The Trending Communicator

Want to stop wasting time and money on conferences that don't impact your business growth? Imagine being able to select conferences that not only boost your brand's influence but also drive strategic partnerships and sales. Fortunately, there's a solution that will help you achieve this and more. Let's dive in and take your conference strategy to the next level. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle is joined by guest Melanie Samba, the CEO of Sproxxy, a one-of-a-kind platform that helps corporate communication and marketing professionals make data-driven decisions for events and conferences.  Dan and Melanie delve deep into the ever-evolving role of technology in marketing and communications, especially as it relates to the traditionally Excel-driven world of conference and event planning. Melanie discusses the challenges of promoting communications technology (also known as commstech or commtech) to investors and emphasizes the importance of integrating technology into corporate strategies.  They discuss Sproxxy's State of Conferences report, highlighting the significance of conferences for business-building, industry influence, relationship-building, and networking, and how the use of data-driven tools like Sproxxy can help optimize conference strategies. Through their conversation, Melanie shares her experiences as a tech founder, the integration of AI in Sproxxy, and the platform's potential to predict industry trends and influence conferences. She highlights the use of AI to gauge audience engagement at events and the insights that can be derived from conference data. Melanie also reflects on the challenges and excitement of being a woman founder in tech, her journey with Sproxxy, and her vision for its future. Listen in and hear… Data-driven AI-powered approaches to measuring the impact of conferences The significance of building relationships with conference organizers Business impact of speaking engagements at conferences The integration of technology into marketing and communication strategies Skepticism surrounding commstech and conveying its value to investors Inevitability of technology's role in shaping the future of all companies Efforts of communications professionals to advocate for the integration of technology Insights from Melanie's experiences as a tech founder Resources & Links Melanie Samba Melanie Samba | LinkedIn Sproxxy | Website Sproxxy | Twitter/X Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter/X Timestamped summary for this episode (generated by Capsho, my AI assistant) 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Importance of Conferences  Dan Nestle highlights the significance of conferences for learning, reputation building, and business development in the field of communication and marketing. He also acknowledges the anxiety and challenges associated with choosing the right conferences due to budget constraints. 00:01:39 - Leveraging Data-Driven Approach for Conference Selection Melanie Samba, the CEO of Sproxxy, discusses the need for a data-driven, AI-powered approach to choosing conferences and measuring their impact on an organization. She emphasizes the importance of making informed decisions rather than relying on past experiences or emotions. 00:05:03 - Challenges of Managing Conferences Melanie shares her experience in managing conferences for a pharmaceutical company, highlighting the complexities involved in coordinating over 400 employees' participation, ensuring regulatory compliance, and maintaining consistent messaging across the organization. 00:07:25 - The Underappreciated Role of Conferences in Corporate Communications The conversation delves into the underappreciation of conferences in corporate communications, with Dan and Melanie discussing the budget allocation challenges and the perception of conferences as a nice-to-have rather than a strategic necessity for thought leadership and brand positioning. 00:14:39 - Evolution of Sproxxy from Idea to Product Melanie shares the journey of transforming her initial idea of Sproxxy into a tangible product. She reflects on the pivotal moment when the pandemic led to the realization of the increased demand for events, prompting her to productize Sproxxy and pursue her entrepreneurial venture. 00:16:39 - The Rise of Virtual Events Melanie discusses the explosion of virtual events during the pandemic, highlighting the shift in focus and the doubling of industry events to 1.8 million. She also shares her insights into how conference organizers adapted to the new landscape. 00:19:31 - Building Relationships in the Conference Space Melanie talks about the importance of building relationships with conference organizers, similar to how relationships are built with the media. She explains how she developed these connections over time through her role in pitching executives and contributing to event programs. 00:22:44 - Importance of Community in Conferences The discussion delves into the significance of being part of a community at conferences, with Melanie sharing her personal experience of meeting her corporate comms head at a conference in Portugal. The community aspect is highlighted as a key motivator for attending conferences. 00:25:57 - Engaging with Media at Conferences Melanie sheds light on the presence of journalists at conferences and the opportunities they present for engaging with the media. She emphasizes the value of leveraging conferences as a platform for securing media coverage and building relationships with journalists. 00:33:07 - The State of Conferences Report Melanie introduces the State of Conferences report, emphasizing its focus on the brand's perspective and the value it brings to understanding conference strategies. The report aims to provide insights into the current trends and perceptions surrounding conferences for marketers and agencies. 00:33:59 - Peer-to-Peer Insights on Conferences Melanie discusses the importance of peer-to-peer insights for branding, marketing, and communications professionals in understanding what their peers are doing in the conference space. The report highlighted common issues such as managing conferences using Excel spreadsheets and the need for audience reach metrics. 00:36:56 - Differentiating Conferences and Trade Shows Melanie differentiates conferences from trade shows, emphasizing the focus on thought leadership, branding, and strategic partnerships. She highlights the importance of audience reach as the number one metric for measuring success at conferences, as revealed in the report. 00:40:06 - Impact of Speaking Engagements The report uncovered the increasing value of speaking engagements for executives and the business impact they have. Melanie discusses the importance of understanding the rationale for attending conferences and shares how Sproxxy provides insights on competitor activity at conferences. 00:44:01 - Refining Product Based on Customer Feedback Melanie shares how the state of conferences report was used to refine the Sproxxy product, aligning it with the needs and challenges faced by marketing and communications professionals. She emphasizes the importance of developing a data-informed approach for attending conferences and measuring success. 00:49:40 - The Evolution of Comstech and Sproxxy Melanie discusses the challenges of selling Comstech to investors and emphasizes the need for technology in every company. She reflects on her transition from corporate comms to developing Sproxxy and highlights the role of Comstech in enabling communicators to 00:50:59 - The Importance of Digital Communications and Marketing Integration Melanie and Dan discuss the necessity for companies to integrate digital communication and marketing strategies. Melanie emphasizes the importance of being equipped with the right tools to remain relevant in the future. 00:52:52 - The Origins of Sproxxy and its Purpose Melanie shares her journey of developing Sproxxy and its original purpose to prove the value of her work as a corporate comms professional. She highlights the need to have a data-informed approach and the role of AI in providing insights. 00:55:56 - AI Integration in Sproxxy and its Impact on the Industry Melanie discusses the integration of AI in Sproxxy and its potential to predict conference topics, influence industry evolution, and gather insights on audience demographics. She emphasizes the power of AI to accelerate innovation and change the trajectory of an industry. 01:00:27 - Leveraging Sproxxy for Thought Leadership and Industry Influence Melanie explores the potential of Sproxxy to predict conference topics, tailor thought leadership platforms, and influence the industry based on gathered data and insights. She highlights the role of communicators in shaping industry trends and influencing audiences. 01:02:28 - The Challenges and Excitement of Being a Woman Founder and the Future of Sproxxy Melanie reflects on the excitement and challenges of being a woman founder and the unexpected growth of Sproxxy. She emphasizes the need for more solutions in corporate comms and marketing and encourages others to step up and provide the necessary help for the industry. 01:06:56 - Exciting Future for Listeners Melanie expresses her excitement for the future of the listeners, emphasizing the potential for growth and success in their businesses. 01:07:22 - Where to Find Melanie Dan and Melanie discuss where listeners can find Melanie online, including her website, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 01:07:54 - The Cutting Edge of Conferences Melanie highlights the innovative functions and capabilities of Sproxxy.com, emphasizing its ability to help individuals understand and navigate complex conferences. 01:08:21 - Making Speakers Shine The conversation focuses on the importance of helping speakers shine and exerting influence at conferences, positioning the podcast as a platform for discus

How do language and psychology impact leadership behavior and financial performance in organizations? Are we overlooking the influence of corporate language? In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle sits down with psychologist, neuroscientist, speaker, consultant, and author of Neuroscience for Organizational Communication: A Guide for Communicators and Leaders, Dr. Laura McHale.  Dan and Laura explore the intersection of neuroscience and organizational communication, looking into Laura’s background in executive communications and her journey into neuroscience for leadership psychology. They delve into how status affects the brain, the SCARF model, and the concept of power distance in workplace dynamics before examining the complexities of employee engagement, the impact of social exclusion, and the importance of relatedness for a sense of belonging. They touch on the challenges of absentee leadership and the significance of inclusive communication practices for a positive work environment.  They also discuss the intricate relationship between language, communication, and AI within organizational contexts. Laura emphasizes the significance of "pronoun agility" and the problematic nature of weasel words in corporate communication. Using Enron's internal communications as a case study, they explore how language can reflect a company's financial health. The conversation also addresses the potential of AI, like ChatGPT, to revolutionize the communications field while also considering the risks of misuse and the importance of understanding psychology and neuroscience. The episode concludes with reflections on the future skills needed by communicators in an AI-influenced landscape.  Listen in and hear… The importance of understanding psychology and neuroscience in communications within organizations The complexity of communication in remote interactions and interpreting cues The neuroscience behind followership and cultural influences on behavior Impact of status on the brain and the SCARF model Leader distance or power distance and its effect on communication dynamics Complexity and challenges of measuring and understanding employee engagement Impact of social exclusion in the workplace and fostering a sense of belonging Implications of absentee leadership on employee communications and internal communications The relationship between corporate language and financial performance Concerns about the erosion of language and acceptance of weasel words Potential impact of AI on the communications profession and political discourse Notable Quotes [27:56] - "When our relatedness is threatened, it lights up so many pain centers of the brain; it's an extraordinarily painful phenomenon." -Dr. Laura McHale [22:28] -"Absentee leadership is reported seven times more than any other destructive leadership behavior; it is absolutely epidemic in our organizations and a big problem.” - Dr. Laura McHale [45:03] - “It really doesn't matter how perfect a communication is if the leadership behavior doesn't back it up; actions speak louder than words.” - Dr. Laura McHale [45:30] - “We as communicators can be brilliant at drafting words, but it ultimately needs actions and behaviors backing it up, otherwise it just becomes an exercise in cynicism.” - Dr. Laura McHale [47:55] - “We can only go so far in helping the leaders to frame what they're going to say, but ultimately it's going to be their behaviors that truly matter.” - Dr. Laura McHale Resources & Links Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter Dr. Laura McHale Dr. Laura McHale | Website Dr. Laura McHale | LinkedIn Dr. Laura McHale | Email Laura's Book Neuroscience for Organizational Communication: A Guide for Communicators and Leaders by Dr. Laura McHale   Timestamped summary for this episode (generated by Capsho, my AI assistant) 00:00:00 - Introduction to the importance of neuroscience in communication  Dan introduces the importance of understanding neuroscience in communication and the impact it has on leadership and organizational success. 00:01:15 - Laura's journey from communicator to psychology doctorate Laura shares her career journey from being a communicator to pursuing a doctorate in leadership psychology, driven by her fascination with leadership and human behavior. 00:06:39 - Laura's introduction to neuroscience Laura shares her introduction to neuroscience during her academic journey, where she developed a deep interest in the subject and its application to organizational life and communication. 00:13:14 - Differentiating psychology and neuroscience Laura explains the relationship between psychology and neuroscience, highlighting how neuroscience focuses on the physiological aspect of behavior, providing a deeper understanding of human communication and interactions. 00:15:27 - Impact of Zoom fatigue on communication Laura discusses the impact of Zoom fatigue on communication, highlighting the neuroscientific and psychological effects of excessive screen time and self-reflection during virtual interactions. 00:16:19 - The Impact of Zoom on Self-Image and Sociological Effects Laura discusses how our self-image impacts our focus and how the increase in dentistry and plastic surgery is related to the COVID Zoom epidemic. 00:17:07 - The Physiology of Behavior and Cultural Differences Laura delves into the physiology of behavior and how it leads to anxiety and stress, especially in different cultural contexts and power dynamics. 00:18:23 - Power Distance and Relatedness in Leadership The discussion explores the neuroscience behind deference to leaders and how it varies across cultures, emphasizing the importance of relatedness and its impact on the brain. 00:23:00 - Complexity of Constructs in Work Laura highlights the complexity of constructs in the workplace, such as leader power distance, and the challenges in understanding and measuring them, emphasizing the need to acknowledge this complexity. 00:27:29 - The Pain of Social Exclusion and Impact on Communication The conversation touches on the pain of social exclusion and its impact on workplace dynamics, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing relatedness in communication to avoid potential harm and misinterpretation. 00:33:43 - Inclusive and Exclusive "We" Laura discusses the use of inclusive and exclusive "we" in language, how it impacts social exclusion in organizations, and how politicians and leaders deploy them. 00:36:15 - Absentee Leadership Laura delves into absentee leadership, its impact on social exclusion, and the neglectful nature of this behavior in organizations. 00:37:10 - Understanding Absentee Leadership Laura emphasizes the prevalence of absentee leadership in organizations, its impact on employees, and the need for dialogue between leaders and their teams to address this issue. 00:39:01 - Recognizing Absentee Leadership Laura shares personal experiences of absentee leadership, the signs to look out for, and the importance of proactive communication and engagement to address this issue. 00:45:50 - Leadership and Communication Laura highlights the symbiotic relationship between leadership behavior and communication, the significance of words in corporate discourse, and the impact of language on company performance. 00:51:49 - Importance of Authentic Leadership Communication Dr. Laura McHale discusses the importance of aligning a leader's language with their behavior in order to avoid a disconnect. She emphasizes the need for transparent and direct communication without using negative messages padded with positive messaging. 00:53:10 - Impact of Weak Modal Words in Communication Dr. McHale points out how weak modal words and weasel words have influenced the acceptance of ambiguous language in communication. She stresses the importance of clear and direct communication, encouraging communicators to use concrete words and active voice. 00:55:38 - Influence of AI on Communication The conversation shifts to the impact of AI, specifically chat GPT and large language models, on communication. Dr. McHale shares insights on the potential implications and concerns related to using AI to craft messaging, highlighting its ability to generate hate speech and manipulative content. 01:01:10 - Communicators' Superpower in AI Era Dan Nestle expresses optimism about communicators leveraging their expertise in words and language to harness the potential of AI, particularly in prompt engineering. He emphasizes the importance of understanding psychology and neuroscience in working with AI. 01:05:36 - Cynicism and Optimism in AI Application The conversation delves into the dual nature of AI as an enabler and a potential manipulative tool. Dr. McHale discusses the need for vigilance in utilizing AI for communication and its potential impact on social cohesion and pro-social behavior.  

….and we’re back! Welcome to the first episode of The Trending Communicator. Dan Nestle reignites the airwaves with an electrifying new episode that will teach you how to think faster and talk smarter with communication expert, Stanford professor, author, and podcaster, Matt Abrahams. Dan and Matt explore the nuances of effective communication and impromptu speaking. They discuss the importance of mindset, active listening, and structured communication in professional settings. Matt shares practical strategies, such as managing anxiety with academically verified techniques, reframing speaking situations as opportunities, and adopting a growth mindset.  They highlight the use of storytelling and structured frameworks like the Problem-Solution-Benefit method and the hero's journey to craft compelling narratives. The episode also addresses cultural communication differences, the significance of audience-centric approaches,  and some thoughts on how AI might affect our approach to impromptu speaking. The conversation provides actionable advice for enhancing communication skills across various contexts. This riveting conversation isn't just talk; it's a blueprint for revolutionizing your communication skills across every domain.  Listen in and hear… The importance of effective communication and storytelling Managing anxiety and building confidence in speaking Reframing spontaneous speaking situations as opportunities Mindset shifts for successful impromptu speaking Techniques for adopting a growth mindset Improving listening skills through pace, space, and grace The role of structure and focus in effective communication Using frameworks and structures for impactful communication Challenges of communication in different cultural and professional contexts How AI might affect impromptu speaking Structured approaches to pitching ideas Notable Quotes [12:27] - “Most people, up to 85% of people, report being anxious in high-stakes situations.” - Matt Abrahams [22:28] - “When something doesn't go the way you want it to, simply say to yourself, 'Not yet.'” - Matt Abrahams [25:46] - “Getting inside your head is such a big one, and I think if people pick up one thing from this, it's to get out of your own way.” - Dan Nestle Resources & Links Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter Matt Abrahams Matt Abrahams | Website Matt Abrahams | LinkedIn Matt Abrahams | YouTube Mentioned Books Think Faster, Talk Smarter by Matt Abrahams Speaking Up Without Freaking Out by Matt Abrahams   Timestamped summary of this episode (thanks to Capsho, my AI assistant) 00:00:00 - Introduction and Personal Experience  Dan Nestle introduces the podcast and shares his personal experience of using Matt Abrahams' book to improve his communication skills in a workshop. 00:09:20 - The Six-Step Methodology Matt Abrahams explains the six-step methodology for speaking on the spot, focusing on reducing anxiety and striving for connection over perfection. 00:12:51 - Managing Anxiety Matt Abrahams discusses the two-pronged approach to managing anxiety - managing symptoms and managing sources. He shares techniques for symptomatic relief, such as deep belly breathing and purposeful movement. 00:13:37 - Overcoming Anxiety in Public Speaking Matt Abrahams provides tips for overcoming anxiety in public speaking, including purposeful movement and embracing the adrenaline response. He emphasizes the importance of managing anxiety to improve communication effectiveness. 00:13:55 - Overcoming Anxiety and Nervousness Matt shares techniques to reduce anxiety while speaking, including leaning in, holding something cold, and focusing on audience connection. 00:15:23 - Anxiety Management Plan Dan shares his anxiety management plan called PITS, and discusses the importance of finding mindset hacks to overcome challenges and setbacks. 00:17:55 - Seeing Opportunities Matt discusses reframing situations as opportunities rather than threats, and how this mindset shift can benefit communication and collaboration. 00:19:16 - Importance of Listening Matt emphasizes the importance of active listening to understand the bottom line and respond appropriately, highlighting the impact of deep listening on effective communication and insight. 00:25:31 - Mindset and Next Play Dan and Matt discuss the significance of mindset in communication, particularly the "not yet" and "next play" approaches to adopt an opportunistic mindset and avoid rumination. 00:27:46 - The Importance of Listening Deeply Matt Abrahams discusses the impact of not listening deeply and shares a three-step approach to improve listening skills: pace, space, and grace. He emphasizes the need to slow down, create mental space, and give oneself permission to pay attention to not just the words but also the underlying messages. 00:29:52 - The Art of Unspoken Communication Matt highlights the importance of listening for what's unsaid, referencing a hypothetical scenario where the unspoken message was "I just had a bad time in there." He emphasizes the need to pay attention to non-verbal cues and intuition. 00:33:19 - The Power of Structure in Communication Matt explains the significance of structuring messages in a logical way for better understanding. He introduces the concept of problem-solution-benefit and emphasizes the need for concise communication to deliver a clear message. 00:36:01 - The Impact of Personal Mindset on Communication Matt and the host discuss the mindset and personal tendencies that influence communication, such as the tendency to engage in "clock building" by providing unnecessary details. They also touch upon the impact of deference in communication, especially in hierarchical settings. 00:39:13 - The Value of Frameworks in Communication Matt highlights the benefits of using frameworks in communication, comparing it to having a map that guides the direction of the conversation. He shares a personal experience of using structure to deliver impromptu presentations and emphasizes the relief it brings in 00:41:50 - The Power of Table Topics in Communication Matt Abrahams discusses the benefits of table topics in improving impromptu speaking skills, drawing on his experience in Toastmasters. He emphasizes the value of being able to respond effectively to questions and situations. 00:43:45 - Importance of Knowing Your Audience Dan Nestle and Matt Abrahams highlight the significance of knowing one's audience in communication. They stress the need for communicators and marketers to be audience-centric and focused on the needs of their listeners, whether in a formal presentation or informal conversation. 00:46:02 - Practical Applications for Communicators and Marketers Matt Abrahams discusses the practical applications of communication methodologies for marketers and communicators. He emphasizes the importance of various communication skills, including pitching, small talk, and feedback, in influencing and engaging an audience. 00:48:19 - Structuring a Compelling Pitch Matt Abrahams shares a four-sentence structure for crafting a powerful pitch, using the example of pitching a whiteboard. He explains how the structure incorporates elements such as a hook, relevance, concreteness, and demonstrating the broad impact of the idea or product. 00:53:00 - Impacts of AI on Impromptu Speaking Dan Nestle raises the question of whether AI poses a threat to impromptu speaking skills. Matt Abrahams discusses his agnostic yet optimistic view on the potential impact of AI on communication, highlighting both its benefits and concerns. 00:57:00 - Embracing Humanity Matt encourages embracing human communication over potential future technological implants, urging listeners to prioritize improving their communication skills. 00:57:41 - Repetition, Reflection, and Feedback Matt emphasizes the importance of repetition, reflection, and feedback in improving spontaneous communication, highlighting the need for practice, self-assessment, and guidance from others. 00:58:19 - Free Resources Matt directs listeners to his website for free resources and encourages them to check out his book and podcast for further communication improvement. 00:58:56 - Gratitude and Contact Information Dan expresses gratitude to Matt for joining the show and initiating the next phase, while Matt offers to return and wishes Dan luck. They also provide contact information for further engagement. 00:59:21 - Conclusion and Call to Action Dan concludes the episode, inviting listeners to subscribe, share, leave a review, and reach out with guest ideas or interest in appearing on the show.

Discover the surprising transformation of "The Dan Nestle Show" into "The Trending Communicator." Just when you thought you knew what to expect, Dan flips the script, bringing a whole new focus on the power players in PR, communications, and marketing. Get ready to dive deep into the ever-changing world of communications, explore cutting-edge innovations, and unravel the impact of technology on our profession. Join Dan as he uncovers the secrets of information control and the immense responsibility that comes with it. But wait, there's more! Be prepared to meet the movers and shakers who are shaping the future of communications, from AI to neuroscience and beyond. Brace yourself for some mind-blowing insights and captivating discussions. It's a whole new era with "The Trending Communicator." Are you ready to join the conversation? Check back soon for episode one and get ready to be amazed.   Like these notes? You can thank Capsho, my AI podcast notes assistant. 

In this special episode, Dan shares his thoughts on the rapid rise in antisemitism in the weeks after Hamas brutally and barbarically murdered, maimed, raped, and kidnapped innocent Israelis, tourists, and visiting workers in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. These terrorists, on the worst day for Jews since the Holocaust, murdered approximately 1500 innocents, injured thousands more, and took over 200 hostages - including infants, children, elderly, disabled, and ill people from 33 countries. And they recorded all of it.  Despite these atrocities and the incontrovertible evidence of the October 7 pogrom, despite the fact that innocents were deliberately attacked and the Hamas terrorists paraded hostages and dead bodies through the streets of Gaza amidst joyful crowds, despite the fact that Israeli babies were beheaded, despite the fact that Hamas openly calls for the elimination of the State of Israel and explicitly calls on its followers to kill Jews wherever they find them...despite all of this, anti-Israel, pro-Hamas, and - yes - antisemitic groups around the world took less than a day to start rallies, protests, marches, and a PR blitz AGAINST Israel and Jews. These despicable groups - a metastatic cancer that has spread around the world - have denied the atrocities and justified the Hamas attacks under any number of abhorrent ideologies. It wasn't long before synagogues were burning, Jewish property defaced and damaged, Jewish businesses vandalized, and violent incidents targeting Jewish people - including children, students, and the elderly - became a daily occurrence. This inhumanity, this evil scourge of antisemitism, has deep roots in academia, religion, culture, and history. It has been the lifeblood of those who have persecuted and oppressed Jews for over two millennia. It has led to expulsions, pogroms, and the Holocaust. It has afflicted 15 million people presently living on Earth with an ever-present anxiety and fear of extermination. And now it is undeniably on the rise again, fueling Jew hatred everywhere.  Why, then, is antisemitism ignored and denied? Why is it that our cowardly leaders can't say antisemitism without also invoking Islamophobia and generic hate? Why have CEOs and influencers who were and are so quick to support BLM, Ukraine, the Trans movement, anti-Asian hate, and a multitude of other causes, remained silent? Why have university professors, student groups, and administrators gone completely and utterly mad? You won't find the answers in this episode. But you will find food for thought and a working definition of antisemitism that is a good place to start. Please listen, absorb, and think about how you can fight antisemitism or, at a bare minimum, see it for what it is. *** Featured in this episode: The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism Special thanks to The Commentary Magazine Podcast's October 23, 2023 episode with Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel's special envoy for combatting antisemitism, for inspiring me to do this.    

In this episode, Dan sits down with marketer, author, and two-time resigner turned bonafide career transition master Sara J. McElroy.  Sara’s journey looks a lot like the picture of success: academic achievement followed by a steady rise in marketing and ultimately to a CMO role. But in the midst of the Great Resignation, her battles with overwork, toxic workplaces, health crises, and sexual harassment all led to two resignations, a spiritual awakening, personal empowerment, and a mission to help women find their voices and take charge of their careers. Now, as founder and CEO of Raze to Rise, she’s on a mission to “uplift the voices of women from the Great Resignation across diverse walks of life, industries, functions, and career stages” and empower women to “make bold career moves.”   She and Dan cover a lot of ground as Sara challenges conventional, “rational” career choices and argues that emotions, intuition, and physiology have a massive role to play in making life-changing decisions.  Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn about through their conversation: How and when to manage your career.  Career management is a mindset and an inside job. The most important times in your career before making the leap.  Career transitions can be messy and it’s necessary … the Messcessary.  The life experience that prompted a life change.  The unlikely gift of Shingles.  Getting off the grid can often be the best thing.  Most professionals need more than a weekend to plot their next moves.  The critical role sexual harassment played in her life choices.  Seeing the connections of random events. Forward-thinking themes that came from the pandemic, especially for women.  The value of self-discovery and the role it plays in balancing life.  We can have a plan, but until we experience it, we don’t know.  Missing the senses of when it’s time to move on.  How to learn and leverage body signals.  The danger of internal capitalism. Notable Quotes: “The moments of our careers that are most impactful are the ones that are coming in the in-between, not the big moment of turning in the resignation and walking out the door.” (4:26), Sara. “I just had the idea that if I just follow the playbook, that perfect life playbook where you climb the ladder and chase the fancier titles and fatter paychecks, and everything will work out.” – (9:01), Sara. “I went off to Peru and began reconnecting with the parts of me that weren’t just lost over the last couple of years and even childhood.” – (13:01), Sara. “The lather, rinse, repeat of our current lifestyle keeps us really stuck.” – (14:40), Sara.  “Valedictorians by in large don’t become leaders.” – (19:44), Dan.  “Sexual harassment is not a style.” – (25:22), Sara. “I felt like I could not be the only woman who was getting mired in the spin cycle of being burnout, overwhelm, toxic culture.” – (32:20), Sara. “Designing a fulfilling career is an inside job.” (34:27), Sara.  “The expression listen to your gut is more than just a metaphor.” – (36:35), Dan.  “Our bodies are hardwired for experience of joy and bliss.” – (42:55), Sara.  “We are built to move through all of the things we’re facing in life through our senses.” – (45:19), Sara.  “In a professional world, you’re kind of like a brain, floating around in an apparatus that allows you to execute what you need to do.” – (50:40), Sara. “We have been taught to ignore the signs that things are not working for us.” – (51:27), Sara. “Disease is the last attempt to get our attention when we’re doing things that are not good for us.”- (51:27), Sara.  “We have the ability to feel into what we think is good.” – (54:44), Sara.  “It’s also important to meditate.” (1:01:08), Sara. “When consequences are larger and bigger and weighs on you, you really need to tune in and listen.” – (1:07:00), Dan. “Sometimes your employer is unable to give you what you need to grow.” – (1:10:00), Dan. About Dan Nestle  The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle | Twitter About Sara McElroy Sara McElroy - Instagram Sara McElroy - Linkedin Raze to Rise – Website   The key moments in this episode (as generated by my AI buddy, Capsho) are: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:01 - Sarah's Career Journey and the Importance of the In-Between Moments 00:07:52 - Sarah's First Resignation and the Need for a Reset 00:12:47 - The Great Resignation and Finding Resilience 00:15:20 - The Impact of Divorce and Mental Health Issues, 00:18:07 - The Pressure of Being a Valedictorian, 00:22:51 - The Lack of a Life Roadmap, 00:25:26 - Resignation and Self-Reflection, 00:28:45 - The Journey of Personal Growth, 00:30:49 - The Journey Begins, 00:33:27 - The Power of Women's Stories, 00:35:17 - Designing a Fulfilling Career, 00:39:37 - The Unforeseen Path, 00:43:35 - The Role of Physiology, 00:47:29 - The Importance of Sensory Reactions, 00:49:10 - The Impact of Lack of Sensory Information, 00:50:59 - Ignoring Emotional and Physical Signs, 00:53:30 - Recognizing Signals and Taking Action, 00:58:15 - Using Visualization and Body Reactions, 01:02:51 - The Impact of a Job on Relationships, 01:03:30 - Measuring Readiness to Leave a Job, 01:04:58 - Balancing Rationality and Emotion in Career Decisions, 01:06:07 - Expanding and Growing Outside of Work, 01:10:30 - The Individualized Nature of Career Paths, 01:18:36 - The Impact of Self-Objectification and Internalized Capitalism, 01:19:06 - The Historical Origins of Work Culture, 01:20:25 - Challenges for Women in the Business World, 01:21:23 - Overcoming Biases and Empowering Women, 01:23:12 - Keeping an Open Mind and Trusting Yourself   Timestamped summary of this episode (also presented as generated by Capsho): 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Dan Nestle Show  Dan Nestle introduces the podcast episode and his guest, Sarah McElroy, who is a high-performing chief marketing officer turned CEO and career transition expert. They discuss the importance of managing one's career and the power of the in-between moments in career transitions. 00:02:01 - Sarah's Career Journey and the Importance of the In-Between Moments Sarah McElroy shares her personal career journey, including a difficult divorce, job loss, and health issues. She emphasizes the significance of the in-between moments in one's career and how they can shape the direction and decisions for the future. 00:07:52 - Sarah's First Resignation and the Need for a Reset Sarah talks about her first resignation and how it came after experiencing physical and mental health issues due to overworking. She decided to take a pause and went on a wellness retreat in Peru to reconnect with herself. This reset led her to make significant changes in her career and personal life. 00:12:47 - The Great Resignation and Finding Resilience Sarah discusses the concept of the Great Resignation and how it has impacted many people's career decisions. She emphasizes the importance of finding resilience during challenging times and shares her own experience of quitting her job after being diagnosed with shingles. This decision allowed her to prioritize her well-being and seek a more fulfilling career path. 00:15:20 - The Impact of Divorce and Mental Health Issues, Sara discusses how her divorce, mental health issues, and childhood trauma affected her. She shares her hospitalization and estrangement from her family, leading to feelings of worthlessness and a need to prove her value. 00:18:07 - The Pressure of Being a Valedictorian, Sara and Dan discuss how being valedictorian can create pressure and expectations. They explore the idea that valedictorians often become followers rather than leaders, as they excel at working within a structured system. 00:22:51 - The Lack of a Life Roadmap, Sara and Dan reflect on how the traditional notion of a life roadmap no longer applies in today's ever-changing world. They discuss the challenges faced by recent generations in navigating their careers and finding their paths. 00:25:26 - Resignation and Self-Reflection, Sara shares her experience of resigning from her second job due to sexual harassment and feeling undervalued. She discusses how these experiences pushed her to leave corporate life and become an entrepreneur. She also recognizes her own role in choosing these environments and the need for self-reflection and healing. 00:28:45 - The Journey of Personal Growth, Sara and Dan emphasize the value of personal growth and therapy in understanding oneself and making better choices. They discuss the importance of embracing the past and learning from experiences to shape a fulfilling career and life. 00:30:49 - The Journey Begins, Sara reflects on her decision to leave a terrible job and the inspiration it sparked to help other women facing burnout and toxic cultures. She starts a journalism project called Raised to Rise to capture the stories and wisdom of women experiencing the great resignation. 00:33:27 - The Power of Women's Stories, Sara realizes the universality of women's experiences during the great resignation and decides to turn Raised to Rise into a book. She wants to share the raw, messy, and inspiring stories of women to create a playbook for designing a fulfilling career. 00:35:17 - Designing a Fulfilling Career, Sara believes that designing a fulfilling career is an inside job. Rather than solely relying on external factors like job title and salary, she emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, intuition, and listening to our physiology to find greater fulfillment in our work. 00:39:37 - The Unforeseen Path, Sara shares how her book took an unexpected turn, allowing her to incorporate more of the ups and downs and unexpected twists of her own journey. She believes that embracing the unexpected and staying true to oneself is essential when navigating career transitions. 00:43:35 - The Role of Physiology, Sara explores the role of physiology in decision-making and career choices. She discusses the b

In this episode, Dan reconnects with a former colleague and marketing communications collaborator,  Michael Morris. A world traveler who has spent his career putting purpose at the forefront of everything he does, Michael recently co-founded Denmark-based Engagement Lab, an advisory firm specializing in behavioral insights, brand building, competitive positioning, and strategic communications – and focused exclusively on businesses in the green transition. Dan and Michael dig into the importance of purpose and serendipity in career decisions as they explore Michael's fascinating story. Early in his career, during a stint in Ghana that didn't go according to plan, Michael realized that being a communicator gave him a unique role in bringing purpose to life, not just for himself but for his company and colleagues as well. His later work with World Vision propelled him on a purpose-driven path that continued through his work at MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, helping improve the lives of others through strategic communication.  Through their conversation... Discover the road to fulfillment and maximum impact in your career, guided by purpose and authentic communication. Uncover the value hidden in networks and mentorships and how they unlock doors to personal and professional growth. Grasp the transformative power of empathy in fostering genuine relationships, elevating marketing communications to new heights. Understand the game-changing role of energy transition and sustainability in setting new standards for careers and businesses. Delve into the fascinating interplay between AI and the writing landscape, highlighting the tightrope balance between creativity amplification and preservation. Notable Quotes: “It’s important for us to recognize poignant moments when they happen.” – (8:21), Michael “Every person that you meet is a whole new door to who knows what else.” – (11:00), Dan “I choose to believe that things happen for a reason because if only because then I’m more aware of when things happen and who I’m meeting with.” – (17:44), Michael “Let’s make sure that we’re doing our best to have continuity between the internal experience and the external messaging.” - (37:08), Michael “Because of tech, you don’t have an internal announcement and an external announcement, you have an announcement.” – (40:40), Michael “Your work is made better by cultivating and integrating your peripheral interests.” – (1:00:07), Michael “AI doesn’t care about the truth.” – (1:09:00), Michael About Dan Nestle  The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle | Twitter About Michael Morris Engagement Lab - Website Michael Morris - Linkedin The key moments in this episode (as generated by my AI buddy, Capsho) are: 00:00:00 - Introduction, 00:00:19 - The Power of Purpose, 00:04:14 - Michael's Journey, 00:08:30 - Working with Purpose, 00:15:12 - The Heartbreaking Reality in Sub-Saharan Africa, 00:16:50 - Embracing Serendipity and Openness, 00:19:42 - The Power of Storytelling in Communications and Marketing, 00:21:08 - The Superpower of Connecting Dots and Cultivating Empathy, 00:26:15 - Engagement Lab: Facilitating Connection and Empathy, 00:31:22 - Overview of Communication Scope, 00:32:47 - Communication Challenges in the Energy Transition, 00:33:27 - Identifying Needs in the Energy Transition Space, 00:35:05 - Importance of Founding Values and Employee Engagement, 00:36:23 - Internal Communications and External Messaging, 00:47:31 - Dealing with Impatience and Inspiration, 00:48:24 - The Ambivalence of Gen X, 00:49:39 - Embracing a Balanced Approach, 00:51:51 - The Long-Term Nature of the Energy Transition, 00:54:02 - Acknowledging the Benefits of Power, 01:02:54 - Introduction to Barrett Road and its Agile Approach, 01:03:25 - The Impact of AI on Writing and Creativity, 01:05:34 - AI's Potential to Replace Writers and Artists, 01:09:15 - AI's Lack of Commitment to Truth and Connection, 01:13:30 - Embracing AI as a Tool and Making Writing More Efficient, 01:17:13 - The Power of Technology in Graphic Design and Artistry, 01:18:37 - Unleashing Creativity with AI, 01:19:44 - Experience and Career Advantages in the Age of AI, 01:20:31 - Connecting with Michael Morris and Engagement Lab, 01:21:29 - Gratitude and Encouragement Timestamped summary of this episode (also presented as generated by Capsho): 00:00:00 - Introduction,  Dan Nestle introduces the podcast and his guest, Michael Morris, a strategic communications professional with a passion for purpose-driven work. 00:00:19 - The Power of Purpose, Dan and Michael discuss how purpose can transform a career and bring fulfillment. They emphasize the importance of recognizing pivotal moments and connecting with instrumental people along the way. 00:04:14 - Michael's Journey, Michael shares his journey from working in Ghana to traveling across Africa with World Vision. He highlights the impact of experiencing adversity and how it shaped his commitment to work with purpose. 00:08:30 - Working with Purpose, Michael and Dan discuss the significance of purpose finding you rather than the other way around. They emphasize the importance of human-to-human connections and being open to opportunities for making a positive impact. 00:15:12 - The Heartbreaking Reality in Sub-Saharan Africa, The guest discusses the heartbreaking stories of children dying from diarrhea in sub-Saharan Africa. He emphasizes the importance of addressing this issue and highlights the work done by World Vision. He also encourages listeners to support organizations like World Vision. 00:16:50 - Embracing Serendipity and Openness, The conversation shifts to the concept of serendipity and the importance of being open to unexpected opportunities. The guest shares his belief that things happen for a reason and encourages listeners to recognize pivotal moments in their lives. This mindset is crucial for success in the creative field and helps in building connections and empathy with others. 00:19:42 - The Power of Storytelling in Communications and Marketing, The guest explains how storytelling plays a vital role in communications and marketing. The goal is to persuade, convince, or change minds by using the power of story and imagery. Being open to connections and embracing serendipity is essential in effectively reaching and engaging with different audiences. 00:21:08 - The Superpower of Connecting Dots and Cultivating Empathy, The guest discusses the superpower of connecting dots that others may not see. This ability to find connections is essential in the creative field and contributes to success. It is driven by empathy, which requires mental energy and the ability to put oneself in someone else's shoes. 00:26:15 - Engagement Lab: Facilitating Connection and Empathy, The guest introduces Engagement Lab and 00:31:22 - Overview of Communication Scope, The guest explains that their communication services are broad but limited to engagements that include upfront research. Their specialization is in the energy transition sector. 00:32:47 - Communication Challenges in the Energy Transition, The guest highlights the communication challenges faced by energy transition companies, such as assuming everyone believes in their mission without considering the need for effective communication and understanding of alternative solutions within the renewables industry. 00:33:27 - Identifying Needs in the Energy Transition Space, The guest emphasizes the tremendous need for effective communication within the energy transition sector, especially for rapidly scaling companies. They discuss the strain on culture, values, and internal communications as businesses grow. 00:35:05 - Importance of Founding Values and Employee Engagement, The conversation explores the significance of founding values and employee engagement in growing firms. Companies need to ensure continuity and alignment between internal culture and external messaging to maintain employee satisfaction and trust. 00:36:23 - Internal Communications and External Messaging, The guest discusses the importance of internal communications and how they influence external messaging. They stress the need for consistency and alignment between the internal experience and the external image portrayed to stakeholders. 00:47:31 - Dealing with Impatience and Inspiration, The conversation explores the dilemma of balancing impatience and inspiration in the face of climate change. It discusses the need for companies, leaders, communicators, and marketers to be inspirational while counteracting people's impatience about the state of the world. 00:48:24 - The Ambivalence of Gen X, The hosts discuss their generation's ambivalence towards various issues but acknowledge the importance of passionate individuals working in renewable and climate change-related industries. They emphasize the need for these individuals to see the bigger picture and the importance of focusing on specific areas and products to effect change. 00:49:39 - Embracing a Balanced Approach, The conversation emphasizes the importance of living with urgency and passion, while also maintaining a pragmatic view of the technology and practicalities involved in the energy transition. They highlight the need to blend the inspiration of environmentalists with the knowledge and understanding of technology experts. 00:51:51 - The Long-Term Nature of the Energy Transition, The hosts discuss the reality that the energy transition is a long-term process rather than an overnight fix. They acknowledge the need for political action to accelerate the transition but emphasize that it requires time, investment, and a willingness to explore and embrace multiple solutions. 00:54:02 - Acknowledging the Benefits of Power, The conversation acknowledges the historical benefits of power and energy in improving people's lives, despite the negative environmental impacts. They highlight the

In this episode, Dan dives deep into some of his favorite topics with seasoned marketing pro, thought leader, podcaster, and fellow denizen of the RISE Community, Aaron Hassen. An Air Force veteran with decades of corporate B2B sales and marketing experience, Aaron is the founder and Chief Marketer of AH Marketing, his consultancy focused on helping B2B clients multiply their annual growth. Never afraid to chase down a new idea or pursue a theory, Aaron’s bold stance on current marketing matters has led him to become “the founder’s best friend and secret weapon.” As a founder-turned-marketer, he knows what owners and founders need to market their businesses and stay connected to customers.  He and Dan explore some of that as they discuss how trust and emotion are absolutely necessary to make the kinds of connections that will shape the current and next generation of business. Listen to their conversation, and you will: Discover the essential role of trust and connection in marketing for strengthening customer relationships. Understand how to utilize personal branding to establish a formidable bond with your target audience. Unearth the potential of communities in fostering trust and creating a solid connection with your customer base. Recognize the impact of face-to-face interaction in building an authentic connection and lasting trust. Learn the significance of aligning your brand values with consumers to reinforce your brand identity and build trust.  Notable Quotes: “I learned from sales to listen and to really listen deeply with empathy and understanding.” (10:31), Aaron.  “Servant leaders and great entrepreneurs embody the same things.” – (13:17), Aaron.  “Sometimes we get behind these closed doors and we start to think selfishly and that’s the worst thing you can do in terms of acquiring customers in my view.” - (14:40), Aaron.  “Consumers have control of a brand’s reputation, and they have access to product information like they never have before.” – (16:55), Aaron.  “Personal brands help companies become more than a product or solution.” – (27:16), Aaron.  “People do not trust companies the way they used to.” (28:30), Aaron.  “Customers are looking for integrity that somebody is going to be consistent and reliable to their values, purpose, and vision.” – (32:03), Aaron. “You’ve got to go through the process of understanding who you are and what your role and relevance is in the market.” – (33:17), Aaron. “Different people will have different perspectives based on how they’re traversing different challenges at their company.” – (42:44), Aaron.  On AI. “How do I know this is a real person behind it, how do I know the information isn’t false.” – (44:45), Aaron. “People are seeking human beings and they ‘re looking for solutions through trusted sources.” (45:38), Aaron.  “Relationships are built on trust and trusted relationships drive referrals.” – (54:31), Aaron. “You can’t buy trust.” – (57:16), Dan. About Dan Nestle  The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle (@dsnestle) | Twitter/X About Aaron Hassen Aaron Hassen – Website Aaron Hassen - Linkedin Aaron Hassen – YouTube Aaron Hassen - Twitter/X  The key moments in this episode (as generated by my AI buddy, Capsho) are: 00:00:00 - Introduction,  00:02:10 - The Value of Deep Conversations, 00:06:17 - The Emotional Side of B2B Marketing, 00:09:00 - The Journey to Becoming a Marketer, 00:12:32 - Being a Servant Leader in Marketing, 00:17:19 - The Power of Community in Building Brands, 00:18:28 - The Importance of Being Human and Building Trust, 00:20:30 - Personal Branding for All, not Just Entrepreneurs, 00:21:59 - The Success of Personal Branding, 00:28:30 - Building Personal Brands to Go Beyond Products, 00:35:01 - The Importance of Brand Identity, 00:36:07 - The Danger of Losing Focus, 00:38:01 - Trust and Connection in Marketing, 00:40:03 - The Challenge of Writing Frequency, 00:41:48 - Trust and Connection as Megatrends, 00:51:54 - Importance of In-Person Communication, 00:52:47 - Pros and Cons of Different Communication Methods, 00:54:07 - Hotels as Meeting Spaces, 00:55:39 - Trust in Different Communication Channels, 01:02:05 - The Role of AI in Trust, 01:07:40 - The Value and Challenges of Having an Intern, 01:08:03 - Teaching Once and Letting Interns Progress, 01:08:29 - The Benefits of Having Highly Skilled Unpaid Workers, 01:09:02 - Using Freedom to Innovate, 01:09:41 - AI's Origin in Humanity and the Need for Improvement Timestamped summary of this episode, also presented as generated by Capsho: 00:00:00 - Introduction,  Dan Nestle introduces the podcast and his guest, Aaron Hassen, who is a marketer and a contributing member of the Rise community. They discuss the importance of community and what makes a good community. 00:02:10 - The Value of Deep Conversations,  Dan and Aaron discuss the importance of deep conversations and the value they bring in contrast to short attention spans. They both appreciate the opportunity for meaningful discussions and learning in the podcast format. 00:06:17 - The Emotional Side of B2B Marketing,  Aaron shares his experience transitioning from the military to the corporate world and how it shaped his perspective on marketing. He emphasizes the emotional aspect of B2B marketing and the importance of trust, connection, and empathy in building relationships with customers. 00:09:00 - The Journey to Becoming a Marketer,  Aaron talks about his path from the military to starting his own business and eventually finding his passion for marketing. He highlights the lessons he learned from sales, such as the importance of listening deeply and understanding the emotional drivers behind purchasing decisions. 00:12:32 - Being a Servant Leader in Marketing,  Dan and Aaron discuss the qualities of a good marketer who approaches their role as a servant leader. They emphasize the importance of embodying the brand, leading with a clear vision, inspiring change, and prioritizing the needs of the customer over self-interest.   00:17:19 - The Power of Community in Building Brands,  Brands that facilitate communities are effective in connecting with customers and building trust. Live events and personal recommendations from trusted individuals are successful because people want to belong and connect. 00:18:28 - The Importance of Being Human and Building Trust,  In an environment where trust is lacking, it is important for brands to be more human, empathetic, and authentic. Personal branding allows marketing to connect with customers in a more personal way and build trust. 00:20:30 - Personal Branding for All, not Just Entrepreneurs,  Personal branding should not be limited to solopreneurs and entrepreneurs. Every executive and leader can benefit from developing their personal brand to survive in a changing industry and connect with customers. 00:21:59 - The Success of Personal Branding,  Personal branding works when it is based on authenticity, trust, and connecting with the customer's core issues. Building a personal brand that resonates with people can lead to business success. 00:28:30 - Building Personal Brands to Go Beyond Products,  Personal brands help companies become more than just a product or a logo. By connecting with people, sharing experiences, and developing emotions, brands can build trust and create a loyal customer base. 00:35:01 - The Importance of Brand Identity,  The conversation begins with a discussion about the significance of brand identity and how wrong positioning or a loss of values can lead to the downfall of a brand. The analogy is made that brands are like people and can also experience a loss of direction or values. 00:36:07 - The Danger of Losing Focus,  The conversation continues by highlighting the tendency for success to cause complacency and a loss of hunger, leading to a decline in quality. This phenomenon is compared to rock bands that lose their audience after deviating from their original sound and style. 00:38:01 - Trust and Connection in Marketing,  The conversation shifts to the importance of trust and connection in marketing. The guest emphasizes the need to build trust and establish genuine connections with customers rather than resorting to aggressive advertising or deception. The concept of personal branding and regular content creation is also discussed. 00:40:03 - The Challenge of Writing Frequency,  The host shares his struggle with writing frequency and the guest explains the benefits of regular content creation for developing thoughts and personal brand. The guest emphasizes the importance of learning from marketing experts and staying relevant in the industry. 00:41:48 - Trust and Connection as Megatrends,  The guest identifies trust and connection as megatrends in the B2B market. Nonlinear buyer journeys, dark social, and event-led marketing are all driven by the need for trust and connection. The guest highlights the impact of recent global events on the desire for interpersonal 00:51:54 - Importance of In-Person Communication,  In-person communication allows for both verbal and nonverbal cues, which are crucial for effective connection and understanding. Sangrim and GTM Partners are hosting road shows to facilitate face-to-face interactions and build relationships. 00:52:47 - Pros and Cons of Different Communication Methods,  Different communication methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. While in-person interaction is unparalleled, verbal conversations over the phone can be more focused. Each type of communication serves a purpose and has its place. 00:54:07 - Hotels as Meeting Spaces,  With the shift to remote work, companies have closed their offices, leading to a need for temporary meeting spaces. Hotels are investing in meeting spaces to accommodate these needs and capitalize on the demand for in-person collaboration and events. 00:55:39 - Trust in Different Communication Channels,  Content

In this episode, Dan welcomes back legendary communicator, connector, and executive coach to the PR industry, Ken Jacobs, for his second appearance on the show. Back in January 2021, he and Dan talked about leadership and purpose in the agency world. Now, with the pandemic in the rearview, has widespread indecision and inconsistency around remote work, hybrid work, and RTO (Return to Office) changed the nature of leadership and management? Ken and Dan dig into some of the changes we’ve seen over the past few years and try to find some answers. Ken walks us through the nuances of building a team in a remote setting and why managers still must be able to build and manage teams effectively. Remote working doesn’t seem like it’s going away anytime soon, even as some organizations push for a return to more traditional work settings. No matter what organizations are doing, though, the past few years have highlighted the importance of connection and connectedness for effective leadership - and we need a new playbook.  In this episode, you will be able to: Uncover the ever-progressing dynamics of leadership within the context of the PR industry in a fluctuating global environment. Navigate the ins and outs of remote work and running teams virtually in a post-pandemic world. Find the balance between granting autonomy, instilling trust, and avoiding micromanagement in a team-centric setting. Gain insight into the pivotal role of AI and other groundbreaking technologies in reshaping the PR industry. Appreciate why adopting a learning attitude and making learning a lifetime habit stands as a key cornerstone of successful leadership. Notable Quotes: “I think this whole notion of connecting more and wanting to connect more and wanting more time together is partly due to the lockdown and also, they want to spend time with people who are natural connectors.” – (3:17), Ken “Coaching isn’t what we do; it’s who we are.” – (5:46), Ken “Make your office a magnet, not a mandate.” – (16:00), Ken “It (remote working for PR) can be done. Can it be done better working together? Probably” – (18:58), Ken “Is the team really a team if they’re not together?” – (22:24), Dan “Every time you say it’s hard for me or I’m not good at, add the word … now.” – (30:30), Ken “You don’t have to be a neuroscientist to use the neuroscience.” – (31:40), Ken “When we say I wonder how that would feel, we actually start to feel it.” – (34:21), Ken “We don’t realize it but many people who work for us, our followers, have a vision.” – (36:20), Ken “It feels like the need for certain leadership attributes are on steroids.” – (41:05), Ken “You’ve got to act in a trustworthy manner no matter the consequences.” – (42:23), Ken “When you look at your past be very mindful to not judge yourself too harshly.” – (46:40), Ken “It’s really important that you’re nurturing and not micromanaging.”  (51:31), Ken “One thing AI cannot do is mimic or replace emotional intelligence and empathy and trust.” – (1:01:13), Dan “This notion of lifetime learning is absolutely critical.” – (1:04:55), Ken About Ken Jacobs Ken Jacobs is the principal of Jacobs Consulting & Executive Coaching, leveraging his expertise for over a decade to bolster agency growth, client relations, and staff performance. A recognized coach and consultant, Ken holds PCC credentials from the International Coach Federation and additional accreditations from iPEC, including CPC, ELI Master Practitioner, and CLDS. His rich experience encompasses collaborations with top-tier communications agencies such as Catalyst, Coyne Public Relations, and M Booth, to name a few. Before founding his firm, Jacobs dedicated 25 years to leadership roles in renowned PR agencies, notably spearheading the award-winning "MMC Masters" training program at Marina Maher Communications. Beyond his consulting, Ken shares insights in his "Taking The Lead" column for PRSA's Strategies and Tactics. An alumnus of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School, he's also an honored member of PRSA, and a Senior Counselor to Prosper Group. Ken Jacobs Links Jacobs Consulting and Executive Coaching Ken Jacobs - Twitter Ken Jacobs - Facebook Ken Jacobs – Linkedin Dan Nestle Links The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle | Twitter The key moments in this episode are: 00:00:00 - Introduction,  00:01:48 - Connecting with Natural Connectors,  00:06:07 - Coaching During the Pandemic,  00:10:12 - Accelerated Change and Returning to the Office,  00:13:32 - In-Person Energy and Coordination,  00:15:56 - The Importance of Making the Office a Magnet, not a Mandate,  00:16:42 - Challenges of Remote Work and Real Estate,  00:18:30 - The Value of In-Person Collaboration,  00:19:51 - Leadership in a Remote Work Environment,  00:25:34 - Expectations Gap and Hiring Talent,  00:33:02 - The Relief of a Fresh Perspective,  00:34:16 - Customizing Leadership Styles,  00:36:11 - Building Trust and Connection,  00:42:58 - The Challenges of Virtual Leadership,  00:50:40 - The Importance of Nurturing Relationships in a Remote Work Environment,  00:53:19 - Setting Clear Expectations and Deadlines,  00:56:25 - Embracing AI and the Importance of Integration,  01:00:50 - Approaching AI with a Growth Mindset,  01:04:51 - The Importance of Lifetime Learning and Staying Relevant,  01:07:29 - Learning About AI,  01:08:12 - The Future of AI,  01:08:59 - Pivotal Person in Life,  01:10:49 - LinkedIn as the Platform of Choice,  01:14:35 - LinkedIn Fails and Harassment Timestamped summary of this episode, courtesy of Capsho: 00:00:00 - Introduction,  Dan Nestle introduces the podcast episode and welcomes back Ken Jacobs, a former PR agency executive and leadership expert. They discuss the importance of pivotal moments and the role of people in those moments. 00:01:48 - Connecting with Natural Connectors,  Ken Jacobs talks about the desire to connect more with people who are natural connectors and how it transcends age. He emphasizes the importance of helping one another and how the lockdown during the pandemic accelerated the need for connection. 00:06:07 - Coaching During the Pandemic,  Ken Jacobs shares his experience as a coach during the pandemic and how he continued coaching even when clients couldn't pay. He highlights the importance of purpose-driven work and how emotional intelligence and empathy helped people thrive during challenging times. 00:10:12 - Accelerated Change and Returning to the Office,  The conversation shifts to the accelerated change brought on by the pandemic and the impact on work culture. They discuss the mixed approach of remote and in-office work and the need to reevaluate the purpose of going to the office. Ken emphasizes the importance of using in-person time effectively. 00:13:32 - In-Person Energy and Coordination,  Ken and Dan discuss the energy that comes from in-person interactions and the need to find a balance between remote and in-office work. They highlight the importance of coordinating in-person time to brainstorm and collaborate effectively. 00:15:56 - The Importance of Making the Office a Magnet, not a Mandate,  Ken Jacobs emphasizes the need for companies to give employees a reason to come back to the office beyond just basic perks like Taco Tuesday. Making the office a place for collaboration and idea generation is crucial, but it must be done in a way that respects individual preferences and safety concerns. 00:16:42 - Challenges of Remote Work and Real Estate,  Many companies had to downsize their office spaces during the pandemic due to financial constraints. However, finding the right balance of remote work and in-person collaboration remains a challenge. Different industries and organizations have unique needs and must determine what approach works best for them. 00:18:30 - The Value of In-Person Collaboration,  In agencies, where brainstorming and collaboration are vital, being physically present can enhance creativity and energy. While virtual collaboration is possible, the magic often happens when diverse teams come together in person. However, organizations must be mindful of including remote team members to ensure everyone feels connected. 00:19:51 - Leadership in a Remote Work Environment,  Great leaders must be empathetic, good listeners, and understand that it is impossible to please everyone. Balancing the needs and preferences of team members who want to work remotely or in the office requires careful consideration. Dialing up empathy and seeking feedback from employees are essential for effective leadership. 00:25:34 - Expectations Gap and Hiring Talent,  The expectations gap between agencies and employees spread across different locations has grown 00:33:02 - The Relief of a Fresh Perspective,  The conversation explores the feeling of relief and a breath of fresh air that comes with challenging preconceived notions and adopting a learner's mindset in leadership. It emphasizes the importance of self-growth and highlights the motivation that comes from imagining how achieving new perspectives and growth would feel. 00:34:16 - Customizing Leadership Styles,  The discussion delves into the significance of customizing leadership styles for each team member. It emphasizes the importance of understanding their values, vision, and learning styles to create alignment and motivation within the team. Taking the time to think about individual team members before interactions can greatly impact their engagement and fulfillment. 00:36:11 - Building Trust and Connection,  The conversation emphasizes the need for leaders to build trust and connection with their team members. This involves understanding their values, vision, and role in achieving the group's goals. By creating alignment between the organization's values, the leader's values, and the

In this episode, Dan welcomes translation and localization expert Bill Lafferty, the founder of Loc Navigator, a resource-rich newsletter that helps readers understand translation and localization as drivers of business growth. An accomplished Japanese-to-English legal translator, enterprise localization project leader, and localization technology consultant, Bill has lived at the intersection of technology and translation for nearly three decades. And full disclosure: he’s been one of Dan’s best friends for over 25 years, so he knows…quite a lot about the host of the show.   He and Dan reminisce a bit and then dig into the evolution of translation and localization and the proliferation of technology in the field. Perhaps more than any other profession, translators have had to deal with ever-improving AI tools, and adaptation and skill enhancement have been par for the course. Now, with ChatGPT and LLMs performing better translations than any previous disruptive development, will translators survive?    Find out as Bill and Dan uncover some of the misconceptions about where AI is taking the translation profession - and by extension, other language-intensive jobs. In this episode:   Delve into the crucial role localization has in enhancing global business performance. Understand the influence human proficiency has on the nuance-rich translation industry. Scrutinize the landscape of the translation field in the new age of AI and machine translation. Ascertain the advantages and pitfalls of forging a career path in translation and localization. Embrace the importance of fostering continuous learning in the dynamic tech-driven world. Listen in and hear… All about the world of translation The concept of localization of languages Perceptions about Google Translate Human-oriented tasks in translation What makes Bill so interested in language translation  The beauty of the Japanese language The intersection of software and local translation Legal translation and the room for growth  Where machine translation fails  ChatGPT and how it is impacting translation Neuro-machine translations, usages, and limitations On-the-fly speech translation and pixelation The difference between localization and translation Understanding taxonomy and how it plays within your business  The Block Chain and opportunities it brings How AI helps increase the capacity and quality of communications Notable Quotes: “A lot of language learning comes from an openness to rhythm and sound.” – (12:49), Bill “There’s different levels to feeling accomplished when speaking a second language.” – (17:11), Bill “It was more important for me at the right age to make this really big career change into something different because I felt life would be a little less heavy.” – (20:07), Bill “Savvy, freelance translators are learning to use these technologies and harness them and use them as accelerators.” – (30:28), Bill “Low level jobs that would’ve been steps along the way are not exactly necessary anymore.” – (33:58), Dan “The amount of words being created everyday is just incredible.” – (35:58), Bill  “New tools require new operators.” – (36:28), Dan “Localization is one of the key drivers for global growth for any business.” – (51:03), Bill  “Translation is an industry that has always been shaped by infusions of technology.” – (57:23), Bill “Making something less complex is a huge value-add in this economy right now.” – (1:00:18), Bill “The better you can be at helping your customers or stakeholders to escape complexity, the more they’re going to thank you.” – (1:00:32), Bill “In my opinion ChatGPT promotes better mental health.” – (1:02:26), Bill “For freelance translators, don’t let all this noise about technology be something that is going to derail your career. Do what you love.” – (1:12:33), Bill Dan Nestle Links The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle (@dsnestle) | Twitter Bill Lafferty Links Loc Navigator Bill Lafferty - Twitter Bill Lafferty – Linkedin Timestamped summary of this episode, courtesy of Capsho: 00:00:00 - Introduction, Dan introduces the podcast and his guest, Bill Lafferty, who has a long career in translation and localization. They discuss the importance of translation in today's global economy. 00:02:37 - The Perception of Translation, Dan and Bill talk about the misconception that translation is a commoditized service and the challenge of overcoming this perception. They highlight the need for human-oriented tasks in translation and the importance of delivering translations that feel natural to the target audience. 00:06:09 - The Commoditization of Translation, Bill discusses the commoditization of the translation industry and the long tail of language service providers. He emphasizes the importance of understanding clients' goals and finding solutions that fit their budget. 00:07:52 - AI and Translation, Dan and Bill touch on the advancements in AI and its impact on the translation industry. They discuss the complexities of translating multiple languages and character sets, and how translation has been grappling with these challenges for a long time. 00:11:02 - Bill's Journey in Translation, Bill shares his journey in translation, from studying Japanese in college to being enchanted by the language. He discusses his experience as a legal translator and the rewards of learning to read Japanese at a high level. 00:15:13 - The Meticulousness of Translation, The guest discusses the meticulous nature of translation, where one stroke or change in a character can completely change the meaning. They also highlight the challenge of finding the opposite meaning from the same character given a different conjugation. 00:15:50 - Curiosity and Connection, The guest emphasizes the importance of curiosity and an innate sense of curiosity in learning a second language. They also express the desire to reach out and connect with others through language. 00:16:26 - Shades of Meaning in Japanese, The guest compares languages like Japanese and Chinese to Romance languages, highlighting the complexity and multiple shades of meaning in characters. They discuss the challenge of translating legal contracts and documents from English to Japanese. 00:18:20 - Missing the Social Dynamic, The guest shares their reason for stopping their translation career, expressing a desire for more socialization and connection with people. They enjoy talking and developing relationships, which led them to their current role in sales and client development. 00:19:47 - The Desire for Hands-On Translation, The guest expresses a desire to return to translation and be hands-on, as they enjoy diving in and being tactile. They mention the possibility of translating short stories or engaging in more creative translation in the future. 00:30:57 - Impact of Technology on Solopreneurs and Small Business Owners, Technology advancements like Chat GPT can disrupt industries, potentially putting solopreneurs and small business owners out of business or forcing them onto new career paths. 00:32:21 - Disruption in the Creative World, The creative world, including industries like copywriting, marketing consulting, and translation, is experiencing disruption as technology continues to advance. Jobs that were once necessary may become obsolete as AI tools like Chat GPT become more sophisticated. 00:34:15 - The Role of Supervised Learning and Machine Translation, In machine translation, there is a distinction between supervised learning and unsupervised learning. While Chat GPT goes through a filtration process, unsupervised machine translation can still be improved with technology advancements like neural machine translation. 00:35:33 - Balancing Machine Translation and Human Translation, When expanding into new markets, companies must consider the balance between using machine translation and human translation. While machine translation may be budget-friendly, it's important to ensure that the first impression of a product or brand is accurate and well-translated. 00:38:43 - New Skills and Opportunities, The introduction of AI tools like Chat GPT creates new opportunities for those who possess skills in manipulating and guiding these tools. Curiosity and a command of language are valuable assets in utilizing AI for oneself or clients. 00:46:38 - The Potential of Machine Translation, The guest discusses the potential of machine translation, mentioning the possibility of real-time translation and the ability to overlay mouth movements in different languages. However, he notes that the marriage of technology and translation is still not fully developed. 00:47:56 - The Advancements in Machine Translation, The guest acknowledges that developments in machine translation are already happening, citing examples such as instant translation on LinkedIn. He emphasizes that while machine translation has improved, it still comes with certain limitations and caveats. 00:49:49 - Localization vs. Translation, The host and guest discuss localization, highlighting its importance in global business growth. They explain that localization goes beyond translation as it involves adapting content to different languages, cultures, and markets. They note that localization should be considered early on in the development process. 00:51:18 - Historical Challenges in Localization, The guest explains that the historical paradigm of starting in a single market and expanding later has led to localization being an afterthought for many businesses. However, he mentions that forward-thinking companies are now incorporating localization into their product development from the beginning. 00:56:21 - The Future of Localization, The guest sees a positive future for localization, as technology continues to advance and automation becomes more desired. However, he highlights the ne

In this episode, Dan connects with career strategist, ex-recruiter, host of the Career Blast in a Half podcast, and President of Portfoliorocket.com,  Loren Greiff. A career trailblazer in her own right who rose to the highest levels of ad agency leadership before embarking on a second career in recruiting and career management, Loren experienced the recruiting world from all angles - and concluded that the current model is fundamentally broken, somewhat inhuman, and rigged against job seekers. To fix it, she founded Portfolio Rocket - a career curriculum that uses a radical approach to helping professionals level up their careers and discover how to uncover the hidden job market. She and Dan dig deep into the challenges facing job seekers; the almost criminal lack of career education and the resulting reactive, shallow approach to career management; the importance of mindset and of exploring your “why;” and much more. There’s something in this episode for anyone who has ever had to manage their career (which means pretty much everyone). Listen in and hear… Fatal flaws that today’s recruiters are making and how to overcome them. The potentially dangerous impact of living an unfulfilled professional life.  The professional lightbulb moment that sparked something in Loren. Where the recruiting industry gets it all wrong and how you can get it right.  Why job searching is actually a life skill.  The importance of embracing the gift of desperation.  Why job seekers don’t have to start their search from scratch. The trickle-down impact of an executive departure. The debilitating concept of “Landline Thinking.” The length of time your resume warrants and how to overcome it. Why your resume is only a piece of your job-seeking arsenal.  The new, revolutionary mindset that every job seeker must have. Problem-solving and alignment with the needs of potential employers.  Understanding your professional why. The Coffee Strategy and the Essence of the Hidden Job Market.  Notable Quotes: “I’m very much the challenger, I’m very much the person that’s seeking to find the information, I also can be the informant.” – (6:20) - Loren “Our careers, they don’t live in some compartment. They run alongside you as your partner in your professional life.” – (8:47) - Loren “Career management should be a skill set.” (26:22) - Dan “Robots might take your job, so now is a great time to start thinking about the skill set you need to manage your career.” – (33:50) – Dan “Please stop asking yourself, ‘what do I want to do next?’ and replace it with ‘what problems do I love to solve?’” – (38:27) – Loren  “Networking is always about the quality.” – (55:58) – Loren  “What keeps me up at night is the unbelievable roadblocks that come in so many mental formats.” – (1:10:22) - Loren Loren Greiff’s Links Loren Greiff – Linkedin Portfolio Rocket Career Blast in a Half Podcast Dan Nestle’s Links The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle (@dsnestle) | Twitter Key episode highlights (courtesy of Capsho): 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Dan Nestle Show, 00:03:02 - The Power of Genuine Connections, 00:05:58 - Loren Greiff's Journey, 00:09:30 - The Disconnection Between Job and Personal Life, 00:13:57 - Finding Success in Recruiting, 00:16:08 - Making a Career Change, 00:19:04 - A Crisis of Integrity, 00:21:04 - The Challenges of Recruitment, 00:23:25 - The Sad Reality of the System, 00:28:12 - Embracing Change, 00:33:35 - Rapid Technological Changes and Career Implications, 00:35:16 - The Problem with Landline Thinking, 00:38:00 - Shifting Mindset and Identifying Problems, 00:40:51 - Reconnecting with Purpose, 00:46:32 - Niche and Career Management, 00:49:52 - Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile, 00:51:59 - Building a Pipeline of Networking Conversations, 00:52:58 - Treating Your Career Like Your Health, 00:54:32 - Quality Networking vs. Superficial Connections, 01:00:38 - The Hidden Job Market & Creating Opportunities, 01:07:17 - Lively and Spicy Conversation, 01:08:13 - Embracing Change in Your Career, 01:09:31 - Balancing Curiosity and Focus, 01:10:31 - Roadblocks to Career Success, 01:13:26 - Portfolio Rocket and Career Management Timestamped summary of this episode (courtesy of Capsho): 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Dan Nestle Show,  Dan Nestle introduces the podcast and his guest, Loren Greiff. He highlights the importance of finding meaningful opportunities in the world of work and teases the unique approach Loren has taken to help executives and senior leaders discover hidden job opportunities. 00:03:02 - The Power of Genuine Connections,  Dan and Loren discuss the narrow approach people often take when it comes to career and job searches. They emphasize the importance of making genuine connections and tapping into the secret job market to find careers that truly light people up. 00:05:58 - Loren Greiff's Journey,  Loren shares her journey from being a marketer in New York City to transitioning to a client-side role in Chicago. She talks about the challenges she faced and how she eventually found her calling in recruiting. Her experience with anxiety and burnout led her to a path of helping others navigate their careers. 00:09:30 - The Disconnection Between Job and Personal Life,  Loren reflects on her experience working in financial services and the disconnect she felt between her job and personal life. She emphasizes the importance of aligning career choices with personal priorities and needs. 00:13:57 - Finding Success in Recruiting,  Loren discusses her transition into the recruiting field and how she excelled in sourcing and understanding the needs of creative professionals. She shares her passion for reading through job descriptions and helping companies find the right candidates. 00:16:08 - Making a Career Change,  The guest describes her decision to leave her high-level role in finance and pursue a career in recruitment without much deliberation. She felt a level of certainty and alignment in her decision and enjoyed the work for a long time. 00:19:04 - A Crisis of Integrity,  The guest shares her realization that she was out of integrity with the recruitment industry. She didn't feel morally or ethically at peace with the way the system worked, especially when it came to the overflow of candidates who didn't get the job. 00:21:04 - The Challenges of Recruitment,  The guest discusses the challenges of being a recruiter, particularly the pressure to find the right candidates for clients and the lack of support for candidates who don't get the job. She expresses her concern about not having a solution for these candidates and not wanting to breed dependency on her. 00:23:25 - The Sad Reality of the System,  The guest and the host share their frustrations with the recruitment system, where candidates who can't get a job through the system are often overlooked and not given another chance. They highlight the importance of teaching people the skills needed for a successful job search. 00:28:12 - Embracing Change,  The guest reflects on her decision to leave the industry and emphasizes the importance of reaching a point where you understand that no one else will save you or change the situation for you. She encourages listeners to embrace the gift of desperation and take control of their own careers 00:33:35 - Rapid Technological Changes and Career Implications,  The guest discusses how rapid technological changes, like the development of Chat GPT, can disrupt careers at all levels. She emphasizes the need to adapt and acquire skills that are either robot-proof or enable individuals to work alongside robots. 00:35:16 - The Problem with Landline Thinking,  The guest introduces the concept of "landline thinking" and compares it to using a landline phone in today's mobile and connected world. She highlights how traditional approaches to job searching, like relying solely on resumes, may no longer be effective. 00:38:00 - Shifting Mindset and Identifying Problems,  The guest advises against asking oneself, "What do I want to do next?" and encourages focusing on the problems one loves to solve instead. By identifying their contribution and impact, individuals can align their skills and interests with organizations that need their problem-solving abilities. 00:40:51 - Reconnecting with Purpose,  Loren emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with one's why and using a simple formula: contribution + impact. She suggests revisiting one's purpose every six months to ensure it still aligns with personal values and passions. 00:46:32 - Niche and Career Management,  The guest discusses the concept of finding a niche in one's career and how it relates to career management. She highlights the importance of identifying a target audience and catering to their specific needs and desires, especially for individuals looking to make a significant career change. 00:49:52 - Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile,  Loren discusses the importance of using LinkedIn as a landing page that converts and drives activity. She emphasizes the need to network and move online connections offline, sharing her "coffee strategy" of scheduling two networking calls per day, resulting in 40 connections each month. 00:51:59 - Building a Pipeline of Networking Conversations,  Loren explains how consistent networking leads to a pipeline of conversations, highlighting that one out of every 15 referrals lands a job. She emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity and recommends coming prepared with three referrals for each networking call. 00:52:58 - Treating Your Career Like Your Health,  Loren compares treating one's career to maintaining good health, emphasizing the need for consistency and taking proactive steps. She highlights the importance of networking even when not actively job searching, and encourages reaching out to old contacts and making genuine connections. 00:54:32 - Quality Networking vs. Superficial Conn

In this episode, Dan connects with retired Navy officer, legendary communicator, speaker, leadership strategist, and coach David Albritton. The founder and CEO of Nineteen88 Strategies, David cut his PR and communications chops at the Pentagon and followed a career track that led to his role as Chief Communications Officer at Exelis. That would have been the career-high mark for most communicators, but not for David. From the pinnacle of the comms world, he made that rare, perhaps unique, jump to running an entire enterprise, ultimately becoming the President of General Motors Defense. Through it all, he saw the value of coaching and mentoring in his life and decided to dedicate his third - and current - career to helping others realize the same.  How did he (and how does he) do it? How do you make the journey from being the PR guy to running a multi-billion-dollar business? Maybe it’s how he fostered a learning mindset. Perhaps it’s how he recognized when it’s important to embrace change. Or it could be that a "Learn-or-Die" mantra is a prerequisite for success. He and Dan explore these and many more lessons from David’s career to find some answers.  Listen in and learn … Why communications professionals need to develop business acumen The dynamic nature of communications professionals’ role and the significance of continuous learning and growth.  The value of mentorship from a personal and professional perspective. The difference between a small “m” mentor and a large “M” mentor. How the universe recognizes your mentoring efforts and will reward you accordingly. The role of your worst day and how it can be used to push you forward.  The importance of respecting the expertise of others.  The Hole in Your Swing Philosophy and why it’s important to address it. Why leaders understand the value of surrounding themselves with smart people.  That sometimes people can see the leader in you before you can see the leader in yourself.  Coaching is a safe place and there is a difference between coaching and mentoring.  The game-changing aspects of coaching on a personal and corporate level.  Some of the amazing resources David used to fuel his growth including, “Business Acumen for Strategic Communicators” by Ron Culp and Matthew W. Ragas.  Notable Quotes: “There have been so many people who have mentored me and didn’t even know it.” (4:56) – David “I’m truly one that believes you can get through this life journey alone.” – (5:43) – David “Believing in others and their ability to help you and your ability to help them is what makes us human.” – (7:30) “There’s a whole lot of goodness in this country that we don’t get to see through the media all the time.” (10:06) – David “What is the story of David Albritton?” – (12:55) – Dan “You can’t be a good leader until you’ve learned how to be a good follower.” – (14:33) – David “A soldier is trained to carry a rifle to fight wars and all those types of things. They’re not trained to move a family with a baby that needs diapers and blankets.” – (34:14) – David “I never believed that by myself I was smart enough to do anything.” – (39:48) – David “PR isn’t an exact science.” – (40:23) – David “I realized that I couldn’t just be a communications person. I had to become more of a business partner.” – (40:54) – David “Just because you have title does not mean you know.” – (44:24) – David “Communications gives us (communicators) license to try and learn everything.” (47:31) -Dan “Then I had a huge left hook thrown at me that knocked me on my butt.” – (56:00) – David “I realized that if I could become a coach and get paid to be a coach, I never have to retire.” – (1:00:22) – David “We all deal with change differently.” – (1:03:40) – David “The job of a coach is to look into your future.” – (1:08:22) – David “It’s not so much about who you know but who knows you.” (1:13:07) – David “Go into every situation as prepared as you can be.” (1:14:22) – David “Ask smart questions to people when you don’t know things.” – (1:18:32) – David “You have to be known because you are contributing.” – (1:20:27) – Dan “People will stay with you if they feel like they have the opportunity to grow.” – (1:26:39) -David About David J. Albritton, ACC David Albritton, Founder and CEO of Nineteen88 Strategies, is an accomplished ICF-certified executive coach and business leader with over 30 years of diverse leadership experience spanning corporate, nonprofit, and military sectors. From his unique transition as a Chief Communications Officer to a business division chief executive of a Fortune 25 company, to his current role on the board of NASDAQ-listed Embecta Corp., Albritton exemplifies career versatility. His extensive roles, including President at General Motors Defense and VP Communications roles at Amazon Web Services, Exelis, ITT Defense, and United Way of America, reflect his expertise. As a seasoned executive coach, Albritton employs a holistic and authentic coaching framework to empower high-performing executives. His passion lies in enhancing leadership presence, personal branding, and emotional intelligence among others. He is also a Service-Disabled Veteran with degrees from the U.S. Naval Academy, Naval Postgraduate School, and executive education from top universities including Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton. Nineteen88 Strategies David Albritton | Linkedin David Albritton - Instagram  David Albritton - Twitter Four Forces Executive Group Dan Nestle Links The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle on Twitter Timestamped Summary Introduction to today’s guest. 0:00 David’s introduction. 1:49 Putting positivity out into the universe. 6:22 How did you get to the mindset you have? 11:49 The mindset of a public relations professional. 17:57 Learning to be a media communicator. 25:09 Rising through the ranks of the military. 29:38 Dealing with the perceptions of the military. 37:22 The common theme of leaders who are not the smartest. 44:48 Becoming a CCO at Exelis. 48:52 The importance of having the right talent. 53:09 Understanding your why and your purpose. 57:40 Being directive as a mentor. 1:02:06 Coaching is about helping people. 1:07:04 The importance of being prepared for every meeting. 1:11:49 The crux of it all. 1:18:56 David’s advice for leaders. 1:23:48 David’s work with veterans and charitable orgs. 1:27:52 *Notes were created by humans, with some help from Capsho and Otter.ai. 

In this episode, Dan connects with Wall Street Journal bestselling author Steven Mark Kahan to discuss his latest book, High-Velocity Digital Marketing. An all-around digital marketing legend, during his career as CMO of several Silicon Valley startups, Steve helped engineer seven successful exits that generated an astounding $5 billion in shareholder value. He and Dan talk about how he managed to make it all happen - and it turns out, it’s all about having the right plan.  Of course, the right plan is very, very thorough. Luckily, Steve (and his book) deliver exactly that. Over the course of their discussion, Dan and Steve take a deep dive into the elements of marketing, the importance of content, and just how critical it is to identify your audience correctly and speak to them in a way that resonates.  Listen in and... Discover powerful digital marketing techniques to skyrocket your online presence. Uncover the significance of grasping buyer personas for targeted campaigns. Explore the crucial role of consistent content creation in engaging customers. Learn the importance of data-driven marketing and evaluating success. Gain insights on choosing the best partners and agencies to boost your marketing efforts. Notable Quotes: “I found that the traditional path from school to climbing the corporate ladder at least for me, could not only be high-risk for my career, it could almost feel like a death trap.” – (2:59) - Steve “I asked myself a really important question and that question was, how can I earn a great living doing what I love?” – (4:14) – Steve “I’ve learned how to spot a startup that has a good chance for success versus one that doesn’t.” – (6:47) – Steve ”I’m never concerned when I see that there’s big competition in the market. I’m always concerned when I see that there’s next to no competition in the market.” – (9:26) – Steve “You want to go to work everyday with a passion for the products the company creates as well as your role in creating it.” – (9:56) – Steve “I wouldn’t want to take a job if I didn’t align with the values of the company.” – (11:33) – Dan “You don’t often lose business to a competitor as much as you lose it to the status quo.” – (25:33) - Steve “Never assume that the benefits a customer expresses, equates to impact.” – (31:28) – Steve “So many organizations don’t train their sales or their partners on every single piece of content that they have.” - (42:54) – Steve “You need to turn your website into a lead magnet.” – (54:40) – Steve “If you get that content right and that is a big chunk of the battle.” – (1:11:00) – Steve  Key Moments: 00:00:00 - Introduction, 00:05:05 - Choosing a Startup, 00:12:33 - Importance of Stock Options, 00:17:23 - Digital Marketing Strategies, 00:28:50 - Importance of Agility, 00:15:57 - Lessons from a Failed Startup, 00:18:05 - Evaluating Startup Concepts, 00:22:30 - Understanding the Customer,  00:25:43 - Building Strong Value Propositions, 00:29:24 - Understanding Benefits vs. Impacts, 00:33:22 - Cybersecurity and Content Creation, 00:35:55 - Sincerity and Content Value, 00:45:03 - Content Stories and Sales Velocity, 00:48:12 - Managing Multifunctional Disarray, 00:51:37 - Importance of Metrics, 00:52:09 - The Martech Stack and Metrics, 00:54:08 - Practical Tips for Improving Lead Conversion Rates, 00:57:53 - The Importance of SEO and Google, 01:04:24 - Agency Selection and Scoring, 01:08:38 - Building Great Content, 01:10:56 - The Importance of Getting Content Right, 01:11:29 - The Future of Marketing, 01:14:16 - Recommendation for High-Velocity Digital Marketing,  About Steve Kahan Bestselling author Steven Mark Kahan has a formidable track record, successfully navigating seven startups to acquisition or IPO, amassing a total value exceeding $5 billion. A powerhouse in the world of startups, Steve is revered for his innovative digital marketing strategies that resulted in rapid revenue growth, market expansion, and robust returns for shareholders. In his most recent stint as CMO and Chief of Staff at Thycotic (now Delinea), he propelled the company to a remarkable $1.4B exit. His impact extends to other ventures like KnowledgeWare, PentaSafe, Postini, Quest Software, and The Planet. A past board member of Target Hunger, Steve channels his passion into philanthropic pursuits.  Steven Mark Kahan on LinkedIn Steve Kahan on Instagram Steve Kahan on Facebook Learn all about High-Velocity Digital Marketing - Be a Startup Superstar High-Velocity Digital Marketing: Silicon Valley Secrets to Create Breakthrough Revenue in Record Time on Amazon.com Dan Nestle Links The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle (@dsnestle) / Twitter   Timestamped summary of this episode (Generated by Capsho - and presented here unedited) 00:00:00 - Introduction,  Dan Nestle welcomes Steve Kahan, former CMO of cybersecurity firm, Thycotic and author of "High Velocity Digital Marketing" to discuss his journey in the startup world and important factors to consider before choosing a startup.   00:05:05 - Choosing a Startup,  Kahan shares four important attributes to look for when choosing a startup: quality people who share your values, a concept that fills a big market need, a great product you can get behind, and the startup being well-funded.   00:12:33 - Importance of Stock Options,  Kahan explains how stock options can be a game-changer for those looking to separate themselves financially. Working for a successful startup and seeing the value of those stock options grow can lead to significant financial gain.   00:17:23 - Digital Marketing Strategies,  Kahan discusses the importance of digital marketing strategies in building a successful startup, noting that they can be a cost-effective way to reach a large target audience. He breaks down some key strategies outlined in his book, "High Velocity Digital Marketing."   00:28:50 - Importance of Agility,  Kahan emphasizes the importance of agility in the startup world, noting that companies need to be able to pivot quickly and adapt to changing circumstances. He cites examples from his own experience helping startups navigate unexpected challenges.   00:15:57 - Lessons from a Failed Startup,  Steve shares his experience working for a startup in Japan that lacked differentiation in the market and eventually failed. He discusses the importance of identifying a unique product and positioning it effectively to stand out from competitors.   00:18:05 - Evaluating Startup Concepts,  Steve and Dan discuss evaluating startup concepts and identifying a must-solve problem for a specific audience. Steve shares his experience at Psychotic, where understanding the customer and crafting value propositions based on their needs led to significant growth and success.   00:22:30 - Understanding the Customer,  Steve emphasizes the importance of understanding the full context of the ideal target buyer's world and paying attention to their specific language. He shares his process of asking questions to customers and crafting value propositions that address the benefits and impacts that buyers want to make on their company.   00:25:43 - Building Strong Value Propositions,  Steve discusses the mistake many organizations make in building value propositions that align well with what they do, rather than what the seller cares about. He emphasizes the importance of crafting value propositions based on a full understanding of customers that address their specific needs and challenges.   00:29:24 - Understanding Benefits vs. Impacts,  Steve differentiates between benefits and impacts, with impacts being closer to the meaning that customers want to achieve in their lives. He emphasizes the importance of addressing both benefits and impacts in crafting value propositions that resonate with customers.   00:33:22 - Cybersecurity and Content Creation,  Steve Kahan discusses how weak or stolen privileged passwords are responsible for 80% of cyberattacks, and how his company created content stories to educate and provide value to their customers. He emphasizes the importance of tailoring content to the buyer's journey and creating incredible content that engages the buyer at every stage of the funnel.   00:35:55 - Sincerity and Content Value,  Kahan explains how being sincere and providing real value in content creation is crucial for engaging potential buyers. He shares examples of his company's free tools and risk assessments, which offered real value to the target market and helped to accelerate revenue growth at reasonable costs.   00:45:03 - Content Stories and Sales Velocity,  Kahan emphasizes the importance of content stories that tie together and support all stages of the funnel to maintain sales velocity. He highlights the need for ongoing partnerships and collaboration between functions to prevent breakdowns in the buyer's journey. Kahan stresses the importance of metrics and numbers to manage and optimize the sales and marketing process.   00:48:12 - Managing Multifunctional Disarray,  Kahan emphasizes the importance of managing metrics and numbers to identify and resolve breakdowns in the buyer's journey. He encourages organizations to instrument their sales and marketing processes in detail and manage them rigorously to maintain sales velocity. Kahan stresses the need for ongoing collaboration between functions to prevent breakdowns and optimize the buyer's journey.   00:51:37 - Importance of Metrics,  The importance of metrics and data analytics is discussed, with Steve Kahan emphasizing the need for ongoing refinement of data to improve marketing strategies.   00:52:09 - The Martech Stack and Metrics,  The Martech section of the book is discussed, with Steve Kahan providing a blueprint for building a successful marketing stack. He emphasizes the importance of measuring KPIs and setting revenue goals.   00:54:08 - Practical Tips for Improving Lead Conversion Rates,  Steve Kahan provide

In this episode, Dan connects with the founder of the Marketing Advisory Network, author of Unleash Possible, host of the Unleash Possible podcast, and most recently co-author (with Dan and 34 others) of The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever, B2B powerhouse Samantha Stone. With a passion for complex problem-solving, Samantha shares powerful insights on the value of communicating effectively with your customers  B2B communication is strategic, and all too often, businesses make the mistake of thinking it just happens. In reality, it takes time, and as it turns out, it’s one of the most intentional, strategic components of your entire business model. It takes effort to understand your customers, who they are, and what they need. Once you’ve done those things, it’s time to activate them with a message that brings it all together and ignites something special.  Neither Dan nor Samantha pulls any punches in this episode as they dismiss myths about marketing and share eye-opening insights that will get your gears moving in the right direction. They also discuss her book entitled, “Unleash Possible: A Marketing Playbook that Drives B2B Sales.” When it comes to B2B marketing, chances are Samantha has been there and done that. Now, she wants to make sure you reach that same place and do it better. Here's what you can expect from the show:  Insightful exchanges on the nuances of B2B and B2C communication.  The power of networking and value of intimate networks of influencers and contacts. The need for marketers and creatives to be amongst one another for a nurturing experience. The B2B Experience: stories, reputations, trust, and getting to know your customers. Narrowing it down to find out who you can best serve. The flaw of spending your way to success and growth.  Sales can do things that marketing simply cannot … because marketing isn’t always human.  Building sustainable customer relationships, not just securing a sale.  Sometimes you have to hold the hands of sales and show them the way.  The importance of managing internal stakeholders and understanding their “why”.  If everyone is focusing on the buyer, all the jobs become easier.  The remote workplace has changed the work-learning landscape.  Notable Quotes “Marketing, communications, whatever it is that we do, creativity, being curious, intellectual curiosity, they’re all so common across leaders in the field, but they need a valve or safe space to let ideas fly.” – (9:16) – Dan “Good marketing, great education is emotional.” – (10:19) – Samantha “Just because you don’t have the skill doesn’t mean you can’t get the skill.” – (22:24) – Dan “Businesses need to find niches that they can own and expand from.” – (28:50) – Samantha “Qualitative research is actually a little bit of a lost art.” – (36:44) – Samantha  “As human beings it is natural for us to put the most value on the product or service that is the hardest for us to deliver.” – (39:08) – Samantha “If we take the time to understand our customers, we’ll build businesses that have sustainable growth.” – (1:12) Samantha About Dan Nestle  The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle (@dsnestle) / Twitter The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever About Samantha Stone Samantha Stone is a forward thinker and true champion of B2B communications. She’s the author of Unleash Possible: A Marketing Playbook that Drives B2B Sales and a leading contributor to the rapidly evolving world of marketing. A skilled researcher, highly sought after speaker and consultant, she’s authored several successful go-to-market efforts, resulting in recognizable results for brands across the business spectrum. The founder of Marketing Advisory Network, the arch of her career has seen her become one of the most trusted voices in the B2B space. Most recently, she has developed on-demand courses focused on mastering the art of finding and using buyer insights. She is a member of Mark Schaefer’s RISE Community and co-author (with Mark, Dan, and 33 others) of The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever. Samantha Stone | LinkedIn Samantha Stone on Twitter - @Samanthastone Unleash Possible - The Website Unleash Possible - The Podcast Unleash Possible - The Book Samantha’s On-Demand Buyer Insight Courses Timestamped summary of this episode 00:00:00 - Introduction, Host Dan Nestle introduces himself and his guest, Samantha Stone, a leading B2B marketing influencer and advisor. They discuss the challenges and rewards of B2B marketing. 00:04:29 - The Uprising and Rise Communities, Dan and Samantha discuss their attendance at the Uprising conference and their involvement in the Rise community. They talk about the importance of connecting with other marketing professionals and the value of in-person events. 00:08:35 - Emotional Marketing, Samantha and Dan discuss the emotional aspect of marketing and the importance of tapping into the human experience. They reflect on how the Uprising and Rise communities have provided a safe space to explore ideas and connect with others. 00:11:22 - The Value of Community, Dan and Samantha talk about the value of being part of a community and the benefits of engaging with other professionals. They discuss the Rise community's use of Discord and how it has become a valuable tool for learning and networking. 00:14:10 - From Economics to Marketing, Samantha shares her journey from studying economics in college to becoming a B2B marketing influencer and advisor. She discusses her passion for helping companies drive revenue through effective marketing strategies. 00:14:33 - Challenges of Public Policy, Samantha reflects on her love for policy and its challenges, but admits to being impatient. She discusses the slow pace of public policy and how it takes years to make an impact because it affects whole communities. 00:16:14 - From Sales to Marketing, Samantha talks about how she transitioned from channel sales to marketing. She discovered her love for marketing and how it allowed her to have a bigger impact. She also discusses the challenges she faced and how she learned as she went along. 00:19:34 - The Birth of Marketing Advisory Network, Samantha explains why she started the Marketing Advisory Network. She wanted to do what she loved without the baggage of internal politics clouding her judgment. She also talks about how she wrote her book to help people who couldn't afford her services. 00:22:29 - The Importance of People Skills, Samantha discusses the importance of people skills in marketing and sales. She talks about how she honed her people skills by being empathetic and understanding the sales team's perspective. She also emphasizes that anyone can learn people skills with practice and guidance. 00:27:18 - Unleashing Possible, Samantha talks about her book, Unleash Possible, and how it helps companies tap into their full potential. She emphasizes that companies often overlook the resources they have within their organization, such as people and processes. She also discusses the importance of convincing the world of your big opportunity when starting a business. 00:28:44 - The Importance of Narrowing Audience, To create traction, businesses need to find niches to own and expand from. Focusing on narrowing the audience helps to better understand who a business can best serve and prevent bringing in customers who aren't a great fit. 00:29:42 - Measuring Marketing Incorrectly, Boards, CEOs, and salespeople are obsessed with measuring marketing by the number of leads generated. This approach creates the wrong behavior and makes marketing focus on the wrong things. Instead, marketing should be held accountable for overall business metrics and growth. 00:33:00 - Spending Your Way into Success and Growth, Businesses too often try to spend their way into success and growth by running more ads and content syndication. However, they overlook referral activity, advocacy, and word of mouth, which are missed opportunities. Businesses need to experiment with these channels for better results. 00:36:48 - Qualitative Research, Qualitative research is critical for understanding why a buyer or a group of buyers likes a specific aspect of a product or service. It complements data by helping businesses understand what is essential to each buyer at each stage of the process. Salespeople are the best personalization engines for building emotional connections. 00:42:43 - The Role of Experienced Salespeople, Experienced salespeople instinctively know the buyer persona or the buyer data and can build emotional connections. However, they may not have the mechanism or incentive to share this data with their teammates or 00:43:46 - The Importance of Understanding Buyers, Samantha Stone emphasizes the importance of understanding buyers' needs. She explains that good salespeople do not waste time convincing someone to buy something they do not need. Stone believes it is crucial to earn the trust of salespeople and understand what drives them. 00:45:16 - Buyer Personas in Recruitment, Stone mentions her team's focus on the book "The New Rules of Marketing & PR" and creating buyer personas for recruitment. She notes the challenge of obtaining information from recruiters and emphasizes the need to tailor marketing materials to different learning styles. 00:47:11 - Building Relationships with Salespeople, The conversation shifts to the relationship between sales and marketing. Stone explains that salespeople are often hesitant to share data because they do not see any benefit. She recommends creating pilots to prove the effectiveness of marketing materials and building relationships with influential salespeople. 00:50:21 - Knowing Internal Stakeholders, Stone stresses the importance of understanding internal stakeholders, such as salespeople, and creating buyer personas for them. She emphasizes the need to recognize different personalities and learning styles and tailor marketing materials ac

In this episode, Dan connects with marketing strategist, researcher, author, and sought-after brand therapist Evelyn J. Starr, whose strategic insights have been instrumental in the revitalization of household names including Dunkin’ Donuts, Hasbro, Gilette, Veryfine, and more. Through decades of research and work helping brands in stagnation, she saw a pattern: brands in distress share characteristics that look a lot like rebellious, sullen, angry, confused, overconfident, misguided teens. In other words, brands go through adolescence, and it can take some serious therapy, nurturing, and guidance to help them reach successful adulthood. She lays it all out in her recent book,  Teenage Wastebrand: How Your Brand Can Stop Struggling and Start Scaling, and in their discussion, she and Dan discuss some of the highlights, including the eight symptoms of brand adolescence, how to diagnose brand issues, the importance of solid values, and much more. Listen in and learn how to: Investigate the value of carving out a unique niche for a standout brand image. Recognize the potential hazards of ego-driven business practices and how to avoid them. Examine the relationship between well-defined values and a supportive company culture. Design a brand strategy anchored in purpose and value-driven principles. Excel in maintaining an authentic and dependable brand presence through effective messaging and actions. Here's what you can expect from the show: Corporations and brands are just like people which is why they all have life cycles.  How companies can correctly identify and diagnose their brand issues if they’ve stalled.  Understanding attitudes and behaviors and how they impact buyers.  Fear and misunderstanding of marketing and how it can limit business leaders and brand growth. Marketing is a risky investment because the ROI can often be ambiguous, but it’s a risk worth taking. Business owners must learn how to parent their brands through the various stages of life.  How to identify the eight symptoms of brand adolescence. Being brave enough to have hard conversations with your brand about your brand.  Brands have life cycles, and so do customers.  Discipline is necessary to determine your niche.  The need to protect the integrity of your brand through the people you hire. The importance of making a list of values you want to be a part of your culture and your brand.  Notable Quotes “During a summer internship I learned more about what I did not want to do than what I did want to do.” – (10:02)- Evelyn. “When someone says, ‘I hate marketing’, I’m not running from that, I’m digging a little bit deeper” – (13:20) – Evelyn.  “I started to try to find ways to explain marketing in non-marketing terms” – (14:15) - Evelyn. “You can’t see things when you’re too emotionally close” – (15:55) - Evelyn. “As my brand grows, I’m going to become more of a coach and less of a controller.” – (19:05) - Evelyn. “Identity crisis is the most common one (symptom) I see.” – (23:40) - Evelyn. “In order for a brand to get known and grow, it needs to be focused at least during the beginning.” – (37:15) - Evelyn. “Brands can fall out of favor very quickly due to their self-centered behavior being revealed” – (50:15) - Evelyn. “People bring their values to work, and you want to attract people who subscribe to the way you would like to serve your customers.” – (55:06) - Evelyn. “You cannot be crappy to your employees and great to your customers and not have that get out.” – (1:02:10) - Evelyn. Resources and Links The Dan Nestle Show  The Dan Nestle Show Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle (@dsnestle) / Twitter Evelyn Starr E. Starr Associates Evelyn Starr | LinkedIn Teenage Wastebrand: How Your Brand Can Stop Struggling and Start Scaling Timestamped summary of this episode (Generated by Capsho): 00:00:00 - Introduction,  Dan Nestle introduces the podcast and talks about the importance of understanding the life cycle of brands. Dan shares his concerns as a parent and how it relates to building a successful brand. He introduces his guest, Evelyn Starr, a marketing leader and brand therapist, and author of the book "Teenage Waste Brand." 00:01:20 - Evelyn Starr's Background, Evelyn Starr talks about her background and how she started her career in market research. She worked for companies like Very Fine Products, Dunkin Donuts, and Hasbro. She shares how she started working with small and medium-sized companies to help them with their marketing. 00:08:45 - The Life Cycle of Brands, Dan Nestle asks Evelyn Starr how she got interested in helping brands in their teenage years. Evelyn shares that many business owners don't understand marketing and are fearful of investing in it. She explains how she helps them understand marketing in non-marketing terms. She talks about the different phases in the life cycle of brands and how they can face issues during their turbulent adolescence. 00:17:41 - Identifying Brand Issues, Evelyn Starr talks about how to identify brand issues and how to diagnose them. She talks about the importance of understanding the customer and their needs. She shares examples of how she has helped companies identify their brand issues and how they have overcome them. 00:25:18 - Branding in the Digital Age, Dan Nestle asks Evelyn Starr about branding in the digital age. Evelyn 00:15:00 - Identity Crisis, The first symptom of brand adolescence is an identity crisis. Like in human adolescence, the brand must determine who they want to be and how they want to be perceived. A brand purpose that transcends a particular product and brand attributes that resonate with customers must be determined. 00:23:35 - Symptom Not Stages, Evelyn Starr emphasizes that the symptoms are not sequential, but rather different characteristics of adolescent brands. Each brand may experience some or all eight symptoms at different times. 00:25:23 - Purpose and Attributes, The brand's purpose and attributes are key in resolving the identity crisis symptom. The brand must have a purpose that is transcendent and attributes that resonate with customers. Research and feedback from customers can help define these. 00:28:45 - Therapeutic Process, Similar to a therapeutic process, the brand must go through analyses of the why and what to solve the identity crisis. Exercises like stickies and whiteboards can help in brand discovery, purpose discovery, and attribute discovery. Evelyn Starr provides a step-by-step guide in her book. 00:29:55 - Dealing with Complexity, The conversation begins with Dan asking Evelyn how brands deal with complexity, specifically in a house of brands where there are multiple product brands under a corporate brand. Evelyn explains that each brand needs to know who they are before they can contribute, and the parent company needs to have a unifying purpose for putting the brands together. 00:35:30 - Finding a Niche, The topic of finding a niche comes up in relation to solving the symptom of "suffering from FOMO" or fear of missing out. Evelyn explains that in order for a brand to grow, it needs to be focused and known for something, at least in the beginning. Choosing a niche allows a brand to gain expertise and credibility, and finding a new niche can help a brand expand and grow. 00:39:17 - Fear and Innovation, Fear is a common obstacle for business owners who are afraid of leaving money on the table or missing out on opportunities. Evelyn discusses the importance of leaving fear behind and being open to new directions and innovations. She shares the example of Amazon, who started by focusing on one product (books) before expanding to other products. 00:41:49 - Box Three Solution, Dan shares his experience with directed innovation and the Box Three Solution, which involves finding new audiences, changes to the product, business model, or value chain. Evelyn notes that finding new niches can combat various symptoms of adolescence, including the need to assert independence, make new friends, or overcome fear of missing out. 00:46:06 - Finding Your Niche, Evelyn advises against copying someone else's business model and suggests drilling down further to find an untapped idea. She emphasizes the importance of doing research and discovering new things that align with your brand. 00:48:41 - Self-Centeredness, Evelyn discusses the risk of building a brand solely for profits and not serving the audience. She explains how this behavior can lead to mistrust, loss of productivity, and wasted resources. The solution is to revisit company values that align with serving the customer and the employees. 00:51:20 - The Importance of Company Values, Evelyn explains how values guide behavior and behaviors create culture. She emphasizes the importance of codifying values from the beginning and recruiting people who share those values. A strong company culture leads to a strong brand. 00:54:05 - Trust and Culture, Evelyn explains the connection between trust, culture, and brand. Self-centered behavior can damage a brand's reputation, making it hard to regain trust. A clear set of values that align with serving the customer and the employees can prevent this. 01:01:36 - The Employee Culture, Evelyn discusses how the employee culture is a vital part of the brand. She stresses that the employer brand and the customer-facing brand are all one and the same and that treating employees well is just as important as treating customers well. A strong employee culture leads to a strong brand. 01:02:22 - The Importance of Employee Experience, Businesses should prioritize the well-being of their employees as much as their customers and consumers. The kind of internal culture a company has affects its overall external brand reputation. 01:04:07 - Transparency in Branding, Social media has made it easier for people to share their opinions about a company's internal culture, making transparency in branding more important

In this episode, Dan connects with scholar and organizational and leadership development practitioner, Dr. Tom Tonkin, to discuss authenticity and sincerity in the workplace and beyond.  Authenticity is often lauded as a key quality in leadership, fostering trust and building strong relationships within an organization. However, the term itself can be misunderstood and difficult to pin down due to its connection to subjective feelings, emotions, and beliefs. Authenticity is self-referential; overemphasis can lead to issues in the workplace, as individuals may prioritize their own self-expression over the needs of their team or company. Instead, it is important to balance personal authenticity with a broader understanding of the context in which we operate – including the values, goals, and perspectives of others.  Tom and Dan dig into this topic as Tom shares his insights into the problem of focusing too much on authenticity in leadership. He highlights the inherent subjectivity of authenticity, as one person's perception of honesty may differ from another's. Tom argues that while being true to oneself is important, it is equally necessary to consider how our actions and decisions impact others. How? By embracing sincerity, an other-centric approach, incorporating empathy and understanding to forge deeper, more meaningful connections with those around us. Here's what you can expect from the show: Consider the implications of embracing authenticity in the workplace, especially when it comes to relationship-building and leadership. Reflect on the four dimensions of authenticity: internal morality, self-awareness, transparency, and balanced processing. Assess the alignment between your internal morality and the ethics of your workplace or industry. Develop a greater sense of self-awareness to better understand how your actions and decisions impact others. Practice transparency by openly sharing your thoughts, feelings, and motives with your colleagues or team members. Implement balanced processing by considering various perspectives and ideas when making decisions. Evaluate your leadership style and consider how incorporating authenticity might affect your ability to lead and engage with others. Be open to questioning and challenging accepted norms or ideas, such as the concept of authenticity in the workplace. Research and learn from academic studies and theories that can provide valuable insights into workplace practices and behaviors. Recognize that authenticity is not a one-size-fits-all concept and that individuals may interpret and apply it differently. About Tom Dr. Tom Tonkin is a renowned expert on authenticity and sincerity in leadership and communication, offering a unique behavioral perspective on these important topics. With a deep understanding of organizational and leadership development, Tom holds a doctorate in organizational leadership and has spent countless hours researching and analyzing the intricate dynamics of business relationships. He is the founder and CEO of Sales Conservatory, a company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations improve their leadership and communication strategies. Tom's wealth of knowledge and experience in this field, as well as his passion for sincerity, make him a sought-after authority on effective leadership and communication. Notable Quotes “The more I did research on authenticity with the express purpose of relationship building, the more disillusioned I became.” – (2:06) “We can say words but it’s actually the recipient that brings those words to life.” – (19:58) “Honesty is the #1 trait of leadership.” – (29:15) “We don’t have enough honesty in our leadership ranks.” (34:12) “People say things like that’s my truth when the fact of the matter is there is only one truth. – (45:50) “Empathy is an association to feelings; sympathy is a disassociation.” – (1:01:13) Resources and Links  The Dan Nestle Show  The Dan Nestle Show (libsyn.com) Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook Dan Nestle (@dsnestle) / Twitter Dr. Tom Tonkin Dr. Tom Tonkin | Linkedin Dr. Tom Tonkin @DrTomTonkin | Twitter Thomas Tonkin | Facebook Tom Tonkin | 3Sixty Insights   Timestamped summary of this episode: 00:00:00 - Introduction,  Dan Nestle introduces the topic of authenticity and questions its meaning in the workplace. He introduces the guest, Dr. Tom Tonkin, who has researched authenticity and offers a unique perspective on it. 00:03:09 - The Disillusionment with Authenticity, Dr. Tom Tonkin explains his journey with authenticity and how his research on the topic led him to be disillusioned with it, especially in terms of relationship building in the workplace. 00:05:53 - The Context of Authenticity, Dr. Tom Tonkin explores the context of authenticity, tracing its roots back to transformational leadership, and how authenticity can be self-referential, creating potential problems in relationship building. 00:09:16 - The Operational View of Leadership, Dr. Tom Tonkin explains the operational view of leadership, which focuses on the force exerted on followers to achieve a common goal. He also discusses the concept of internalized morality and how it relates to authenticity. 00:16:07 - The Meaning of Authenticity, Dan Nestle and Dr. Tom Tonkin discuss the meaning of authenticity and its importance in the workplace. They highlight the need to balance being true to oneself while also considering the needs of others and the company. 00:17:53 - Authenticity and Leadership Qualities, Tom Tonkin and Dan Nestle discuss the difference between behaviors and qualities in terms of authenticity and leadership. They explore the concept of self-awareness and the importance of transparency and balance processing. 00:19:25 - The Meaning of Words and Authenticity, Tom explains the importance of the meaning of words and how the recipient brings those words to life. He uses the example of authenticity in Mexican restaurants, where different restaurants have different authentic tacos. He emphasizes that authenticity is self-referential and varies from person to person. 00:25:01 - Honesty as a Key Leadership Trait, Tom discusses how honesty is consistently ranked as the most important leadership trait in the book, The Leadership Challenge. He explores why honesty is so highly valued and suggests that it is because people want to trust their leaders and believe that they are on the right path. 00:29:09 - Honesty in Leadership, Dan and Tom discuss the importance of honesty in leadership and how it relates to trust. They explore the idea that there is an honesty problem in many aspects of society, including politics and industry. 00:34:00 - Lack of Honesty in Society, Tom suggests that the more plausible explanation for why honesty is consistently ranked as the most important leadership trait is that there is a lack of honesty in our society, especially in leadership positions. Dan and Tom agree that there is an honesty problem in many areas of society. 00:35:25 - The Problem with Honesty and Authenticity, The conversation starts with a discussion on honesty and authenticity. The guest, Tom Tonkin, explains that honesty can mean different things to different people, and authenticity has the same problem. He also talks about how internal morality defines one's sense of honesty, and how it can differ from one person to another. 00:37:09 - Differentiating Authenticity and Sincerity, Tonkin shares how he was initially disillusioned with the concept of authenticity and turned to sincerity. He defines sincerity as being other-centric and describes his three tenets of sincerity: empathy, purposeful altruism, and demonstrable affirmation. Tonkin also talks about the problem with the misuse of the words authenticity and sincerity. 00:43:46 - Empathy as the Key to Sincerity, Tonkin explains how empathy is one of the core tenets of sincerity and how it plays a crucial role in decision-making. He also shares an example of how he had to lie to his mother, who had severe dementia, about her father's death, and how empathy played a significant role in his decision. 00:48:20 - The Importance of Standardizing Language, Tonkin talks about the importance of standardizing language and the misuse of adjectives and adverbs that alter perception. He explains how words like bad and good can be problematic, as they are subject to interpretation, and how we need to have a standardization of concepts to understand reality objectively. 00:52: - The Continuum of Lies, Tonkin talks about the continuum of lies, where a lie is acceptable if it causes no harm. He also refers to Sabrina Horn's book, "Make It, Don't Fake It," and how she explains the different kinds of lies and when they are acceptable. Tonkin concludes by emphasizing the importance of empathy and sincerity in decision-making. 00:53:15 - Defining Purposeful Altruism, Tom Tonkin introduces purposeful altruism as a concept that goes beyond traditional altruism, which is often questioned for its true motives. Purposeful altruism aims to have a purpose behind the act of giving, with no expectation of receiving anything in return. 00:57:27 - Empathy and the Power of Noticing, Tonkin emphasizes the importance of noticing in understanding empathy. He shares a story about how Alan Alda improved his empathy by noticing people and creating backstories about them. Tonkin highlights the power of empathy to change perspectives and connect with others. 01:02:07 - Demonstrable Affirmation, Tonkin stresses the need for demonstrable affirmation to show sincerity. He suggests that actions speak louder than words and speaks about the importance of doing something to affirm beliefs and show empathy towards others. 01:03:27 - The Ethics of Sincerity, Tonkin differentiates between ethics and morality and emphasizes that sincerity is an ethical play, aimed at bettering someone else's life within a social context. He notes that sincerity is not rainbows

In this episode, Dan connects with prolific author, seasoned marketer, communicator, academic, and entrepreneur, John Davis. John has spent the last two decades in academia, holding various positions in universities across the US and Asia. Currently a professor of practice at the University of Oregon's Lundquist College of Business, John's passion for sustainability and transformation shines through his work. With eleven books under his belt, his latest, Radical Business: How to Transform Your Organization in the Age of Global Crisis, highlights the importance of curiosity, innovation, and sustainability in today's ever-changing business landscape. A leader in sustainability, John's unique perspective and experiences make him a sought-after voice in the world of business transformation. Listen in and... Understand the power of curiosity, innovation, and sustainability in revolutionizing businesses. Explore methods to develop comprehensive corporate social responsibility programs. Find out how prioritizing purpose, advocacy, and meaning can elevate an organization's triumph. Understand the importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting and why organizations struggle with it. Grasp the importance of synchronized stakeholder engagement for transparent decision-making. Realize ways to inspire younger generations to champion sustainable change. Actions and ideas mentioned in this episode: Read John Davis' book, Radical Business: How to Transform Your Organization in the Age of Global Crisis, for insights on how to create a sustainable and successful organization. Consider incorporating sustainability into your organization's strategy and operations to become a force for good in the age of global crisis. Cultivate curiosity and encourage it within your organization as a key leadership quality and driver of innovation. Adopt the concept of traveler's eyes by seeking out new experiences and perspectives to stimulate imagination and personal growth. Encourage open and honest dialogue within your organization, even when it means challenging established norms and potentially uncomfortable discussions. Be willing to collaborate with other organizations and share insights to address global challenges and drive positive change collectively. Recognize the importance of balancing short-term targets with long-term goals, allowing your organization to maintain focus on the horizon and avoid getting stuck in the weeds. Continuously seek out new learning opportunities and experiences, both within your industry and beyond, to keep your organization adaptable and resilient in the face of change. Resources & Links Dan Nestle https://nestle.libsyn.com/ http://twitter.com/dsnestle https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle https://www.facebook.com/thedannestleshow John Davis https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnadavis http://www.brandnewview.com/  https://twitter.com/1JohnDavis     Timestamped summary of this episode: 00:00:00 - Introduction, Host Dan Nestle welcomes guest John Davis to the show and introduces the topic of business transformation and sustainability. 00:00:58 - The Need for Positive Societal Impact, The conversation touches on the need for businesses to move beyond profit and create positive societal impact, with the involvement of all stakeholders. 00:03:09 - Journey to Academia, John Davis shares his journey from a career in business, primarily marketing and strategy roles, to falling in love with teaching, joining academia, and eventually becoming a professor of practice and sustainability. 00:07:00 - Influence of Singapore, John Davis talks about how his time in Singapore, with its smart city initiatives and diverse community, influenced his perspectives on sustainability and led to working with companies all over the world. 00:11:21 - The Role of Curiosity, Curiosity is highlighted as a critical quality for leadership and strategy, with a need to cultivate wonder and openness to new experiences and viewpoints to stimulate innovation and creativity. 00:14:35 - The Importance of Curiosity, John Davis emphasizes that curiosity is the epitome of exploration and imaginative responses. He highlights that it stimulates different kinds of responses and encourages individuals to notice differences rather than fighting them. 00:16:43 - The Need for Reinvention, Davis discusses the drivers of reinvention, including climate change, economic inequality, and social injustice. He believes that companies need to pivot differently to stay in line with consumer values and investor interests to be successful in the long term. 00:22:51 - Influence of Leaders, Davis talks about the influence of leaders on promoting stakeholder capitalism and creating momentum for change. He believes that individuals like Mark Benioff and Elon Musk can wield an outsized influence on society and businesses. 00:26:08 - Taking Action, Davis emphasizes that it is crucial to take action and integrate sustainability into business strategies to stay ahead of the market. He acknowledges that it may not be easy, but it is necessary for long-term success. 00:29:57 - Drivers of Business Transformation, Davis highlights the importance of consumers, capital markets, and influential people as drivers of business transformation. He recommends starting where you can start and taking that first step towards integration. 00:30:29 - Getting Started with Innovation, John Davis suggests using human-centered design or design thinking to ask the right questions upfront and understand what the target audience is looking for. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing the different stakeholders and having conversations with them to create a purpose-led tent that everyone is invited into. 00:32:10 - Recognizing the Complications, John Davis highlights the importance of recognizing the complications in today's world while approaching stakeholder conversations. He mentions the significance of sustainability, diversity, and inclusion, and how they are influential in creating value for businesses. 00:34:00 - ESG Metrics, John Davis discusses the importance of having ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics while reporting sustainability initiatives. He highlights the different reporting standards and the overlapping nature of these standards. 00:37:35 - Climbing the Transformation Ladder, John Davis talks about the difficulty of climbing the transformation ladder for large companies with many internal stakeholders. He emphasizes the importance of decision-making capability and comfort with discomfort to make progress towards the goals. He also highlights the significance of transparency and communication while working towards the goals. 00:43:17 - Radical Business, John Davis suggests organizations should take a look at their purpose and align it with the context to answer the big question of why they exist. He mentions the importance of having an aspiration and thinking intentionally about what their mark on the world will be. Thinking abstractly about aspirations is more difficult than a mechanical approach, but it is crucial to move forward. 00:44:43 - The Importance of Aspiration, John Davis emphasizes the importance of having a guiding star or aspiration for an organization. He explains that this helps put in place next steps, decide on the kind of people needed, and create meaningful experiences. He notes that many organizations have mission statements but lack an aspiration, which creates an imperative for organizations to define one. 00:46:05 - Purpose, Behaviors, and Values, The host and John Davis discuss the importance of purpose, behaviors, and values in an organization. They highlight the need to get employees on board with the culture, which requires having a clear aspiration. They discuss the concept of discretionary effort and how people want to know that their work matters and that they're contributing to something beyond earning a wage. 00:50:10 - The Changing Work Environment, The conversation shifts to the changing work environment and the need to move away from the industrial revolution thinking of a fixed nine-to-five workday. They discuss the importance of accountability and productivity while allowing for more freedom and flexibility. They note that there's a big systemic issue around this cultural mindset. 00:54:25 - Cause Advocacy and Meaning, John Davis introduces the concept of cause advocacy and meaning as a more effective way to understand people and their motivations. He notes that this approach goes beyond the traditional segmentation, targeting, and positioning model in marketing. Cause advocacy involves understanding what drives an individual, while meaning taps into what gives their personal and professional lives meaning. 00:57:38 - Moving Forward in Marketing and Communications, The host asks John Davis what marketers and communicators need to do to move forward. Davis emphasizes the need to move away from the traditional marketing model and focus on cause advocacy and meaning to better understand people. He notes that marketing is an evolutionary discipline and that this approach is a powerful set of tools that goes beyond traditional marketing tactics. 00:59:06 - Understanding the Meaning that Drives Organizations, John talks about finding out the meaning that drives organizations and how it can help talk to stakeholders. He also shares an exercise he used to do with MBA students that highlighted the importance of context and how it impacts innovation. 01:01:30 - Creating Societal Value, John discusses how societal value doesn't always mean the latest gadget or innovation but often comes from looking at underserved populations. He highlights the importance of looking at these populations where a lot of innovation is likely to happen. 01:04:20 - Using Resources Creatively, John talks about how innovation is not necessarily dependent on abundant resources and uses examples like GreenCa

In this episode, Dan connects with business strategist, executive coach, exit strategy specialist, and counselor to leaders in industry and government, Carri Nicholson. As The Leader Whisperer™, Carri knows how to help CEOs understand the pitfalls and obstacles that cause businesses to stall or fizzle out before achieving next-level growth or profitable exit. Her decades of experience advising leaders - first alongside her father as a business consultant, then as an officer and diplomat in the British army, and later as a CEO in her own right - have given her a comprehensive understanding of leadership.  She and Dan talk about the challenges she faced as a woman in the UK, taking on leadership roles in the Army and the private sector, and how the power of human connections is one reason she succeeded. They talk about leadership; her observations of world leaders from playing a key role in the Middle East peace process; how CEOs manage teams and projects to scale a business end to end; and how you can become efficient at leading and becoming an effective leader.  This 90-minute session with Carri is full of useful insights, in-depth analysis based on practical experiences, conclusions based on factual data, and online resources and recommendations that would be a great asset to anyone interested in expanding their leadership skills. This is one episode you don’t want to miss.   In This Episode (01:49) Welcoming Carrie Nicholson to the Dan Nestle Show. (03:25) Never underestimate the power of human connections. (06:21) Becoming the leader whisperer. (13:41) The Middle East peace process post-Oslo. (19:07) Joining the Officer Training Corps and becoming a sniper. (23:54) Talking about ranks, gaining rank, and pulling rank.  (31:12) Leadership lessons learned through life and death. (33:34) Recalling her experiences at the Royal Military Academy. (37:46) Becoming a leader by observing other leaders in the military. (40:47) Meeting her 2nd husband and running the MBA program at the University of Durham. (44:21) Becoming the CEO of Red Squirrel Conservation Program for the UK. (45:15) Working with the Prince of Wales. (46:50) Hosting a private dinner and securing donations from the 26 wealthiest people in UK. (52:00) How the idea of mentoring other people came about. (1:02:38) The 12 blind spots of STEM people. (1:06:49) The challenges faced by the peas in the pod. (1:08:11) Managing people’s emotions and behaviors. (1:11:30) Talking about toxic cultures. (1:13:16) How venture capital companies find partners. (1:20:19) Discussing the best collection of business books online. (1:22:30) Where to start your research. (1:26:01) Becoming a person of your word. (1:29:11) Understanding leadership and how leaders think.   Notable Quotes “Things that the Army really did teach me is that even when you are in a position of command, you don't know everything. And I saw so many young officers fail. Because they assumed that having the rank gave them the knowledge.” – Carrie (22:45) “If you've come from a STEM background, you are taught and you've been drawn into that because of your personality types, you are taught that perfection is everything. What that actually means is that it can lead to procrastination because you are constantly in search of the ideal rather than the good enough, and you put off making decisions because of that.” – Carrie (1:04:17) “There's always that period of time where you think that the symbol that you have on your collar or on your or on your shoulder entitles you to just tell people what to do. There are rules, but you're not going to make it very long in your space or you're not going to ever get promoted. You're not going to move forward. You’re just not going to be successful in achieving your project objectives, if you don't learn how to lead and don't learn fast.” Dan (23:54) “Managing people means managing their emotions and behaviors, and that is something that STEM leaders can find very, very challenging and what that means is that they struggle to build functional teams. And linked into that is a communication thing. Understanding how people communicate and how to communicate your particular values and your ethos and the behaviors that you expect to see happen. And so there's a whole quadrant on the wheel, which is about understanding that you can build teams in a better way and they don't have to be dysfunctional.” Carrie (1:08:11) “Don't beat yourself up, guys. Because to get as far any leader to even survive a year is beating the odds. All you need is the boost to get to the next level. But you can't do that by yourself. So if it's not me, find somebody. Yeah, because everybody needs somebody in their corner.” Carrie (1:31:00)  About Carri Nicholson Carri Nicholson specializes in helping CEOs address blind spots that many small business leaders face when scaling their businesses. An entrepreneur herself, she's also a former British Army officer with decades of experience dealing with leaders in the military, political, and business arenas. Now, as The Leader Whisperer™, she's turned her deep understanding of management and leadership into programs that help small business owners and CEOs to become big business owners and CEOs. Resources & Links   Dan Nestle The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/ Dan Nestle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsnestle Dan Nestle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle The Dan Nestle Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow/     Carri Nicholson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrinicholson-leaderwhisperer/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeaderWhisper Website: https://www.carrinicholson.com/ Website: https://theleaderwhisperer.substack.com/   Mentions Five Dysfunctions of Team Leadership by Patrick Lencioni - https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756 Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio - https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Life-Work-Ray-Dalio/dp/1501124021

In this week’s episode, Dan reunites with an old friend to talk about online and hybrid social media community building and its challenges of the past, present and future. Joining him today is fellow Japan aficionado, super connector, brand expert, event master, and his friend of more than 20 years, Andrew Shuttleworth. He's currently the Head of Business Development, Japan and Asia Pacific for the Singapore-based innovation platform Agorize. Prior to that, Andrew held leadership roles at tech companies in Japan and Singapore and had his own consulting business in Japan focused on connecting customers, vendors, and people (called Customers Vendors People, naturally). He runs a community called Innovators United and chairs the Sales Leaders Peer Group for EGN in Singapore. Andrew talks in depth about creating, promoting, and regulating online and hybrid social platforms and networks. He reflects on the challenges faced by Net Tokyo, an organization he co-founded with Dan and other super connectors in Tokyo before social media became so ubiquitous. Prepare to be taken on a guided tour of how people connected at a time when social networking was unheard all the way through to when it finally caught on and changed everything.  This is one episode you don’t want to miss.   In This Episode (03:32) Welcoming Andrew Shuttleworth to the Dan Nestle Show. (03:49) Talking about Net Tokyo, a community of communities he and Dan started before “The Facebook”. (10:51) How the idea of networking was ahead of its time back then. (13:49) Andrew’s journey from a lad from Northern England to becoming the accidental business nomad. (19:44) Talking about the idea behind connecting people: to create value. (25:02) On the move to Singapore and still maintaining ties with Japan. (27:18) Andrew's role at Apple and how it aided his goal to connect people. (30:50) Being mindful of creating communities without over-commercializing them. (36:01) Indicators that show that the community is growing and interacting. (38:33) Andrew’s take on current platforms when it comes to community creation. (42:51) Different tools for different generations such as Discord and Slack. (47:18) How size matters when it comes to building trustful communities.  (50:59) Regulate, populate, and evaluate contributions from communities. (56:03) On Innovators United being a hybrid community with in-person events. (1:03:52) Andrew’s advice to marketers today. (1:03:45) Final remarks from Andrew.   Notable Quotes “I always had Southeast Asia on my map as kind of a natural next step from Japan, knowing that the economy here is just going to keep growing and growing for decades. There's a lot of similarities to Japan, but there's also a lot to learn and a lot to experience. I mean, one of the reasons I went to Japan was just to have this information in your face every day while you're walking around reading kanji. And the level of challenge in your life is kind of doubled just by being there, especially when you're new and young. And so, I wanted to experience that daily challenge of life again by going to a completely new place.” - Andrew (25:56) “When other people start introducing other relevant people to the community and talking about it, that's when you know it's really working. And actually, from the business perspective, the awareness when people come to you and say, ‘Hey, actually I want to hear about your product and service,’ that is really nice because like you say, you're not doing it for business purposes, but there has to be some sort of win-win there.” – Andrew (36:01) “We can just continue to build and build communities and participate in communities. And you know, I think that by being community oriented, you've got. Already a kind of an advantage over a lot of other salespeople, marketers, whatever you want to call yourself at any given time. Look, we aren’t old, but we aren’t getting any younger. So, you know, to prepare ourselves for the future as we live longer and longer and longer, understanding community and the effects that has on people's behavior and just the idea of making relationships and connections and understanding that I think is going to be a massive advantage for you.” Dan (1:02:21) “My sales team, even though they're in Singapore, are maybe 30 minutes away. But what I've realized is and I think pretty much most people would agree with this, is that there's something totally different about getting together with people in person. I've built relationships, I've hired people. I've mentored people online. But when you get together and you have an in-person conversation, either 1 to 1 or especially in a group, the dynamics and the information exchange transforms. And it's as much as I love technology, you can't replace it, at least not at the moment.” Andrew (57:17) “I'm sure marketers are looking at this saying, okay, how do I, how do I work with community? My advice would be, assign a little bit of your budget to communities. Communities don't take a lot to fund. Um, but they do require money, right? You require money for a venue requirement, for some refreshments. And I think businesses can play a good part in enabling communities. But you aren't going to get your ROI next month or you're not going to get your ROI this quarter. So, it's up to the marketers to kind of learn how to justify this investment in communities.” Andrew (1:03:52)   About Andrew Shuttleworth Andrew Shuttleworth is an expert in building communities. For over two decades, Andrew has been in sales, marketing, project management, and event production, overseeing all aspects of creating, populating, regulating, and promoting a community, whether online, in person, or hybrid. He's currently the head of business development, Japan and Asia Pacific for the innovation platform Agorize, based in Singapore. Prior to that, Andrew has been in leadership roles at tech companies in Asia, did a considerable stint at Apple, and had his own consulting business in Japan focused on connecting customers, vendors, and people. He set up and runs a community called Innovators United and chairs the Sales Leaders Peer Group for EGN in Singapore.   Resources & Links Dan Nestle The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/ Dan Nestle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsnestle Dan Nestle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle The Dan Nestle Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow/  Andrew Shuttleworth Company: https://get.agorize.com/en/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewshuttleworth/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashuttleworth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shuttleworthandrew Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewshuttleworth/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@runners.t.v   EGN Sales Leaders Peer Group: https://www.egnpeernetwork.com/peergroup-singapore-sales-leaders   

For this very special milestone, the 100th episode of The Dan Nestle Show,  Dan has the great honor to chat with Ruth Hartt, a classically trained opera singer and music educator, now Chief of Staff at the Clayton Christensen Institute (a think tank dedicated to improving the world through Disruptive Innovation) and founder of Culture For Hire, a platform she uses to help arts organizations rethink their purpose and reinvent themselves by understanding their customers. Drawing examples from the world of music and art, we learn how Ruth is applying Jobs to Be Done theory to become a true customer champion and turn arts marketing on its head. You'll find yourself nodding along with Ruth as she takes us through stories of marketing malpractice, and how a few brave innovators and Jobs to be Done approaches are helping to breathe life into a dying industry.   In This Episode (01:59) Dan welcomes Ruth to Dan Nestle show. (03:49) On meeting Ruth as part of the uprising at an anti-conference. (05:40) Ruth journey as a musician and educator to joining the Clayton Institute. (06:18) Talking about harassment and pregnancy discrimination. (09:50) Absorbing, learning, reading, and listening to knowledge coming her way. (16:01) Explaining Job to Be Done and why people buy. (26:33) On being a relevant strategist and customer champion. (38:40) Discussing the epidemic of loneliness and how to tackle it. (40:17) Dan elaborates on the three-box solution. (52:15) Job To be Done going beyond just a marketing solution. (54:58) How can people discover classical music and the arts today. (59:53) What Dan discovered about classical music. (1:03:18) How reaction videos can create an impact. (1:05:33) Ruth shares a book with the audience. Notable Quotes “All of a sudden, I am thinking, we have got a marketing problem in the arts world. Because we are not considering the customer at all. In fact, traditional arts marketing ignores the customer, and so does the theory change the game for marketers in the arts world and I sort of set out to figure out what that looks like.” – Ruth (11:33) “We need to understand the functional need, the emotional context, and the social context in their life that causes them to buy. Sort of in a nutshell, people buy not because of who they are but because of who they want to become. Or because of what they want their life to become or their world to become.  The way Clayton Christensen always puts it is they say, people hire things to help them make progress on a circumstance in their life.” – Ruth (16:39) “There is the value chain architecture; how the business is run and how value gets delivered. There is the value of proposition, and then there is the customer. Those 3 elements if you change any one of those, it’s a non-linear innovation. And that a way you can sort of validate whether or not what you are doing is innovative.” – Dan (42:09) “The forces of progress. There are forces that are in someone’s circumstance that are pushing him towards a solution. There is a solution that has great things about that is pulling them towards it. But then there are these habits of the past and anxieties about the new solution that are forcing them away and unless the pull towards the new solution outweighs the anxieties and the habits of the past, you are not going to sell whatever it is you are trying to sell.” – Ruth (43:55) “How do you get people to buy in, right? Some of it is creating this relevant doorway; relevant meaning something that is familiar to them. There are so many Queen fans out there. And for them to see a concert advertised as Queen with full orchestra, that’s a draw! I would be interested in that. I am a Queen fan.” – Ruth (1:01:39) About Ruth Hartt Ruth Hartt is a classically trained opera singer and music educator. She spent the last 5 years at the Clayton Christensen Institute for disruptive innovation, where she has been immersed in research and theories of one of the world's legendary business thinkers, learning the power of Jobs to be Done and customer-centricity. Now she has combined her experience in the arts with her expertise in business strategy and launched Culture For Hire, where she helps arts organizations to rethink their purpose and reinvent themselves by understanding their customers and creating relevance for their communities.    Resources & Links Dan Nestle The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/ Dan Nestle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsnestle Dan Nestle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle The Dan Nestle Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow/  Ruth Hartt Website: https://www.cultureforhire.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-hartt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruth_hartt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultureforhire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultureforhire/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt6qshnsYS1UHPa7H8DuTlA Mentions Book: https://www.priyaparker.com/book-art-of-gathering