ChatGTM

What if your digital menu board is doing little more than displaying a prettier version of your printed menu?Jackie Walker, Chief Experience Officer at Creative Realities, joins Michael Beck on ChatGTM to explain why digital signage is about much more than screens. It's about understanding customers, influencing decisions, and creating experiences that people genuinely crave.Drawing on her work with major QSR brands, Jackie explores the science of craveability, contextual merchandising, customer empathy, and the untapped potential of digital menu boards.We dig into why the initial excitement around digital signage can fade, how brands can use motion, color, dayparting, and data to improve their merchandising, and why testing and learning should be part of an ongoing performance marketing strategy.Jackie also introduces Experience Intelligence, the consulting and creative capabilities within Creative Realities, and previews her Prosper Accelerate think tank session on reimagining the menu experience.And as AI takes on more of the creative process, what remains uniquely human? Jackie has some strong opinions about judgment, restraint, and why technology should never come before the customer.CONNECT WITH JACKIELinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackieohare/CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome and the power of craveability02:38 Jackie's journey into digital experiences06:26 Where Creative Realities operates08:04 What makes an experience craveable?09:42 Why contextual content matters13:00 Personalization versus creepy15:15 Designing for the customer's moment16:21 Why restaurants need more than a digital menu19:45 Motion, merchandising, and dayparting21:24 Why digital menus need continuous testing23:55 Adoption and franchisee challenges24:46 Why the initial sales lift can disappear26:15 Inside CRI's Experience Intelligence team29:57 Jackie's Prosper Accelerate preview32:37 The entire customer journey matters33:48 AI, creativity, and human judgment35:08 Jackie's legacy and making magic36:14 Rapid fire: experience and surprise37:19 Why the food in the bag matters most38:33 Taco Bell and cultural relevance40:41 Human connection versus technology41:22 The surprising power of color42:45 Prosper Accelerate and final takeaways45:32 Jackie's colorful sign-offJOIN THE CONVERSATIONAre your digital menu boards simply displaying products, or are they actively helping customers make better decisions?Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping hospitality, restaurant technology, and the customer experience.ChatGTM: The Industry, Unscripted.#JackieWalker #CreativeRealities #DigitalMenuBoards #DigitalSignage #Craveability #RestaurantTechnology #ChatGTM

We've all been told to think outside the box. What if that's exactly what's holding our creativity back?Andrew Davis, bestselling author, former NBC producer, Muppets alumnus, and one of the most entertaining keynote speakers we've encountered, joins Beck and Chad on the ChatGTM Podcast to challenge everything we think we know about creativity.Fresh from his appearance at Prosper Forum, Andrew breaks down his Cube of Creativity, a practical framework for turning limitations into better ideas, sharper execution, and meaningful business results.We explore why successful companies can become less creative as resources grow, why killing two projects might be the smartest way to start one, and whether AI is helping us think better or simply produce more stuff.Then we get into the attention economy. Andrew explains why curiosity creates tension, why the payoff matters more than the click, and the two questions every content creator should ask before hitting publish.Along the way, there are Muppets, MacGyver, childhood puppet theaters, a spy novel in progress, and one marketing word Andrew would happily banish forever.Meet Andrew DavisLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewdavishereWebsite and speaking events: https://www.akadrewdavis.comBooks: https://www.akadrewdavis.com/booksChapters00:00 Meet Andrew Davis: Creativity, Keynotes and the Muppets04:44 How Andrew Accidentally Started Speaking07:47 Authenticity and Finding Your Stage Presence10:07 Why Thinking Outside the Box Gets It Wrong12:53 The Four Constraints of the Cube of Creativity15:22 Why You Must Eliminate the Unnecessary17:14 Constraints vs. Excuses21:15 Does AI Make Us Less Creative?23:30 Why Successful Companies Lose Creativity26:16 Boredom, Childhood and Imagination30:20 How Committees Kill Creative Ideas32:35 Applying Constraints to Restaurants35:08 What Actually Earns Attention?37:50 Will Human Experiences Become More Valuable?40:31 Curiosity Gaps, Tension and the Payoff43:02 When Clickbait Damages Trust45:17 How a Keynote Evolves After 100 Performances46:57 Rapid Fire with Andrew Davis49:21 Where to Find Andrew and Final ThoughtsYour turn: What's one thing you could eliminate today that would make room for something remarkable?Subscribe to ChatGTM for conversations with the people challenging conventional thinking across business, hospitality, technology, and leadership.https://chatgtmpodcast.comThe Industry, Unscripted.#AndrewDavis #CubeOfCreativity #CreativeConstraints #CreativeThinking #ContentMarketing #AICreativity #ChatGTM

Relationships first. Business second.What if the biggest competitive advantage in foodservice distribution isn't technology, but the relationships behind it?Hans Schatz, Executive Vice President of Cut+Dry, joins Michael Beck and Chad Horn on The ChatGTM Podcast to explore how one company is transforming foodservice distribution while investing in the people who make the industry work.From unified digital commerce and Yes Chef AI to helping independent distributors compete, Hans explains how Cut+Dry is reducing friction, improving operations, and connecting manufacturers, distributors, and restaurant operators.We also explore RESERVE, Cut+Dry's gathering in Napa Valley, and why building a meaningful community is every bit as important as building great technology.Because the future of foodservice isn't just about better software. It's about what we can accomplish together.IN THIS EPISODE• Why relationships come before business• Helping independent distributors compete• Yes Chef AI and distributor intelligence• Simplifying manufacturer programs and billbacks• Reducing friction across foodservice distribution• The vision behind RESERVE Napa• Why showing up mattersMEET OUR GUESTHans Schatz | Executive Vice President, Cut+DryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-schatz/Cut+Dry: https://cutanddry.com/CHAPTERS00:00 Opening banter and introduction01:45 Why relationships still drive foodservice04:01 Introducing Cut+Dry04:35 What Cut+Dry does and the problem it solves11:52 Helping independent distributors compete12:59 Yes Chef AI and distributor intelligence19:27 Simplifying manufacturer programs and billbacks20:23 AI, automation, and operational efficiency27:54 Building technology with distributor partners28:17 Going beyond software to support the community29:10 Why Cut+Dry invests in relationships30:18 Relationships first, business second32:10 Why showing up matters39:16 Creating meaningful community experiences40:15 The ChatGTM Rapid Fire42:07 Final thoughts and closingWATCH. LISTEN. FOLLOW.ChatGTM Podcast: https://chatgtmpodcast.comSubscribe to Substack: https://inckey.substack.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/chatgtm-podcast/ABOUT CHATGTMHosted by Michael Beck and Chad Horn, The ChatGTM Podcast brings candid conversations with the leaders shaping restaurants, hospitality, technology, and business.Produced by Inc Tank GTM: https://inctankgtm.comJOIN THE CONVERSATIONWhat matters more when choosing a technology partner: the capabilities of the platform or the relationships behind it?Tell us in the comments, subscribe, and share this episode.The ChatGTM Podcast | The Industry, Unscripted.Know What's Next.#CutAndDry #HansSchatz #FoodserviceDistribution #RestaurantTechnology #ChatGTM

What if the key to better restaurant performance isn’t asking hourly employees to “think like owners,” but actually paying them like owners?In this episode of the ChatGTM Podcast, Michael Beck and Chad Horn sit down with Peter Riggs, Founder of WaveWage, to explore what happens when frontline restaurant employees share in the upside they help create.Peter’s idea started with a moment almost every operator will recognize. About 30 minutes before closing, he watched a restaurant employee turn away customers who were ready to spend money. For the employee, another table meant more work. For the operator, it meant lost revenue and potentially a lost customer.Peter’s question was simple: What if the employee actually benefited from that sale?That became the foundation for WaveWage, a performance-pay platform designed to connect hourly employees with measurable sales performance.Peter shares how incentives can change frontline behavior, how restaurants can reward incremental revenue without destroying margins, and why the last hour of business could potentially become one of the most profitable hours of the day.We also get into restaurant technology itself, including why great software still fails inside restaurants, how WaveWage approaches integrations and gamification, and what technology founders consistently misunderstand about operators.One of Peter’s best observations:“Just because your tech works doesn’t mean we can put it to work.”CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to ChatGTM03:09 Meet Peter Riggs04:28 From restaurant operator to technology founder07:42 The truth about restaurant employee engagement10:16 What is WaveWage?11:01 The restaurant moment that sparked the idea14:34 The dreaded last-minute customer15:11 Incentivizing the entire restaurant team17:03 Finding hidden performance gaps19:07 Why nobody built WaveWage before21:10 Making incentives visible and engaging22:45 Employee badges, recognition and portable reputation25:11 Avoiding unintended consequences25:44 AI-generated incentive rules and confidence scores28:36 Can employees change restaurant operating hours?29:27 How do you prove an incentive actually works?32:01 Can employees make more while restaurants make more?35:13 POS, payroll and restaurant-tech integrations36:58 What restaurant-tech companies misunderstand40:06 What Peter now understands about tech founders41:29 Selling WaveWage to his toughest critic: himself42:27 Rapid Fire43:20 Customers walking in two minutes before closing44:08 The restaurant metric operators aren't measuring44:33 What restaurant work needs to fix45:31 Closing thoughts and what comes nextLearn more about WaveWage:https://wavewage.comPeter Riggs on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-riggs-495b274/If conversations like this get your gears turning, subscribe to the ChatGTM Podcast on YouTube and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.What do you think: Should hourly restaurant employees share directly in the upside when they help generate incremental revenue?#PayThemLikeOwners #PeterRiggs #WaveWage #RestaurantEmployees #RestaurantPerformance #RestaurantTechnology #ChatGTM

What if high performance isn’t about working harder, but learning to work deeper?Bestselling author, entrepreneur and leadership speaker Ty Bennett joins Michael Beck and Chad Horn on ChatGTM S2 E46 to unpack what actually drives sustainable high performance.We first met Ty at Prosper Accelerate, where he turned his keynote into an experience by bringing his sons on stage to tackle a Ninja Warrior obstacle course. It became a live lesson in preparation, resilience, adaptability, trust and helping people accomplish things they didn’t think were possible. chad-ty-beckNow Ty takes us inside the research behind his new book, Redefining High Performance. His research identified five key drivers: preparation, consistency, adaptability, motivation and connection.One of the biggest takeaways challenges hustle culture: sustainable high performance has more to do with working deeper than simply working harder. chad-ty-beckWe also get into fear of failure, comparison, feedback, burnout, trust, parenting, hospitality leadership and why consistency beats occasional intensity.Then we turn to AI. Ty believes that as AI makes information and good copy easier to create, human story, empathy and genuine connection become even more valuable. chad-ty-beckAnd if you’re heading to Prosper Accelerate, this conversation gives you a taste of the energy and thinking Ty brings to the stage.CONNECT WITH TYLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tybennettRedefining High Performance: https://tybennett.com/product/redefining-high-performance/Website: https://tybennett.com/CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to ChatGTM00:38 Meeting Ty at Prosper Accelerate01:13 The Ninja Warrior Keynote02:34 Welcome Ty Bennett03:42 How Ninja Warrior Took Over the Bennett Family05:05 Turning a Speech Into an Experience05:49 Performing Under Pressure06:25 Relaxed Intensity07:44 Competing Without Comparison08:25 When One Brother Gets the Opportunity10:23 Leadership Lessons From Family11:33 Redefining High Performance15:38 What Creates a High Performer?16:12 The Research Behind High Performance17:00 The 5 Drivers of High Performance18:44 Preparation Changes Everything20:23 Where Real Confidence Comes From20:48 High Performance Without Burnout21:32 Work Deeper, Not Harder22:42 Health, Recovery & Performance24:48 Why Hospitality Produces Great Leaders25:16 We’re All in the People Business26:30 Empathic Drive27:37 Why High Performers Plateau28:16 The 3 Barriers to High Performance29:42 How We Get in Our Own Way30:17 Trust Is the Currency of Leadership31:19 How Leaders Earn Trust32:10 Leadership Through Example33:35 Rebuilding Lost Trust34:34 Escaping the Failure Factory34:55 Failure Is Part of Your Best Work35:51 Consistency Beats Intensity37:43 Success Begets Success38:16 Does Work-Life Balance Exist?41:21 AI & High Performance41:33 Why AI Makes Human Stories More Valuable43:20 Empathy in an AI-Driven World43:43 Confident Curiosity44:42 Rapid Fire46:18 One Word for Great Leadership46:26 Great Leaders Make People Feel Important46:34 The Best Stories Begin With Connection46:36 Closing Thoughts & Prosper Accelerate48:19 WrapAre you working harder, or have you learned how to work deeper? ▶️ Subscribe to ChatGTM for conversations with the people building what’s next in leadership, hospitality, technology, AI and GTM.#ChatGTM #TyBennett #ProsperAccelerate #HighPerformance #Leadership #AI