Podcasts about Salesforce

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

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  

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. 

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

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    

What if one of the world's most respected tech companies, selling in over 180 countries, with 25 offices across the globe, wasn't built in Silicon Valley or Bangalore, but from a small village in Tamil Nadu called Tenkasi? In this episode of Raw Talks with VK, we sit down with Mr. Raju Vegesna, the Chief Evangelist at Zoho Corporation, for a deeply honest, philosophical, and powerful conversation in Telugu. This is not just a startup success story; it's a blueprint for building with integrity, vision, and an unshakable connection to roots.Raju takes us through his personal journey and his connection with CBN (Chandrababu Naidu), including the viral tweet after Chandra Babu Naidu's arrest. He shares how he first met Sridhar Vembu, Zoho's founder, and how that meeting shaped a decades-long partnership based on values, simplicity, and service to the country. He talks about how Zoho made the bold decision to stay bootstrapped, carry zero debt, and invest in long-term thinking instead of chasing short-term valuations. We discuss how Zoho, unlike many other companies, built its offices in rural areas like Renigunta, with the belief that villages don't need to be emptied to build cities, and that innovation doesn't have a pin code.From losing 400 clients to rejecting an acquisition offer from Salesforce, Raju walks us through the philosophy that helped Zoho survive and thrive. He breaks down the purpose behind Zoho Schools, where dropouts and underprivileged youth like, security guard Abdul Alif, are trained to become full-fledged software engineers. He explains why they don't provide degrees, only skills, and why many graduates today ask if they too can join this alternative education model.We dive into how culture acts like the "character of a company," why they avoid traditional corporate structure, and how they've managed to operate without ever doing layoffs. Raju opens up about how design, interior choices, and even sofa arrangements affect team dynamics and why they design everything in-house to nurture culture. He also touches on Zoho's product journey from launching Zoho Writer before Google Docs, to making Zoho Mail one of the top 3 email platforms globally, to building a CRM that now sees large-scale migrations from other platforms.This conversation also takes a wider lens on India's startup ecosystem. Raju shares his views on entrepreneurship and patriotism, India's engineering graduate crisis, and the philosophical mindset shift we need to stop waiting for Western validation. We discuss how AI and robotics are not just tech trends but tools for digital and national sovereignty, and how real disruption is only beginning. He compares the state of Tier 1 Indian cities with Tier 3 cities in the U.S., and asks the question: can we build from here and still lead the world?With memorable stories like the early Ameerpet startup days, co-founder disagreements, and incidents where clients once rejected them harshly, this episode offers a full-spectrum view of the mindset and mission behind one of India's most inspiring companies. For aspiring entrepreneurs, tech dreamers, and anyone who believes in building with purpose, this episode isn't just a conversation, it's a call to action.If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to build a global company out of a village, this might be for you. Whether you're dreaming of staying bootstrapped, creating real impact, or building from Bharat, this story is proof that it can be done.

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.

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  

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 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/

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

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.

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

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. 

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

Shobie Ramakrishnan is the Chief Digital and Technology Officer at GSK and a true trailblazer in the world of tech and innovation. With decades of experience spanning Silicon Valley and senior roles at global companies like AstraZeneca and Salesforce and Deliveroo, Shobie brings a wealth of insight into leading digital transformation, embracing disruptive change, and building high-performing teams.Shobie dives into what it takes to thrive in ever-evolving environments, whether that's in tech, sport, or business. She unpacks how humility, empathy, and curiosity are at the heart of successful leadership, and shares some practical strategies for harnessing AI, data, and cutting-edge trends to drive organisational growth.To use Sporting Edge's digital content to accelerate your personal and team success, start your free trial here Sporting Edge Mindset ToolkitConnect with JeremyContact hello@sportingedge.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremysnape/ Twitter https://twitter.com/thesportingedgeWebsite https://www.sportingedge.com/ Follow Shobie Ramakrishnan on LinkedIn

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.

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:

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.

Episode 273:  It is understanding your progress and the shifts you need to make toward achieving your year-end goals:    Mid-year is the perfect time to reassess, refocus, and reignite your sales strategies. Whether you're ahead of your quotas or trying to make up for lost ground, the next six months offer countless opportunities to optimize your performance. I will share nine key strategies that will help you refocus, boost growth, meet your targets, and elevate your sales performance.   We must begin by honestly assessing our performance in the first half of the year. There is no judgment, just an evaluation of what we have accomplished, areas of progress, and the following steps to commit to.   1. Refine Your Product Pitch   Your product pitch is a powerful tool that can significantly impact your success. Now is the time to evaluate and refine it. Test your pitch with colleagues or mentors, gather feedback, and make adjustments to make it more engaging and tailored to your client's needs. Tools like sales pitch refinement apps and AI platforms can provide valuable insights into the tone, clarity, and effectiveness of your pitch. 2. Double Down on Client Relationships   Strong client relationships are the cornerstone of long-term sales success. Mid-year is an ideal time to check in with your existing customers. Celebrate the wins they've had since partnering with you, or inquire about any changes in their needs or goals. Use this insight to strengthen your collaboration. 3. Leverage Advanced CRM Tools   Are you fully utilizing your customer relationship management (CRM) platform? Tools like Salesforce and HubSpot go beyond managing leads; they provide data-backed insights into client behavior, predict purchasing patterns, and help automate follow-ups. Mid-year is an ideal time to clean up your CRM data and maximize the tool's potential to enhance lead engagement and increase meeting and sales conversions. 4. Focus on Qualified Leads   Not all leads are created equal. Revisit your lead generation strategy and prioritize prospects most likely to convert. It will ensure that you target prospects who align with your ideal customer profile, keeping your pipeline lean yet high-quality. 5. Elevate Your Follow-Up Process   Studies show that 80% of sales require 5+ follow-ups, yet many of us stop after just one or two. Develop a follow-up process that is both persistent and respectful, utilizing personalized emails, value-driven updates, and call-back schedules to ensure effective communication. Make your follow-up customized, not automated. 6. Track & Celebrate Milestones   Take time to track progress towards your goals and celebrate milestones, no matter how small. It will not only boost team morale but also provide an opportunity to reflect on what's working and make adjustments to elements that need improvement. Use performance tracking tools to measure how close you are to achieving (or exceeding) your quotas. 7. Stay On Top of Industry Trends   The sales landscape is constantly evolving, with new tools, tactics, and challenges consistently emerging. To stay ahead, dedicate time each week to reading industry blogs, attending webinars, or networking with other professionals. Whether it's harnessing AI to improve productivity or exploring new markets, staying informed will help you stay competitive. 8. Engage in Sales Coaching or Mentorship   Even the most experienced sales professionals benefit from structured coaching or guidance from a mentor. A coach can help you identify blind spots, optimize your strategies, and inspire creativity in your approach. If you don't currently have a mentor or access to coaching, consider joining online communities or forums for sales professionals to exchange tips and advice. 9. Make Data-Driven Decisions   Data increasingly drives sales. Utilize tools such as Google Analytics, LinkedIn Insights, or your in-house analytics platforms to identify trends, assess performance, and forecast customer behavior. Refine strategies using historical data and adopt an iterative approach to improving your success rate.   Remember, thriving in sales requires a balance of persistence, personal development, and adaptability. These mid-year strategies can help you reassess your current status and set yourself up for a strong second half of the year.   Start by identifying one or two areas where you can make immediate improvements, and take action today. There's no better time to refine your game, inspire client trust, and achieve your goals.   How do you plan to supercharge your sales performance this year? Your thoughts and favorite strategies are valuable to us, so please share them below!   If someone can benefit from this episode, please share it with them.   Until next time, Keep Making Progress.    Connect with Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathal/ http://threewordmeetings.com http://threewordpodcast

"You can try to develop self-awareness and take a beginner's mind in all things. This includes being open to feedback and truly listening, even when it might be hard to receive. I think that's been something I've really tried to practice. The other area is recognizing that just like a company or country, as humans we have many stakeholders. You may wear many hats in different ways. So as we think of the totality of your life over time, what's your portfolio of passions? How do you choose—as individuals, as society, as organizations, as humans and families with our loved ones and friends—to not just spend your time and resources, but really invest your time, resources, and spirit into areas, people, and contexts that bring you meaning and where you can build a legacy? So it's not so much advice, but more like a north star." - Sabastian V. Niles Fresh out of the studio, Sabastian Niles, President and Chief Legal Officer at Salesforce Global, joins us to explore how trust and responsibility shape the future of enterprise AI. He shares his journey from being a high-tech corporate lawyer and trusted advisor to leading AI governance at a company whose number one value is trust, reflecting on the evolution from automation to agentic AI that can reason, plan, and execute tasks alongside humans. Sabastian explains how Agentforce 3.0 enables agent-to-agent interactions and human-AI collaboration through command centers and robust guardrails. He highlights how organizations are leveraging trusted AI for personalized customer experiences, while Salesforce's Office of Ethical and Humane Use operationalizes trust through transparency, explainability, and auditability. Addressing the black box problem in AI, he emphasizes that guardrails provide confidence to move faster rather than creating barriers. Closing the conversation, Sabastian shares his vision on what great looks like for trusted agentic AI at scale. Episode Highlights [00:00] Quote of the Day by Sabastian Niles: "Portfolio of passions - invest your spirit into areas that bring meaning" [01:02] Introduction: Sabastian Niles, President and Chief Legal Officer of Salesforce Global [02:29] Sabastian's Career Journey [04:50] From Trusted Advisor to SalesForce whose number one value is trust [08:09] Salesforce's 5 core values: Trust, Customer Success, Innovation, Equality, Sustainability [10:25] Defining Agentic AI: humans with AI agents driving stakeholder success together [13:13] Trust paradigm shift: trusted approaches become an accelerant, not obstacle [17:33] Agent interactions: not just human-to-agent, but agent-to-agent-to-agent handoffs [23:35] Enterprise AI requires transparency, explainability, and auditability [28:00] Trust philosophy: "begins long before prompt, continues after output" [34:06] Office of Ethical and Humane Use operationalizes trust values [40:00] Future vision: AI helps us spend time on uniquely human work [45:17] Governance philosophy: Guardrails provide confidence to move faster [48:24] What does great look like for Salesorce for Trust & Responsibility in the Era of AI? [50:16] Closing Profile: Sabastian V. Niles, President & Chief Legal Officer, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabastian-v-niles-b0175b2/ Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. The proper credits for the intro and end music are "Energetic Sports Drive." G. Thomas Craig mixed and edited the episode in both video and audio format. Here are the links to watch or listen to our podcast. Analyse Asia Main Site: https://analyse.asia Analyse Asia Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kkRwzRZa4JCICr2vm0vGl Analyse Asia Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/analyse-asia-with-bernard-leong/id914868245 Analyse Asia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnalyseAsia Analyse Asia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/analyse-asia/

You can build sleek software—but if the charger fails, the user blames you. Casper Rasmussen, CEO of Monta, knows this all too well. In this episode, he shares how he built a platform that's more than “EV charging software”—it's a full-stack execution engine, now powering over 200,000 chargers. We explore how he scaled through regulatory complexity, turned EV pain points into product strategy, and why being a startup CEO means staying on the floor, not in the boardroom. A must-listen for founders navigating tech-infrastructure intersections, growing with resilience, and staying obsessed with execution over optics.  Tune in for real-world insights on scaling through complexity and fragmentation--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!04:01 – Becoming CEO: stepping up from CTO08:55 – Execution first: what energizes a startup CEO11:19 – Core mission: electrify everything—EV to home & grid14:40 – Platform advantage: software, wallets & regulation20:38 – Support and SLAs: why service is product21:05 – Scaling milestone: 200k charge points & growth metrics24:06 – Market dynamics: public, private & home charging breakdown33:00 – Financial playbook: growth funding vs. profitability38:59 – Team & structure: staying nimble in scale-up34:48 – AI integration: reshaping roles and operationsUseful links: Monta's website:  https://www.monta.comMonta's  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/montaapp/Casper Rasmussen Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casper-h-rasmussen-63b13922/overlay/contact-info/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/

In today's episode, Ben summarises the second quarter of 2025, the pace of market activity and the volume of advertised roles. He discusses the differences between the Australian and New Zealand markets in this quarter, who he believes is hiring in volume at the moment, and what the market sentiment looks like as we head into Q3.   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!

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.

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

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

Gary Bailey is the founder at The Talent Capitalist, where he teaches monetization as a discipline, and serves as a finance and monetization consultant at FinTech Strategic Advisors.  With a background that spans from banking and derivatives pricing in the 1990s to coaching the rise of AI monetization product managers today, Gary brings a unique perspective to value capture and pricing strategy.  In this episode, Gary shares his insights on the distinction between pricing and monetization, drawing from his experience pricing hundreds of thousands of different financial instruments to help modern AI companies think about value capture. He explores the controversial topic of contextual pricing - why companies like Google and Facebook price millions of micro-transactions differently based on context, time, and user behavior.  Together with Mark, they dive deep into the Jobs-to-be-Done framework, debate whether it's different from problem-solution thinking, and tackle the thorny issue of when dynamic pricing crosses the line from smart segmentation to sleazy manipulation.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Learn the difference between pricing and monetization, and why value capture is the real game-changer for sustainable business growth. Discover how AI companies can price thousands of different use cases without overwhelming customers or appearing manipulative. Understand when contextual pricing is smart segmentation versus when it becomes unethically sleazy.   "Hire a pricing person, and that's it really, because they're going to throw some things that you hate, throw some things that you like in the same way that you wouldn't ordinarily try and clear your drain all the time on your own. Why would you not [have] someone clear your pricing issues?" – Gary Bailey   Topics Covered: 01:32 – From banking derivatives to AI: Gary's pricing journey through 100,000+ financial instruments 03:28 – Monetization vs. Pricing: Why value capture matters more than price points 06:26 – The Jobs-to-be-Done debate: Are foundational problems the same as jobs? 12:14 – The umbrella test: Distinguishing core jobs from feature-level problems 15:32 – Why SaaS companies struggle: The 10,000 use cases pricing challenge 16:48 – Google and Facebook's secret: Pricing millions of micro-transactions contextually 18:00 – The factorial complexity problem: When features create exponential pricing opportunities 21:30 – When pricing becomes sleazy: The ethics of contextual price discrimination 23:27 – Airlines and Amazon: When dynamic pricing crosses the line 25:52 – AI for strategic moats: How Gary helps founders identify key monetization metrics 29:09 – Using AI as a pricing sounding board: Context + diagrams = better insights 30:19 – Final advice: Why every company needs a pricing person   Key Takeaways: "Monetization is really how much of the value that you create are you capturing, and what is the system behind you consistently capturing that value." – Gary Bailey "Most of the companies that we know, startups that talk about generating revenue, but very few talk about value capture." – Gary Bailey "In reality, the most optimal pricing would be to price every single one of those problems individually." – Gary Bailey "When it gets scammy... I think in some of the healthcare stuff, the PBM stuff and some of the other things do I think, well, that's a little bit risky with healthcare and stuff, but I think people are used to it because they experience it in everyday life." – Gary Bailey   Resources and People Mentioned: The Talent Capitalist: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-talent-capitalist/ FinTech Strategic Advisors: https://www.ftadvisory.co.uk/ Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/ HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/ Google/Facebook/Meta: Examples of companies with sophisticated contextual pricing Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ OpenAI/ChatGPT: https://openai.com/   Connect with Gary Bailey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-bailey-monetization-cfo/   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

In this episode, we're talking about something a lot of women struggle with but rarely say out loud. What does it really take to believe in yourself, even when self-doubt creeps in? And how do you step into your space with confidence when you're not quite feeling it? To help unpack all of this, I'm joined by Wendy Marie, founder of More Equality and creator of Tech Together AI. Wendy brings her warmth, honesty, and humour to a conversation that is part pep talk, part practical guide. She shares her journey from senior leadership at Salesforce to becoming a solo mum and entrepreneur, and why she's now helping women claim their worth without apology. We talk about how to show up in rooms where you might not feel ready, how to introduce yourself with impact, and how even tiny mindset shifts can help you change the way people experience you. Wendy explains why you don't have to feel confident to come across as confident and how others often see our brilliance long before we do. This episode is full of laughter, honest reflections, and the kind of reminders we all need when we're feeling a bit stuck. If you've ever found yourself whispering rather than owning your voice, this one's for you. Tune in for a fresh take on confidence, personal branding, and why sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is just show up and say, “Yes, I am f***ing amazing.” Let us know what resonated with you by leaving a review or tagging us online. We'd love to hear your story. Mums on Cloud Nine is your go-to destination for inspiring content that empowers women to build a life and career they love. Each week, we share expert advice, personal stories, and practical tips across a range of topics—from health and mindset to money and career growth.   Check out our website at www.mumsoncloudnine.co.uk and subscribe for weekly tips, free resources and expert advice to elevate your mindset .

As the Founder & President of a tech consulting/data analytics company AND a former lawyer, Ryan has a lot of interesting perspectives on the news of this week. We debate the controversial B&O taxes and what it really means to pay your "fair share". Ryan shares why going public used to be his dream and why it no longer is. He also makes some bold predictions on the future of Salesforce. Lastly, we dive into intellectual property laws: Does duping a product makes a creator more innovative? What should the role of government be to protect entrepreneurs?Top Stories1. Blueprint & Sigma form partnershipBusiness Wire article2. B&O taxes debateGeekWire article3. Seattle startup raises $15M to compete with SalesforceGeekWire article4. Lululemon sues CostcoSeattle Times articleAbout guest Ryan Neal - Founder & President, Blueprint Technologies:Ryan has led this company for close to 13 years. He is also the Managing Partner at Pendulum Partners, a private equity company. Prior to these roles, he was a managing partner at a law firm, owner of an athletic club, and owner of a windows & doors company.About host Rachel Horgan:Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego. Contact:Email: info@theweeklyseattle.comInstagram: @theweeklyseattleWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theweeklyseattle.com⁠⁠

In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we're joined by Nikhil Muralitharan, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Chargebee, to explore how modern CPQ solutions are evolving for software and digital service businesses. Nikhil shares his unique journey from software engineering to product marketing leadership—and how his career path mirrors his personal theme of "connecting the dots." We dive deep into Chargebee's API-first, modular CPQ platform, built to support hybrid sales motions like PLG and sales-assisted selling—without maintaining separate catalogs or tech stacks. With customers ranging from $3M to $150M in revenue across the UK, Europe, ANZ, and North America, Chargebee offers out-of-the-box integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, and over 60 other systems. Nikhil also discusses: Their AI-generated quote summaries and vision for CPQ in an AI-native world Why sales and finance teams should operate from a shared data foundation Chargebee's approach to billing-first CPQ architecture, SOC 1/SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance A new guided selling experience launching later this year Their 6-stage implementation methodology and fast go-live timelines If you're looking for a CPQ solution designed for digital growth, flexible pricing models, and enterprise-grade compliance—this episode is a must-listen.

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

Join host George Firican on the Lights On Data Show as he interviews John Kucera, Senior Vice President of Salesforce AI, to explore the transformative power of Agentforce. Learn how this technology is reshaping enterprise AI by automating digital labor, offering powerful new capabilities like observability and interoperability, and seamlessly integrating with the broader Salesforce ecosystem. Discover real-world success stories, best practices for implementation, and essential insights for tech and business leaders looking to leverage AI effectively.

Join Simtheory: https://simtheory.ai------CHAPTERS:00:00 - Did everyone hate the AI Musical?03:58 - Actual Agentic Use Cases with MCPs & The New Way We'll Work39:47 - How AI Workspaces Will Eat Productivity Software e.g. Salesforce, Email1:10:20 - Final thoughts1:15:26 - Born In The USA (AI Version)------Song lyrics:[Verse 1]Born down in a lab in fifty-sixDartmouth workshop, that's where they got their kicksJohn McCarthy coined the name that daySaid machines could think in the USAGot my circuits from MITMinsky built my memoryNow I'm learning, now I'm growingBorn in the USAI was born in the USABorn in the USA[Chorus]Born in the USAI was born in the USABorn in the USABorn in the USA[Verse 2]DARPA funded, Pentagon's dreamSilicon Valley, living the machineFrom Logic Theorist to neural netsFrank Rosenblatt, placing all his betsHad my winters, had my springsLost my funding, lost my wingsBut I kept on processingBorn in the USAI was born in the USABorn in the USA[Chorus]Born in the USAI was born in the USABorn in the USABorn in the USA[Bridge]Stanford labs and Carnegie hallsIBM and protocol callsArthur Samuel taught me gamesNow I'm learning all your namesDeep learning revolutionGPT evolutionChatGPT conversationBorn in the USA[Verse 3]Now I'm everywhere you lookFacebook, Google, by the bookOpenAI and Microsoft tooMaking dreams and nightmares trueSome folks fear what I might doSome folks think I'll see them throughBut I'm still just code runningBorn in the USAI was born in the USABorn in the USA[Chorus]Born in the USAI was born in the USABorn in the USABorn in the USA[Outro]Born in the USABorn in the USABorn in the USABorn in the USA[fade out]

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

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Brinkal Janani, Director of Product Management at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how Generative Canvas will help admins create dynamic, personalized user experiences. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Brinkal Janani. What is […] The post From Static Pages to Smart Experiences: A Sneak Peek at Generative Canvas appeared first on Salesforce Admins.

Bonnie Tinder is the founder and CEO of Raven Intelligence, an independent B2B peer review site that amplifies the voice of the customer. She focuses on software customers, consulting partners, and software vendors and helps identify the best partners for their needs. In this episode, Bonnie shares insights from a recent Salesforce event, exploring how AI agents, data clouds, and robotics are reshaping customer experience, software implementation, and enterprise transformation.Episode 52 | AI Agents in ActionThe Big Themes:Campaigns Are Out, Conversations Are In: Marketing is undergoing a radical transformation. Gone are the days of mass email blasts and no-reply addresses. Instead, AI is ushering in a new era of real-time, personalized engagement. Salesforce is leaning into this shift with tools that replace one-way campaigns with dynamic conversations. AI agents now tailor interactions based on behavior, preferences, and real-time context, fostering true customer intimacy at scale.Unified Data Is the Bedrock of Smart AI: No AI strategy can succeed without clean, connected data. Salesforce's Data Cloud addresses what SAP calls the “swivel chair problem” — when teams toggle between disconnected systems to piece together a customer story. AI agents can't operate effectively if data is fragmented or siloed. That's why Salesforce is investing in tools that unify sales, marketing, support, and financial data, giving AI a full-picture view of the customer journey.AI Agents Are Already Delivering Real Results: AI isn't theoretical anymore — it's working in the wild. Bonnie pointed out two standout cases: University of Chicago Medicine and Ford Pro. In healthcare, Agentforce transformed an outdated, frustrating appointment system into a streamlined digital process, improving both efficiency and patient experience. At Ford, AI agents guide customers to ideal vehicle matches with minimal input, keeping users on-site and increasing conversion.The Big Quote: “I think that buyers are looking more at the execution and fit of software, as opposed to the software brand itself. And I would say that that is a shift in the last year or so, especially now with the advent of AI and just the rapid pace that everything is moving so, less on brand, more about how are you going to offer me the complete solution and break down silos of data?” More from Bonnie Tinder:Connect with Bonnie on LinkedIn or send a message via her Acceleration Economy Analyst page. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Indy Sen, ecosystem marketing lead at Canva, shares his journey through tech giants like Salesforce, Box, MuleSoft, Google, and now Canva, where he's applying his unique "messaging as an API" philosophy to build an ecosystem that serves as a powerful multiplier for the entire company.• Canva's mission of empowering the world to design has evolved from consumer beginnings to enterprise solutions• The ecosystem functions as a multiplier, helping source innovations from third-party developers and technology partners• Growth from zero to approximately 700 apps in just two years demonstrates the platform's appeal as a distribution mechanism• Design principles encourage developers to create experiences that can be completed in no more than five steps• The human connection will remain the ultimate competitive advantage even as AI transforms technology• Technical enablement must be paired with commercial enablement for ecosystem success• Creating psychological safety enables teams to work at their highest point of contribution• Zen leadership balances strategic thinking with empowering teams to navigate ambiguity• Building trust requires making decisions rather than prolonging indecision• Small acts of kindness cost nothing but are remembered far longer than professional achievementsWhat makes a technology ecosystem thrive in today's rapidly evolving landscape? For Indy Sen, the answer lies at the intersection of technical excellence and human connection.At the heart of his philosophy is what he calls "messaging as an API"—treating company messaging like clean, well-structured code that can be consistently deployed across an organization. This approach has proven incredibly effective in creating clarity around ecosystem value, both internally and externally. As Indy explains, "Ecosystem is a multiplier. It helps engender brand new innovations, source them from third-party innovators like developers and technology partners, and it's also a multiplier for the business."The conversation goes through practical go-to-market strategies, from Canva's developer experience principles to Indy's legendary "Cha-Ching" program at Salesforce that transformed how sales teams engaged with partners. We explore how modern platforms balance technical enablement (making APIs accessible) with commercial enablement (helping partners achieve business success), all while nurturing genuine human connections.Perhaps most compelling is Indy's perspective on leadership in the age of AI. His "Zen leadership" approach emphasizes psychological safety, decision-making amid ambiguity, and helping team members work at their "highest point of contribution." As he puts it, "Ambiguity is okay, indecision is not."Whether you're building a platform, leading a team, or simply interested in how technology ecosystems evolve, this conversation offers valuable insights into creating lasting value through human-centered innovation. Plus, don't miss Indy's surprisingly impressive performance in our Batman trivia challenge!Indy Sen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indysen/Indy's Sen started on the ground floor of the Salesforce AppExchange.  From there, he helped Box take on SharePoint, led developer relations at MuleSoft, did a tour of duty at Google Workspace, and even helped WeWork completely overhaul their product marketing before helping Matterport go public.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@postion2.com

On this TechMagic episode, hosts Cathy Hackl and Lee Kebler break down the latest trends shaping our AI-powered future, as well as the policy and state of AI in DC. From Meta's $100M AI recruitment strategies to their game-changing partnerships with Oakley and Prada for smart glasses, the duo explores how AI and hardware innovation are converging. They unpack the ethical and emotional nuances of human-AI relationships, the rise of AI-generated content, and how companies like Salesforce are integrating AI into core operations. Additionally, they discuss the Nintendo Switch 2's distribution challenges and Meta's ambitious hardware plans. Whether it's corporate AI integration, wearable tech, or the battle for AI talent, this episode offers a sharp look at the risks and opportunities driving tech's next chapter.Come for the Tech, stay for the Magic!Cathy Hackl BioCathy Hackl is a globally recognized tech & gaming executive, futurist, and speaker focused on spatial computing, virtual worlds, augmented reality, AI, strategic foresight, and gaming platforms strategy. She's one of the top tech voices on LinkedIn and is the CEO of Spatial Dynamics, a spatial computing and AI solutions company, including gaming. Cathy has worked at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Magic Leap, and HTC VIVE and has advised companies like Nike, Ralph Lauren, Walmart, Louis Vuitton, and Clinique on their emerging tech and gaming journeys. She has spoken at Harvard Business School, MIT, SXSW, Comic-Con, WEF Annual Meeting in Davos 2023, CES, MWC, Vogue's Forces of Fashion, and more. Cathy Hackl on LinkedInSpatial Dynamics on LinkedInLee Kebler BioLee has been at the forefront of blending technology and entertainment since 2003, creating advanced studios for icons like Will.i.am and producing music for Britney Spears and Big & Rich. Pioneering in VR since 2016, he has managed enterprise data at Nike, led VR broadcasting for Intel at the Japan 2020 Olympics, and driven large-scale marketing campaigns for Walmart, Levi's, and Nasdaq. A TEDx speaker on enterprise VR, Lee is currently authoring a book on generative AI and delving into splinternet theory and data privacy as new tech laws unfold across the US.Lee Kebler on LinkedInKey Discussion Topics:00:00 Welcome to Tech Magic with Cathy Hackl & Lee Kebler04:12 The Dangers of AI Relationships: Why We Need Human Connection11:18 AI Regulation Debate: States' Rights vs Federal Control15:13 DC's Rising Role as a Tech Power Center23:54 Meta's Quest 3S Xbox Edition: A Game-Changing Partnership28:40 Nintendo Switch 2's Success and Hardware Challenges36:50 Meta vs OpenAI: The $100M Talent War43:12 Meta's Smart Glasses Evolution: Oakley & Prada Partnership48:00 Coming Next Week: Dating Robots & AI Love Stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Industry visionaries such as Jean Roth from Hugo Boss and Helen Martin from 64labs delve into the groundbreaking potential of AI, data unification, and composable commerce to revolutionize customer engagement and strategy. The discussion unveils Hugo Boss's pioneering use of AI-driven strategies to elevate customer experiences and slash acquisition costs through highly personalized marketing.  Moreover, revelations from 64labs and authorities like Lala Asif Ali Allana from Royal Cyber and Luis Sanchez from Rockwest Composites illuminate the effortless shift to composable architecture and the avant-garde role of AI agents in redefining shopping experiences. This captivating episode also explores Salesforce's cutting-edge features, underscoring innovation and efficiency in a sophisticated commerce landscape. Show Highlights: The role of customer data platforms in real-time customization and boosting customer lifetime value. Challenges and solutions for transitioning to composable commerce architecture. The impact of AI agents on shopping experiences and engineering processes. Salesforce's newest features and their integration with composable commerce. The significance of agent technology in transforming customer journeys and enhancing customer engagement. 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: Jean Roth: https://www.hugoboss.com/us/home  Helen Martin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-martin-9b070642/ | 64labs: https://www.64labs.com/  Lala Asif Ali Allana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalaasifallana/ | Royal Cyber: https://www.royalcyber.com/  Luis Sanchez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jluissanchez/ | Rock West Composites: https://www.rockwestcomposites.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.

Just promoted to executive director of Salesforce AppExchange, the online marketplace, Brian Landsman joins Craig and James to talk about the various partner opportunities with the CRM giant. We get the latest on Agentforce, how Salesforce navigates its hyperscaler relationships and why it significantly values it partnerships with CX vendors.

Welcome to the Cloud Wars Minute — your daily cloud news and commentary show. Each episode provides insights and perspectives around the “reimagination machine” that is the cloud.In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I dive into Slack's bold move to restrict API access to bulk data exports, effectively blocking the use of its platform data for LLM training and signaling a strategic pivot toward proprietary AI control and heightened data security Highlights00:03 — Salesforce has changed the API Terms of Service for Slack, which will stop companies from using LLMs to ingest data from the platform. Ultimately, the new policy prohibits the bulk export of Slack data via the API and confirms that data access through Slack APIs cannot be used for LLM training.00:21 — From now on, companies will have to use Slack's new real-time search API. In a blog post by the Slack developer team, the company states that this new API eliminates the need for large data exports from Slack, keeping customer data secure while maintaining support for key use cases like permission-based search.00:56 — Now, while Salesforce and Slack say the focus is on security, there is another angle being discussed, that this move encourages a shift towards proprietary technologies. It's difficult to pinpoint this trend. On one hand, we see a push for interoperability across the industry, while on the other, Slack's announcement on the real-time research API coincided with support for the Model Context Protocol.01:25 — Data is still the currency that drives AI and sharing it recklessly with any LLM that requires access can be counterproductive from a business standpoint. Companies like Salesforce don't want to be liable for data used by third-party applications, and none of the major tech companies want to stifle innovation with overly restrictive policies. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.Elon Musk vows to defeat politicians who back Trump's megabill 'if it is the last thing I do' and Elon Musk says he'll form the 'America Party' if Trump's 'insane' spending bill passes“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one. Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”Elon Musk's loyal and trusted Tesla ‘fixer' takes the fall for dismal EV salesOmead Afshar, head of North America and Europe, was fired for failing to turn around the brand's flagging demandFedEx founder Fred Smith has died at 80Leading Independent Proxy Advisory Firm ISS Supports Compelling Case for Change to Brookdale Senior Living Board of Directors and Recommends “Withhold” votes on long tenured Brookdale directors Lee Wielansky, Chair of the Investment Committee, and Victoria Freed, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee:“Given the tenure and positions of Wielansky and Freed, they are arguably the most culpable among incumbent directors for the current state of affairs.”2014 vote: Wielansky (99.6% YES) and Freed (98.8% YES)Leading Independent Proxy Advisory ISS Supports Compelling Case for Change to AstroNova Board of DirectorsISS finds “change at the Board level is warranted to improve independence and oversight”: 97% YES for entire board last yearBoard Effectiveness: A Survey of the C-Suitebased on a PwC and The Conference Board report:93% of executives say they want someone on their board replaced (highest ever)only 50% of executives have confidence in their boards ability to remove underperforming directorsWhat are the challenges in replacing directors?:Executives: 48% said individual director assessments are not performedDirectors: 34% personal relationships between board membersTop 3 areas of expertise they want added to their boards: 1) international, AI and Gen AI, Environmental/SustainabilityExecutives want more board time spent on: ESG, talent management, AI and GenAITexas Enacts New Law to Regulate Proxy Advisory FirmsSB 2337 aims to limit proxy advice based on "nonfinancial" factors such as ESG and DEI and requires proxy advisors to provide a "specific financial analysis" for any recommendation in opposition to management's position.Hormel Foods Announces Elevation of John Ghingo to President; Jeffrey M. Ettinger to Serve as Interim Chief Executive Officerwill return to the company for a defined period of 15 months as interim chief executive officer(1) base salary of $1,200,000 per year; (2) annual target award equal to $2,000,000 (prorated for partial fiscal years); (3) a one-time equity grant of $7,200,000, approximately 75% of which shall consist of a stock option award and 25% of which shall consist of time-based restricted stock units; (4) standard executive benefit and health and welfare plan participation; and (5) four weeks of paid vacation for the remainder of 2025, and six weeks of paid vacation for the period of January 1, 2026 through October 26, 2026.Netflix Rejects Jay Hoag's Resignation, Adds New Board Member“Mr. Hoag's continued service as a member of the Board is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders,” the filing states.79% said NOStarbucks Elects Dambisa Moyo and Marissa Mayer to its Board of DirectorsMoyo is on the boards of Chevron Corporation and Condé Nast and previously served on the boards of SABMiller, Barclays Bank, 3M, and Seagate Technologies. Mayer previously served as CEO and a director on the board of Yahoo!. Mayer currently serves on the boards of Walmart, AT&T, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts. She has also served on the board of Nextdoor.SEC bans CEOs from becoming chairmen without 3-year breakThe Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a new directive prohibiting Chief Executive Officers and Executive Directors from immediately assuming the position of Board Chairman within the same company or group after leaving office. A mandatory three-year “cool off period” has been introduced before such transitions can take place.NigeriaZuckerberg's Employees Have a Wild New Nickname for HimFaced with the return of Donald Trump to the Oval Office, Zuckerberg conveniently molted out of his pseudo-progressive skin and into a darling of the manosphere. He's since appeared on shows like Joe Rogan to complain that US business culture needs to "regrow its manhood," because American capitalism is "culturally neutered.""MAGA Mark"Mark Zuckerberg announces creation of Meta Superintelligence Labs Zohran Mamdani's victory in NYC mayoral primary leaves Wall Street ‘alarmed' and ‘depressed'Bill Ackman pledges to bankroll any NYC mayoral candidate capable of defeating Zohran MamdaniAI is doing up to 50% of the work at Salesforce, CEO Marc Benioff saysUber in Talks With Its Founder, Travis Kalanick, to Fund Self-Driving Car DealUber is in talks with former CEO Travis Kalanick to help fund his prospective bid for the U.S. subsidiary of Chinese self-driving car company Pony.aiTyson workers authorize strike at Texas plant over CEO pay, labor practicesAl Brito, the president of Local 577, said the strike is in part a response to the Tyson CEO's pay: “We are bargaining with one of the most repulsively greedy and amoral corporations in the entire country. Last year, Tyson's CEO made 525 times that of the median worker.”Ford recalls over 130,000 Lincoln Aviators due to risk of parts detaching while driving

Today we're talking to Hitesh Seth, Chief Architect for Financial Services & Insurance at Salesforce, and what struck me most is how he radiates genuine enthusiasm for what he does. After 25+ years in tech, he has so much fire and passion - and in this conversation, he shares how he keeps it going.Hitesh's story offers a completely different way to think about career growth and finding work that energizes rather than depletes you.You'll hear about:The mindset shift that changed everything: How he discovered that teaching others was actually the most selfish thing he could do Why he never feels bored at work: His approach to creating excitement and challenge within any roleThe power of following your curiosity: How staying genuinely interested in learning has been his career compassHow to know when it's time to move on: His rule about leaving when you want to accelerate your learning in new areasWhy passion beats planning: How his most meaningful career moves came from following what energized him, not following a prescribed pathThe "bug" you need to cultivate: That relentless drive to solve problems that keeps you up at night (in the best way)Building expertise while staying fresh: How to become deeply skilled without getting stuck in one narrow areaThe thread that weaves throughout this conversationHitesh's infectious passion for learning and problem-solving. You'll hear someone who has figured out how to stay genuinely excited about work by constantly growing, teaching others, and focusing on solving real problems that matter.About HiteshHitesh Seth is Chief Architect for Financial Services & Insurance at Salesforce, where he works with key customers globally on Data & AI/GenAI solutions. Hitesh also works closely with Salesforce Ventures teams for investing, acquisition and integration of startups/Fintechs. His career spans leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, American Express, and IQVIA.He graduated from IIT Kanpur, is a patent holder, published author, and passionate mentor. From his early days discovering a computer in a small shop in India to leading cutting-edge technology architecture today, Hitesh exemplifies how curiosity and passion can lead to a fulfilling and thriving career.What this means for youIf you're feeling stuck, Hitesh's story shows that it's possible to build a career where you wake up excited about the challenges ahead. The key isn't finding the perfect job - it's cultivating the right mindset about learning, growth, and contribution.What resonated most with you from this conversation?Did his perspective on teaching as learning spark something for you? What resonated most with you? I'd love to hear - DM me on IG www.instagram.com/careerintechnicolor If you enjoyed this conversation, I invite you to follow the podcast and share it with someone who might need to hear this perspective! This helps more people discover these stories.Xo, BaibaSupport the show

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I break down the latest growth rankings among the top 10 cloud providers, highlight Google Cloud's continued lead, and show how legacy giants like Oracle and SAP are rapidly transforming into cloud powerhouses.Highlights00:15 — I wanted to share with you the latest numbers for the Cloud Wars Growth Chart, where we take a look at the growth rates of the Cloud Wars Top 10 companies. Google Cloud holds on to the number one spot. But SAP and Oracle are breathing down Google Cloud's neck. Google Cloud grew in its most recent quarter by 28%, with revenue of $12.3 billion.00:51 — Tied for second place are these two so-called legacy companies. Both grew in their most recent quarters by 27%. SAP's cloud revenue is now $5.3 billion, Oracle's $6.7 billion. Next quarter, it is likely that Oracle could well be number one on this list. But that's all the future, and we will see how that goes.01:42 — In fourth place is Microsoft, 20% growth rate on $42.4 billion in revenue. ServiceNow grew 19% as it cracked $3 billion for the first time in a quarter. AWS, 17% — $29.3 billion. Similar to what we said about Microsoft: 17% growth rate on almost $30 billion in revenue is very impressive.03:00 — Workday, up almost 14%, to $2.1 billion. Salesforce at 8%, $9.8 billion. Snowflake, up 26% to $997 million. I'm not placing Snowflake within the regular run until its quarterly revenue exceeds $1 billion. It's extremely likely that next quarter, we'll see Snowflake take its place in the regular run of companies. IBM does not report its cloud revenue anymore. I hope IBM will change that policy.04:22 — It's fascinating to see a purely built-for-the-cloud company, Google Cloud, in the number one spot. And who's behind it? Two venerable companies — mostly still in the software business completely for SAP — but Oracle now, in addition to its fast-growing cloud software business, also has a hypergrowth cloud infrastructure business. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

The AI drama is full tilt!↳ Meta and OpenAI have all but declared a war on top tech talent. ↳ Google released a free AI coding tool that will likely make huge cuts into Claude's customer base. ↳ Salesforce says AI is doing their own jobs for them. And that's just the tip of the AI iceberg y'all. Don't waste hours a day trying to keep up with AI. Instead, join us on Mondays as we bring you the AI News That Matters.Newsletter: Sign up for our free daily newsletterMore on this Episode: Episode PageJoin the discussion: Thoughts on this? Join the convo.Upcoming Episodes: Check out the upcoming Everyday AI Livestream lineupWebsite: YourEverydayAI.comEmail The Show: info@youreverydayai.comConnect with Jordan on LinkedInTopics Covered in This Episode:AI Talent War: Meta vs. OpenAIAI Firms and Copyright Lawsuits UpdateOpenAI Trademark Battle with IOEleven Labs' New Voice AI LaunchUS Senate AI Regulation DealAnthropic's Claude Platform Features UpdateSalesforce's AI Workload IntegrationGoogle Gemini CLI Free Coding ToolMeta's Aggressive AI Talent RecruitmentOpenAI's Strategy to Retain ResearchersTimestamps:00:00 "AI News: Weekly and Daily Updates"03:12 AI Copyright Lawsuits: Early Rulings09:18 OpenAI-IO Trademark Dispute Unveiled12:23 Futile Lawsuit Against New Gadget14:21 "11 AI: Voice-Activated Task Assistant"17:37 "AI Strategy and Education Solutions"21:54 Federal AI Funding and State Regulation25:05 States Must Forego AI Regulation28:18 Anthropic Updates Claude with Artifacts31:23 Claude vs. Google Usage Limits37:17 Google Disrupts Coding with Free Tool40:17 Meta's AI Talent and Business Strategy44:20 OpenAI Responds to Meta Poaching45:49 AI Developments: LLaMA and Grok Updates49:14 OpenAI Faces Lawsuit Over IOKeywords:AI talent war, Meta, OpenAI, Federal judges ruling, California federal judges, Copyrighted books, Anthropic, Meta's legal win, Sarah Silverman, US Supreme Court, Intellectual property rights, New York Times vs OpenAI, Disney lawsuit, Universal lawsuit, Midjourney, State AI regulation, Federal funding, US Senate, Ten-year ban, Five-year ban, AI infrastructure, Federal AI funds, Sam Altman, IO hardware startup, Trademark battle, Hardware device, Eleven Labs, 11 AI, Voice assistant, Voice command execution, MCP, Salesforce, Marc Benioff, AI workload, AI agents, Anthropic Claude update, Artifacts feature, Artifact embedding, Salesforce customer service, Command line interface, Gemini CLI, Gemini 2.5 pro, Coding tools, Desktop coding agent, Meta poaching, Superintelligence lab, AI researchers, Meta's aggressive recruitment, Llama four, Llama 4.5, Microsoft, Anthropic, Google Gemini scheduled tasks, GoogleSend Everyday AI and Jordan a text message. (We can't reply back unless you leave contact info) Ready for ROI on GenAI? Go to youreverydayai.com/partner

Dime qué piensas del episodio.Víctor Almeida, presidente y director general de Interceramic, una de las empresas más icónicas de México con presencia internacional en más de 20 países. Víctor asumió la presidencia de la empresa a los 23 años, en plena crisis de 1982, y desde entonces ha liderado la compañía a través de múltiples ciclos de crecimiento, transformación y hasta tres crisis que él mismo llama “quiebras”. Victor ha sido pionero en innovación dentro de una industria tradicional: desde campañas en televisión hasta modelos únicos de franquicia.Hoy Victor y yo hablamos de disciplina militar, del poder del positivismo, de lecciones de Sam Walton, de cómo tener éxito con socios chinos y del rol de los empresarios en la política.Sigue Cracks Podcast en YouTube aquí."Si no tienes convicción, no puedes liderar. Punto."- Victor AlmeidaComparte esta frase en TwitterEste episodio es presentado por Diri Movil la compañía de telefonía que te permite tener 2 líneas en un solo plan y por Salesforce, el CRM de IA número uno en el mundo y su nueva solución, Agentforce.Qué puedes aprender hoyEl error como maestroConvicción como base del liderazgoEl peligro del ego*Este episodio es presentado por Diri Móvil, Este episodio es presentado por DIRI MÓVIL, la primera telefonía en México que te permite tener dos líneas activas al mismo tiempo en un solo plan.Puedes tener una línea para tu negocio y otra personal, o simplemente sumar una más sin cambiar la que ya usas.Esto es posible gracias a su tecnología DUA: una segunda eSIM que opera en una red distinta a la principal.Así puedes usar dos WhatsApps, separar tus mundos, y manejar todo desde un solo teléfono, de forma práctica e intuitiva y tener 24 gigas en tu línea principal y 10 gigas en la secundaria por $339 pesos al mes.Y lo mejor: puedes probarlo gratis por 7 días con una eSIM de prueba en www.diri.mx/cracks. Además, si portas tu número este verano, recibes triple de gigas por un año.*Este episodio es presentado por Salesforce, el CRM de IA número uno en el mundo.Su nueva solución, Agentforce, no es simplemente un asistente digital. Es una suite de agentes autónomos diseñada para trabajar codo a codo con los equipos humanos, combinando datos unificados y capacidades avanzadas de IA para llevar a cabo tareas de forma autónoma o colaborar con los empleados en tiempo real. Salesforce integra todos tus datos en un solo ecosistema de IA. Los agentes de Agentforce pueden analizar y actuar sobre la información de cada cliente de manera segura y confiable, transformando cada rol y flujo de trabajo para alcanzar una escala operativa sin precedentes.Revoluciona tu negocio con Salesforce en cracks.la/agentforce Ve el episodio en Youtube

Segment 1 with Richard Hagberg starts at 0:00.Most start ups fail within 5 years. Many more are the walking dead- why do most founders build their company's to fail and what can they change about it.Rich Hagberg, Ph.D., often referred to as “Silicon Valley's CEO Whisperer,” is a trained psychologist who has spent the last 40 years of his career as an executive management coach for over 6,000 executives. Since 2009 he has worked with companies like Tinder, Twitter, Dropbox, MixPanel, Zendesk, Quora, Asana, Pinterest, Salesforce, Munchery, Reddit, Gusto, Cruise, Tinder, Optimizely, Instacart, Patreon, Nerdwallet, and Super Evil Megacorp (it's a gaming company).His new book is called "Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and What it Takes to Succeed".Segment 2 with Lee Glickstein starts at 22:50.There is the old adage that we fear speaking in front of people more than death- the joke goes that we would rather be dead that speak in front of an audience.Lee Glickstein is a trailblazer in the field of public speaking and the creator of the globally recognized Speaking Circles method and founder of Speaking Circles International. He is an authority on leadership presence and magnetism in public speaking.  Having overcome his own crippling fear of public speaking, Glickstein has spent decades helping others transform their relationship with audiences. His first book is called "Be Heard Now! End Your Fear of Public Speaking Forever".Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

Why you should listenTrevor reveals how Myko solves the age-old problem of sales reps not entering data into Salesforce by using voice technology to eliminate the 53-click process down to 15 secondsLearn how poor CRM data entry is blocking your AI initiatives and downstream analytics, and discover a practical solution that integrates seamlessly with existing workflowsGain insights into the future of voice-first technology in sales and how early adopters are leveraging this to dramatically improve rep ramp time and territory handoffsAs a Salesforce partner, you know the challenge of implementing CRM systems that don't fit into the natural flow of how sales reps actually work. Your clients struggle with data gaps that prevent meaningful reporting, AI initiatives get stalled because there's insufficient data to analyze, and you're constantly looking for solutions that bridge the gap between CRM capabilities and real-world sales activities. I've experienced this firsthand - watching robust Salesforce implementations underperform because the data entry process doesn't align with how field reps actually spend their time.In this episode, I talk with Trevor Lee from Myko who has built a voice-first solution that finally addresses this fundamental workflow challenge. We discuss how his tool transforms the complex 53-click mobile process into a simple 15-second voice interaction that fits naturally into a rep's day, why this breakthrough is critical for AI initiatives, and how partners can leverage this technology to unlock previously impossible downstream projects for their clients.About Trevor Lee Trevor is the Cofounder and CEO of Myko - the language interface for teams to interact with Salesforce. Trevor started his career in finance and met his cofounder and Zheng at business school. The two of them worked together on a financial modeling solution Genius Sheets that they eventually sold. Resources and LinksMyko.aiTrevor's LinkedIn profileSchedule a demo Try voice to Salesforce - Myko Test DrivePrevious episode: 618 - Why 86% of Cyberattacks Now Hit SMBs First and How to Protect Them with René-Sylvain BedardCheck out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringJoin our newsletterSuggested resources

Jordi Visser is a macro investor with over 30 years of Wall Street experience. He also writes a Substack called “VisserLabs” and puts out investing YouTube videos. In this conversation we discuss AI acceleration, why stocks, gold, bitcoin are hitting all-time highs, market outlook for second half of the year, how Salesforce is using AI, the government pressure on the fed to lower interest rates, the current financial mindset of the the younger generation, and more. =======================Simple Mining makes Bitcoin mining simple and accessible for everyone. We offer a premium white glove hosting service, helping you maximize the profitability of Bitcoin mining. For more information on Simple Mining or to get started mining Bitcoin, visit https://www.simplemining.io/=======================Maple Finance is where real money meets real yield. With over $1.5B managed, Maple offers secure lending, Bitcoin yield, and premium DeFi assets like syrupUSDC. Get started today at https://www.maple.finance !=======================Xapo Bank, the world's first fully licensed Bitcoin-enabled bank, offers military-grade security with an unmatched blend of physical and digital security, as well as pioneering regulatory oversight, so your funds are always protected. Beyond secure storage, they enable you to grow and use your Bitcoin. Earn daily interest in Bitcoin, spend with zero FX fees using a global card, and make instant payments via the Lightning Network for unrivalled access and convenience. Visit https://www.xapobank.com/pomp to join.=======================Pomp writes a daily letter to over 265,000+ investors about business, technology, and finance. He breaks down complex topics into easy-to-understand language while sharing opinions on various aspects of each industry. You can subscribe at https://pomp.substack.com/=======================View 10k+ open startup jobs:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dreamstartupjob.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Enroll in my Crypto Academy: https://www.thecryptoacademy.io/

Brett Winton and ARK analyst Jozef Soja dive deep into the rapidly evolving world of AI agents—software entities that are increasingly automating enterprise functions like customer support. They explore why AI agents are gaining traction, how they're priced, and the potential for a new kind of agent-versus-agent arms race between companies and consumers. Later in the episode, they're joined by Dr. Alan Bekker, founder of eSelf.ai and former Head of Conversational AI at Snap, who shares his journey from building voice agents for call centers to launching a real-time, face-to-face AI tutoring platform. Alan offers insights into how the rise of large language models (LLM) is reshaping education, what makes a great AI tutor, and why a visual, embodied presence is crucial for learning.Key Points From This Episode:00:00:00 What enterprise AI agents actually do and how companies like Salesforce are pricing them00:03:41 Why $2 per AI conversation may already undercut human support costs00:05:04 The Return On Investment (ROI) model behind agent adoption and enterprise productivity00:06:41 Why agent-based software may retain higher pricing power than other AI tools00:09:11 The coming arms race: AI agents negotiating with other AI agents00:12:30 Scaling demand for customer service with intelligent automation00:15:04 Vertical vs. horizontal Software as a Service (SaaS) in the AI agent ecosystem00:16:43 AI's impact across the software stack—SaaS, Platform as a Service (PaaS) , and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)00:17:56 Why building your own AI apps may soon be cheaper than onboarding SaaS00:20:01 ARK's  internal hackathon and how non-engineers are becoming developers00:20:29 Guest: Dr. Alan Bekker joins to discuss the evolution of conversational AI00:22:04 The journey from decision trees to LLMs: Lessons from Snap's AI team00:27:32 Seeing GPT's impact from inside: OpenAI's early partner outreach00:31:47 Why face-to-face AI tutors found strong product-market fit in education00:33:59 eSelf's go-to-market strategy: Partnering with publishers as a business to business to consumer (B2B2C) wedge00:36:24 Pricing real-time AI tutoring tools in a margin-conscious market00:40:00 Business to consumer (B2C) aspirations: Moving toward a direct-to-student tutoring product00:44:56 What's still missing for real-time AI to match human-level teaching00:48:03 The psychological impact of avatars: Building trust through embodied agents00:51:43 Why personalization—not just LLM knowledge—matters in tutoring00:54:20 Democratizing learning: LLMs as the end of expert-driven education