go back and do more?And so maybe it looks like, hey, are they actually reviewing the play or the kits? Are they sending the content to customers? If not, why? We can ask those questions, because we can see the data on whether or not they’re doing it. Are they saying it in customer conversations? That looks like utilizing a conversational intelligence tool to see if they’re actually using it in those conversations.We can start to dig into all the different pieces and figure out where we need to refine our enablement approach to fill that gap.And so we can utilize Highspot to do that, our data in Salesforce to do that, conversational intelligence data. There are many different ways, but just having that data to dig into it, and then asking questions to reps is so important. RR: Thanks so much for that really thoughtful step-by-step walkthrough. I think that’s really actionable, and I think our listeners will take a lot away from it. I know that measurement is always going to kind of be difficult for enablement teams, so I love just hearing how folks have developed real actionable strategies for making it happen.But on the subject of measurement, I’d love to know—since implementing Highspot, what business results have you achieved? Any wins that you could share or just anything that you’re proud of that you’ve accomplished over at Dialpad? KS: Yeah, I’m proud of so much. Our team has done a phenomenal job, and as you called out—you know, the successes with Digital Rooms and that new product that we launched, that new SKU—those are really huge.Additionally, we have utilized Highspot to realize over $16 million of influenced revenue in just 2024 alone within our revenue organization. That is such a testament to how much our reps have Highspot integrated into their day-to-day life, and then how they use that information to speak to customers, how they use their messaging, and then how that behavior results in those closed-won opportunities.Additionally, partner is such a huge focus of Dialpad—so our partnerships with our resellers, our partnership with our channel—and we have seen a high increase: 23% of our partner material being used and being viewed and then being leveraged, which is also something I’m very proud of.And then the project that I’m currently working on that I’m proud of—but, you know, time will tell on results—is I’m working on a robust governance strategy so we can really take Highspot to the next level and make our cross-functional partners more of the partners in how the content gets delivered to our reps.And so I’m really looking forward to rolling out our more robust governance strategy this year. RR: We’ll stay tuned on how it goes. I mean, those are already incredible results, so thank you so much for sharing.Just one last question for you before we close out—would love for you to share maybe what the biggest pieces of advice you’d give other enablement leaders to help them drive a successful product launch. KS: I think the modular Product Launch Playbook has been huge—so having a laid-out plan for how you would run a product launch from start to finish in enablement and making sure that it fits all sizes, shapes, and formations of what a product launch might look like.And then the other piece of advice I would give is having regular communication and good working relationships across multiple cross-functional partners so that siloed work becomes less of a thing you have to battle. Because that just means that, you know, working together, we all lift each other up.And so that’s something that then trickles down to our reps, but then also trickles out to our customers and makes them more willing to buy from us. So I think cross-functional relationships are just so key—and so keep on working on those relationships. RR: Those are both fantastic pieces of advice, so thank you for taking the time to come share these insights with us. I think I speak for myself and our listeners when I say that I learned a lot of valuable information and was taking notes for sure.To our audience, thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Win-Win podcast. Be sure to tune in next time for more insights on how you can maximize enablement success with Highspot.

    WBSRocks: Business Growth with ERP and Digital Transformation
    WBSP743: Grow Your Business by Learning from Enterprise Software Stories - Feb 2025, Ep 7, an Objective Panel Discussion

    WBSRocks: Business Growth with ERP and Digital Transformation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2025 56:25


    Send us a textThe enterprise tech space is buzzing with momentum as AI-driven innovation, strategic acquisitions, and infrastructure investments redefine the competitive landscape. From Qbiq's $16M raise to automate architectural design to Vasco's funding to optimize startup revenue trajectories with AI, it's clear that intelligent automation is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity. Meanwhile, power-hungry data centers brace for demand to double in the next five years, prompting infrastructure giants like Lenovo and IBM to expand their capabilities through high-stakes acquisitions. CDP consolidation gains pace with Rokt's mParticle deal, while ServiceNow and Vercel are sharpening their edge in AI and open source, respectively. Even the cloud world isn't sitting still, with Render securing $80M to simplify deployment. And amidst it all, industry drama unfolds as Salesforce's Marc Benioff openly critiques Microsoft Copilot, reminding us that even in AI, not all copilots fly smoothly.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro SommFor more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. 

    Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast
    The Creative Sandbox Way: Building Creative Culture with Melissa Dinwiddie

    Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2025 50:37


    What if your team's best innovation is stuck behind a lie - like “I'm not creative”? In this episode, Nicole Greer sits down with Melissa Dinwiddie, author of The Creative Sandbox Way: Your Path to a Full-Color Life, to smash that myth and uncover the truth: creativity is your birthright—and it's the key to building a vibrant, energized culture.Melissa shares her personal journey from self-doubt to singing jazz, thriving as an artist in Silicon Valley, and coaching leaders at Google, Facebook, and Salesforce. She introduces her 10 transformative guideposts to unlock innovation, break through fear, and help people across all industries build their own “Creative Sandbox.” Whether you lead a team, launch ideas, or build culture, this episode will give you the tools—and the mindset—to turn possibility into reality.Vibrant Highlights:[00:06:54] – The lie of “I'm not creative”—and how most people are wounded out of creativity in childhood.[00:25:48] – “Think Quantity, Not Quality”: Why messy first drafts and crappy pots are the secret to innovation.[00:29:38] – Tiny and daily wins: how 15 minutes a day changed Melissa's creative life—and can spark your next big thing.[00:33:21] – “Take the riskier path” — If you're not risking, you're not innovating. Even Coca-Cola took big swings![00:36:57] – Dismiss the Gremlins: How to spot the sneaky voices of fear and self-doubt—and send them off for a pedicure.[00:43:22] – Self-awareness + self-compassion = the key to everything good. (Golden formula alert!)Melissa's Book: https://a.co/d/76rgugOFREE Download -  Impact Innovation Checklist: https://bit.ly/bvcpthankyouConnect with Melissa:Website: https://melissadinwiddie.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadinwiddie/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MelissaDinwiddieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_creative_life/Also mentioned in this episode:Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland: https://a.co/d/bJJ5Q9YTaming Your Gremlin by Rick Carson: https://a.co/d/arACGUqThe Human Condition by Thomas Keating: https://a.co/d/6wNXGqUSelf-Compassion by Kristin Neff: https://a.co/d/4tyG8IeListen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts! Learn more about Nicole Greer, The Vibrant Coach, at vibrantculture.com

    D2D - Podcast
    471: Built a 500-Rep Sales Force and Scaled Into 2 Continents in just 5 Years | Brendan Quinlan – The D2D Podcast

    D2D - Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2025 47:02


    This one's for the builders. Brendan Quinlan started knocking doors nearly two decades ago, before iPads, before online training, before it was “cool.” He spent 13 years actively knocking, built his first team from the ground up in Florida, and got laughed out of every pest control office in Canada when he tried to bring D2D to his home country. Fast forward to today, and Brendan leads over 500 reps, operates in multiple Canadian cities, and just launched a new international team in Melbourne, Australia. His company now owns both the marketing and fulfillment side, making them the largest residential pest control provider in Canada, all launched in just a few short years. Oh, and now they're training reps to knock year-round by flipping seasons between hemispheres.

    Trader Merlin
    Are Layoffs Hurting the Market? - 07/08/25

    Trader Merlin

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2025 58:42


    Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/pqKsMKp6SA LIVE today at 2 pm PT on Trader Merlin Here's what we're covering in today's episode:

    The Daily Scoop Podcast
    CDC data chief announces departure from agency; Oracle products discounted under GSA OneGov deal

    The Daily Scoop Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2025 4:17


    Alan Sim, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's chief data officer, announced his departure from the agency after nearly five years in the position, per a post he wrote on social media Monday. Sim took on the role of chief data officer in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and over the years has been a leader on initiatives such as the agency's generative AI projects. Reflecting on his time, Sim pointed to several “firsts” the agency achieved, including launching its enterprise data catalog and using data and cloud technologies to improve emergency response. “It is with mixed emotions that I announce my departure from the CDC,” Sim wrote in a post to LinkedIn. His time as CDC's data leader was his second run at the agency. Sim, who has a PhD in epidemiology, had also been a graduate fellow and then a health informatics scientist at CDC early on in his career in the late 90s to the early 2000s. In his post, Sim said that period was “defined by concerns like bioterrorism, Anthrax, and SARS.” “Returning in 2020 as CDC's Chief Data Officer during the worst pandemic in our nation's history was both a significant challenge and a profound opportunity,” Sim said. Sim didn't include details about his next steps but said he would be sharing more soon. It is unclear who the acting CDO is in his absence. The General Services Administration struck a deal with Oracle as part of its OneGov strategy to provide a variety of cheaper services to federal agencies, including a 75% discount for license-based Oracle Technology Programs. Under OneGov, GSA wants to work directly with original equipment manufacturers like Oracle to negotiate better governmentwide terms for commercial technology. On top of the 75% discount for licensed technology such as database, integration, security, and analytics services, Oracle will also offer “substantial base discounts” for its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services, GSA announced Monday. Oracle is now the latest of several technology vendors, including Adobe, Google, Salesforce and others, to negotiate a OneGov deal with GSA. This deal, however, comes with some additional terms beyond discounts that stand to benefit federal agencies as they modernize their IT infrastructures. In particular, Oracle won't charge data egress fees when agencies move their “existing workloads from Oracle Government Clouds to another cloud service provider's FedRAMP Moderate, High or DOD IL 4, 5 Cloud,” GSA said in its release. The company will also promote pricing parity with other competing commercial cloud providers, “with no additional security or government uplifts ever charged in the Oracle cloud.” The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

    The Copywriter Club Podcast
    TCC Podcast #455: A Proven Process for LinkedIn Success with Divya Agrawal

    The Copywriter Club Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2025 47:47


    This isn't the first time we've talked about LinkedIn. But in this episode, we cover specific recommendations for the content you should create and post as well as a proven process for connecting with clients. My guest is content writer Divya Agrawal and what she shared could change your approach to LinkedIn for the better. Click the play button below, or scroll down for a full transcript.   Stuff to check out: The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground The How to Write Emotional Copy Masterclass   Full Transcript: Rob Marsh: If you've got enough clients or you're not willing to put yourself out there to find the clients you need, well, you can probably skip this episode. This is The Copywriter Club Podcast. Like last week, we're revisiting a recurring topic on the show this week, but unlike last week, the recurring topics isn't persuasion or psychology. This week we're talking about the biggest challenge facing almost all copywriters and that's finding clients. Even established copywriters will struggle with this from time to time. One of the trusims of business is that if you don't have clients willing to pay you for the work you do, it doesn't matter how good your website is, it doesn't matter how good a writer you are, it doesn't matter that you can solve your client's problems better than anyone else… without the client, you don't have a business. My guest this week is Divya Agrawal, a SaaS and Tech copywriter who has deep experience finding clients on LinkedIn.  Divya started her career as a programmer but quickly figured out she was on the wrong job track, so she switched to writing. The lessons she shares from her experience launching this new business will help any copywriter or content writer who is looking for clients to work with. Specifically, Divya used LinkedIn to create connections with prospects. Her success posting content and making comments on other posts is a model for other writers who want to do the same… and LinkedIn is where a significant number of the people who hire copywriters hangout and connect. If your clients are there, you need to be there too. In this interview, Divya shares the questions she uses to vet her prospects before they become clients, and she outlines exactly how you can connect with clients on LinkedIn yourself. This is informaiton she charges her coaching clients for, but she's sharing much of it today for free. Before we jump into our interview, a little while ago I recorded a masterclass to show copywriters, content writers and other marketers how to write “emotional” copy. Everyone says emotions sell, but how do you actually write emotional copy? I walk through more than a dozen examples in this masterclass and give you a proven process for figuring out the right emotions to focus on as you write… and how they change as you make your pitch. The masterclass includes several bonuses on storytelling, using A.I. to find dominant and transformational emotions, and much more. You can get this masterclass at thecopywriterclub.com/emotion And now, my interview with Divya Agrawal. Divya, welcome to the podcast. I'm excited to hear your story and to talk about how you're finding clients, but tell us, how did you become a freelance copywriter for Tech. Divya Agrawal: Thank you so much for having me on the podcast, Rob, I highly appreciate this chance to talk to you. I have been a big fan of your podcast, so it's really cool that I get to sit here and share what I know. Yeah, I became a freelance tech writer back in 2017 end of 2017 after a year long stint at a IT company as a software engineer, I was a Salesforce developer for a year, and that didn't work out. I did not like the corporate environment. I did not like the work I was doing. So then I was like, I need to do something else. I had always been a writer. So I was one of those kids in school who is asked to write other kids speeches.

    Sales and Marketing Built Freedom
    AgentForce Decoded: Inside Salesforce's $80B AI Revolution

    Sales and Marketing Built Freedom

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2025 49:24


    Your competitors are already using AI. Don't get left behind. Weekly strategies used by PE Backed and Publicly Traded Companies →https://hi.switchy.io/U6H7S--In this conversation, Ryan Staley interviews Ajay Kumar, the head of AI product growth at Salesforce, discussing the deployment and innovative use cases of Agent Force. Ajay shares surprising applications of AI in various industries, particularly in customer service and marketing, and highlights the integration with OpenAI. The discussion also covers the future of AI, including predictions about AGI and the potential for background agents to revolutionize workflows.Chapters00:00 Introduction to AI and Agent Force at Salesforce02:33 Surprising Use Cases of Agent Force06:49 Impactful Use Cases in Sales and Marketing10:36 Integration with OpenAI and Future Roadmap14:53 Demonstration of Agent Force Features26:14 Top Use Cases and Agent Types29:00 Acquisition Insights and Technology Integration33:17 The Future of AI Agents38:55 Personal AGI Experiences and Innovations44:31 Predictions for AI's Future and Accessibility

    Corporate Escapees
    621 - Why ‘Giving First' Beats Funnels and Ads for Consulting Success with André van Kampen

    Corporate Escapees

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2025 25:02


    Why you should listenAndré van Kampen reveals how his 9-year hospitality background became his secret weapon for delivering exceptional client care in Salesforce consulting, going the extra mile that sets him apart from competitors.Discover how building and nurturing the ISV community in Europe created multiple revenue streams while establishing André as a thought leader in the Salesforce ecosystem.Learn practical strategies for leveraging networking and community involvement to build a sustainable consulting business without relying on paid advertising or traditional marketing tactics.Differentiating yourself in an increasingly crowded consulting market while building genuine client relationships feels nearly impossible. In this episode, I sit down with André van Kampen, a Salesforce consultant from the Netherlands who has built his business through exceptional client care and community leadership. We explore how his hospitality background shaped his consulting approach, why he focuses on the most challenging manufacturing projects, and how he's created multiple revenue streams through ISV partnerships and event organization. André shares insights on navigating AI adoption challenges, the importance of data quality, and why networking remains the most underrated lead generation channel for consultants.About André van KampenAndre van Kampen is a seasoned Salesforce consultant and founder of KampKonsult, ISV Forum, and YeurDreamin'. He specializes in Service Cloud and Community Cloud, holds multiple Salesforce certifications, and has been recognized as a Salesforce MVP (2021–2024). Andre is active in the Salesforce community as an Amsterdam User Group co-leader and is fluent in Dutch and English.Resources and LinksKampkonsult.comAndré's LinkedIn profilePrevious episode: 620 - The Death of Billable HoursCheck out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringJoin our newsletterSuggested resources

    The Kyle Thiermann Show
    #390 The Home Purchase From Hell - Chris Keener

    The Kyle Thiermann Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2025 62:08


    Chris Keener is a master storyteller who helps brands translate their objectives into entertainment. Former Creative Director of MUDWTR and Producer for outfits like National Geographic, Discovery Channel, PBS, ESPN, and the Travel Channel, Chris' film accolades span far deeper than this little bio has room for. But the dude knows his shit. Chris is also the founder of Goldenair Breathwork, which facilitates transformative experiences by connecting people to the power of their breath. He conducts workshops for clients like Salesforce, Soho House, Alo Yoga, and Penn University, while also working in prisons and with the underserved. This was Chris' fourth time on the podcast, so it was more of a friendly catch-up. We talked in detail about his home-purchase-from-hell, and how to emotionally handle the massive stressors that can come with buying a home that started to crumble the moment he signed on the dotted line. Go to Goldenair to breathe. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

    Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
    I've run 75+ businesses. Here's why you're probably chasing the wrong idea. | Andrew Wilkinson (co‑founder of Tiny)

    Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2025 88:28


    Andrew Wilkinson is the co‑founder of Tiny, a holding company that quietly owns more than three dozen profitable internet and consumer brands, including Dribbble and the AeroPress coffee maker. Starting as a teenage barista and web designer, he's created a portfolio approaching $300 million in yearly sales (and he was personally worth over $1 billion at one point)—all without ever raising venture capital.In this conversation, you'll learn:1. The “fish where the fish are” framework for spotting high‑margin niches no one else notices2. The exact agent stack (Lindy, Replit, Limitless, and more) that supercharges Andrew's day-to-day productivity (and has replaced his assistant)3. How Andrew evaluates companies in less than 15 minutes using Buffett‑style moats and “lazy leadership”4. Telltale signs you should shut down (or never start) that startup idea5. His journey from crippling anxiety to clarity through SSRIs and ADHD medication6. His prediction that most knowledge work will be automated—and the skills to teach your kids now—Brought to you by:Sauce—Turn customer pain into product revenueEnterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growthMiro—A collaborative visual platform where your best work comes to life—Where to find Andrew Wilkinson:• X: https://x.com/awilkinson• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awilkinson/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Andrew Wilkinson(04:07) Finding the right business idea(07:18) Avoiding common business pitfalls(11:58) Finding your unfair advantage(17:08) Fish where the fish are(20:08) Why boring is good(25:30) Bootstrapping vs. venture capital(31:20) Lessons from acquiring and managing businesses(36:47) Avoiding people problems(42:39) Leveraging AI in business and life(49:30) The Limitless device(53:13) Job displacement and AI's future impact(58:20) Advice for new grads(01:02:50) Parenting in the age of AI(01:05:26) The pursuit of happiness beyond wealth(01:10:10) Mental health and medication(01:16:45) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Andrew's post on X with the Charlie Munger quote: https://x.com/awilkinson/status/1265653805443506182• Metalab: https://www.metalab.com/• Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/• AeroPress: https://aeropress.com/• Brian Armstrong on X: https://x.com/brian_armstrong• Warren Buffett's quote: https://quotefancy.com/quote/931119/Warren-Buffett-I-am-a-better-investor-because-I-am-a-businessman-and-a-better-businessman• Flow: https://www.getflow.com/• Instacart: https://www.instacart.com/• Things: https://culturedcode.com/things/• Dustin Moskovitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmoskov/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• Serato: https://serato.com/• Chris Sparling on X: https://x.com/_sparling_• Lindy: https://www.lindy.ai/• Replit: https://replit.com/• Behind the product: Replit | Amjad Masad (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-product-replit-amjad-masad• David Ogilvy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ogilvy_(businessman)• Malcolm Gladwell's website: https://www.gladwellbooks.com/• Inside Bolt: From near-death to ~$40m ARR in 5 months—one of the fastest-growing products in history | Eric Simons (founder and CEO of StackBlitz): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-bolt-eric-simons• Building Lovable: $10M ARR in 60 days with 15 people | Anton Osika (CEO and co-founder): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-lovable-anton-osika• Limitless: https://www.limitless.ai/• Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/• Claude: https://claude.ai/• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/• Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/app• William Gibson's quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/681-the-future-is-already-here-it-s-just-not-evenly• Palm Treo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Treo• Sam Altman on X: https://x.com/sama• Dario Amodei on X: https://x.com/darioamodei• Anthropic's CPO on what comes next | Mike Krieger (co-founder of Instagram): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/anthropics-cpo-heres-what-comes-next• Challengers on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/challengers/umc.cmc.53cuz33n4e74ixj8whccj87oc• Matic vacuum: https://maticrobots.com/• Jerzy Gregorek's quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8652595-hard-choices-easy-life-easy-choices-hard-life• Tiny: https://www.tiny.com/• Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/—Recommended books:• The Laws of Human Nature: https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Human-Nature-Robert-Greene/dp/0525428143• How to Get Rich: One of the World's Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets: https://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Rich-Greatest-Entrepreneurs/dp/1591842719—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe