Dots. | Podcast of Paul Syng (Paul Syng)

Shwetank Dixit has broad experience in product management, technology strategy (including AI strategy), corporate innovation, engineering management, program management, developer relations, technology evangelism, web standards, browser extensions, technical documentation, and conference organization and public speaking. He often acts as a bridge between the pure tech and business realms.

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SPEAKER LINKS 

Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Shwetank Dixit: https://twitter.com/shwetank 

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Listen to this podcast on other platforms: https://anchor.fm/paulsyng

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 How we know each other

02:28 Shwetank on how he got started

03:48 How Shwetank got hired by Opera

08:02 Schools, markers of success and making mistakes

11:59 Building a search engine for academic content

13:00 The role of the education system and pursuing your curiosity

14:18 From shy introvert to a public speaker (contrarian view)

22:05 What does a web evangelist do?

26:30 Lesson on reaching out to people on Linkedin (building relationships)

29:10 Humans are suspicious of salesy behaviour

33:30 First stint as a product manager (working on Opera extensions platform)

37:16 Browser extensions, platform monopoly and the risks

39:48 Parallels between product and service-based companies (bringing features or people in-house)

42:16 Role of distribution and client buying decisions

45:52 Sales-led model vs Product-led growth (PLG)

52:20 Future of sales: PLG coupled with sales

56:00 The role of communication in becoming a leader and bridge

01:01:07 Difference between an engineer and senior engineer

Watch the episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/TXn-LfUJKGU

Alex Smith is a strategist, writer, and advisor to CEOs and founders. He is the founder of Basic Arts, and he helps create brands that stand alone in their markets and bring true value to people. It’s my goal to increase strategic understanding and expertise among founders since it’s not only widely misunderstood but often completely overlooked.

DOTS PODCAST ON ALL PLATFORMS

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJhdYWtEVH6R9lX2exP_8ni9YGKNTZ1b8&si=4s69nrKCahy5vQ5O

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2z0Vgy7eNR6XSk3M0uSugp?si=eb5369dea4314099 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dots-podcast-of-paul-syng/id1557392269  

Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng

READ PLATONIC BLOG

https://paulsyng.com/blog/

NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE? 

https://paulsyng.com

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng:

https://x.com/paulsyng

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/

Guest, Alex Smith:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-m-h-smith/

00:00:00 Meet Alex, monetize your quirks

00:03:42 Alex's unconventional path to strategy

00:15:03 An act of mischief

00:28:07 Elephant, monkey and a fish climb a tree

00:35:34 No one is buying strategy

00:43:15 What is 'strategy' and understanding founder motivations

00:55:33 Understand the person and their context first

01:05:17 Positioning and Simon Sinek's 'Why?'

01:14:26 Fame ≠ expertise

01:32:05 How Alex built an audience of 90k on LinkedIn

01:48:47 3001 Questions all about me

Steve Patti is a seasoned marketing strategist with over 35 years of extensive experience. He has navigated a successful career marked by three significant phases. The journey began with a decade dedicated to working within diverse enterprise environments, ranging from small businesses to a Fortune 500 tech giant generating $5 billion in revenue. Building on this foundation, Steve launched a marketing consulting firm, scaling it impressively from zero to $20 million within three years, collaborating with prominent brands such as Visa, Intel, American Express, and Dell. The most recent chapter of this career has been characterized by roles as a growth advisor, serving as a full-time or fractional CMO and undertaking strategic growth roles that bridge sales and marketing for companies with revenues up to $160 million. This blend of corporate, entrepreneurial, and advisory experience showcases a profound expertise in driving growth and innovation.

DOTS PODCAST ON ALL PLATFORMS

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJhdYWtEVH6R9lX2exP_8ni9YGKNTZ1b8&si=4s69nrKCahy5vQ5O

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2z0Vgy7eNR6XSk3M0uSugp?si=eb5369dea4314099 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dots-podcast-of-paul-syng/id1557392269  

Podcasters: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng

READ PLATONIC BLOG

https://paulsyng.com/blog/

NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE? 

https://paulsyng.com

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng:

https://x.com/paulsyng

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/

Guest, Steve Patti:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepatti/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Three Decades of Business Leadership

10:41 Rethinking Marketing Beyond Pipelines

13:23 "Product Marketing: Core Function Importance"

22:04 Marketing Career Crossroads Choices

23:27 "Embrace Change or Enhance Skills"

30:35 CMO Reporting Beyond Numbers

38:09 "Marketing's Role in Employer Branding"

39:14 Align HR and Finance for Recruitment

45:01 "Brand Accelerates Demand"

53:06 Marketing Strategies and Leadership Buy-In

57:02 "Measure Brand Marketing Effectively"

01:04:11 "New Marketing Alignment Proposal"

01:08:20 Problematic Marketing Partnership Dynamics

01:10:35 "Performance Data Disconnect"

Also on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rEe31Q0VoBk

Throughout his career, Bill has been obsessed with helping businesses discover their true purpose – and turning that insight into exceptional experiences that bind brands and their customers together.

Whether helping launch the CarFax Vehicle History Report to the consumer market, positioning Delsey as North America’s lightweight luggage leader or preparing start-ups like Bleep CPAP to disrupt their category, Bill has been passionate about turning consumer insight into category leadership.

He believes that every brand has the potential to dominate their category – to create a contagious, market-shattering impact on their customers and competition.

Since 1998, Bill has created brand strategies and creative campaigns for more than 300 brands around the globe. He has engaged audiences for brands like EverBank, Music & Arts, Delsey Luggage, Red Hot & Blue, Denny’s, Precision Tune and Enterprise Rent-a-Car, to name a few. On their behalf, Bill uncovered unique insights into the consumer set, created campaigns that positively disrupted their categories and caused countless competitors sleepless nights. 

Bill is an optimist at heart. He believes that every good idea has a passionate message standing behind it. 

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: ⁠https://linktr.ee/paulsyng⁠

Guest, Bill Harper: https://brandbosshq.com/

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: ⁠https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG⁠

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 Welcome to the show, Bill!

00:05:17 What is a brand?

00:11:20 Breaking the myth of B2B vs B2C

00:19:30 Tow truck story

00:27:13 Helping clients get out of their own way

00:31:27 The creative genius Rolodex

00:40:53 From toxic relationship to true partner

00:56:00 Are you willing to be great?

01:07:02 The right person and the right vision

01:23:02 Eight powerful ideas

01:33:51 Brand is agnostic to what and how you do it

01:38:12 How to bring internal and external stakeholders on the journey

01:44:02 When internal adoption fails

01:57:10 How to build an audience by being irrelevant

02:06:00 What to do with negative comments

02:12:05 Haters grow your brand and audience

02:16:23 How much time Bill spends on making content

02:22:05 3001 Questions all about me

02:23:52 Summarizing the second half

02:32:08 Closing remarks

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulsyng​

How to lead with curiosity: https://youtu.be/9Ptc4TzP1cY​

"How to get rich" on Twitter  https://twitter.com/naval/status/1002...​ 

"How to get rich" on Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...​

Andrew Hegarty has ten years of experience working in and advising startups in Toronto. He’s an active mentor to designers and product managers, sharing his experiences and lessons learned from growing an early-stage startup and design practice. He's passionate about mentorship, team empowerment, continually improving product development processes, and building strong organizational cultures.

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EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 Getting started, our common friend

00:06:29 How Andrew got into design

00:14:23 Andrew's first paid client

00:17:35 Developing a problem-solving approach

00:19:35 Getting serious about a design career

00:21:06 Andrew's true passion

00:24:36 Skating helped Andrew step out of his comfort zone

00:28:20 Isolation parallel to remote work

00:31:56 Advice for people in 0-1 stage companies

00:39:47 Early career, education and first job

00:42:59 To defend the work or not is the question

00:53:49 Choice and signs of maturity

00:56:32 Windows vs Mac

00:58:33 A decade at Street Context

01:03:03 Killing your darlings

01:07:02 Throwing yourself into the deep end (beginner's mind)

01:13:45 From design to product

01:20:00 Design decisions based on where you are

01:25:23 Fintech rebrand, behind the scenes

01:37:22 Why Andrew moved into a product role

01:44:46 Shy kid in basement to talking to clients and loving it

01:52:23 3001 Questions All About Me

01:56:51 Be the dumbest person in the room

01:58:03 Closing remarks

Gayle is a Sales Enablement leader with a demonstrated record of success and extensive experience driving cross-functional collaboration, customer and partner engagement and loyalty, and revenue and market share by empowering sales teams with the right coaching, tools and training to maximize productivity. When she is not working, she is a loving daughter, wife and mother trying to live her best life while caring for those in her life who mean the most.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Gayle Charach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gcharach/

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

CHAPTERS

(00:00) How Gayle and I met

(02:08) Gayle’s current role as Global Head of Sales Enablement at vArmour

(03:34) From Winnipeg to Toronto

(07:07) Teamwork, collaboration, and other lessons learned from camp

(11:02) Driving results with the STAR methodology

(13:54) Trip to Israel and emotional regulation as a leadership skill

(19:20) Speaking in Eight grade language for domain experts

(23:33) Not fitting into a box and Gayle’s car buying story

(32:52) Leading with a story to invite people into the conversation

(38:38) Helping logical minds tell emotion-led stories

(43:06) From strategy to initiatives, change management and the role of collaboration

(52:16) Improving communication bandwidth between people and teams

(01:03:25) Building trust and bringing people on the journey by knowing what drives them

(01:10:13) Culture and behaviour as a result of incentive structures

(01:15:23) Connecting the people at the bottom with the top

(01:22:43) How Gayle got into sales

(01:28:08) Imposter syndrome, limiting beliefs and trusting yourself

(01:33:14) Advice for women looking for a career in sales

(01:40:06) Paul’s summary and learnings

(01:42:58) 3001 Questions all about me

(01:45:23) Closing remarks

Sara Loretta is an entrepreneur, digital strategist, and operations consultant based in Austin, Texas. She is the founder and Chief Digital Architect of SYSTMS™, a consultancy specializing in helping service-based businesses streamline their workflows and scale effectively. With over a decade of experience in data management, compliance, and business development, Sara focuses on designing tools and strategies to support asynchronous and remote work environments globally.

DOTS PODCAST ON ALL PLATFORMS

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJhdYWtEVH6R9lX2exP_8ni9YGKNTZ1b8&si=4s69nrKCahy5vQ5O

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2z0Vgy7eNR6XSk3M0uSugp?si=eb5369dea4314099 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dots-podcast-of-paul-syng/id1557392269  

Podcasters: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng

READ PLATONIC BLOG

https://paulsyng.com/blog/

NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE? 

https://paulsyng.com

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng:

https://x.com/paulsyng

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/

Guest, Sara Loretta

https://x.com/thesaraloretta

https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraloretta/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Prioritizing Emotional Well-being

18:19 "Gratitude and Paying It Forward"

33:48 Perception Filters and Decisions

49:56 Empowering Solutions for Community Needs

01:12:24 "Mastering Gap-Filling in Business"

01:29:04 Viral Scandal Involving Sarah

01:42:50 "Pursuing Growth Without Virality"

01:49:38 Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs

02:15:15 Finding Language in Operations

02:21:21 Solopreneurship and Self-Management Goals

02:42:22 Targeted Quiz for Business Insights

02:56:44 Streamlining Work with Emojis and Ideas

John LePore is a highly skilled professional known for blending creative innovation with pragmatic thinking. His career is marked by his ability to inspire excitement about the future through consulting with organizations, leading teams, or directing innovation. With a rich background as the Principal/Chief Creative at Perception, LePore has excelled in motion design and user experience and has over a decade of leadership, direction, and strategy. He is an accomplished public speaker who captivates audiences worldwide by demystifying popular films and products. LePore distinguishes himself in consulting, offering concentrated value to overcome specific challenges, inspiring leadership and forging new competencies within organizations. Based in the NYC Metro area, he consults globally, contributing to film, technology, automotive, and more, and is accessible through various social media platforms and professional networks. SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng Guest, John LePore: https://twitter.com/JohnnyMotion EPISODE LINKS Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG _ F1 + Apple Vision Pro Concept https://youtu.be/y9FpgxNeWJk?si=4_TlkNgxwNvbhMbU TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Greetings 00:01:53 Who is John? 00:13:46 How John thinks about his work with Marvel Avengers 00:24:34 What it means to have genuine empathy 00:30:22 What it means to get curious 00:38:13 Meeting clients where they are 00:46:47 John's Black Panther story 00:52:44 Detaching from the outcome 00:58:13 The holy trinity question by Paul 01:01:07 How John thinks about Digital Product Design 01:07:55 John's hot take on the Apple Vision Pro 01:10:04 John's F1 concept was viewed over 55 million times 01:14:49 A simple way to understand "The Metaverse' 01:20:13 Why do automobile interfaces suck 01:29:46 What Hanz Zimmer & Linkin Park and cars have in common 01:35:05 John's involvement with top-secret projects 01:39:29 Working in digital product vs automotive company 01:51:45 What John's race instructor dad taught him 02:03:35 John's design of the Porsche instrument gauge cluster 02:17:02 Designing for the future vs futuristic design 02:28:07 John's on a mission, and you should hire him 02:34:38 3001 Questions all about me 02:37:44 Paul summarizes key takeaways 02:39:25 Closing remarks by John

Stephen helps people generate revenue with persuasive videos and automated systems to distribute content at scale. After Stephen sold the tech company, he grew to 2.6 million/year. He looked back and knew it could have been done even faster. He got into video and social media—when he ran into all the challenges, he used his tech skills to streamline the process. People started noticing his solutions and wanted to buy his systems, but now that’s all he does.

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SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Stephen G Pope: https://tiktok.com/@stephengpope

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RESOURCES

Content Matrix Worksheet: https://bit.ly/3TBd3au

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Stephen G Pope's story and crossing 36000 followers on TikTok

(03:05) Where to start, what’s the first step and why video

(06:45) What do I say on video and overcoming fear of failing publicly

(11:40) How to get started with your webcam or phone

(16:15) Repeating yourself and what kind of content gets more views

(21:30) Understanding the big picture and keeping it simple

(26:00) How to find ideas on making content by listening to your customers

(28:40) How to pick a platform to start your video journey

(32:20) How to build your audience and what to avoid

(34:54) The “glasses” and showing your personality

(38:20) How Stephen helps and coaches his clients

(40:15) 3001 Questions all about me and Stephen plays “In a sentimental mood”

(42:10) Final words and close

Sheeba has become a voice of insight and encouragement within the health community, especially on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where she openly discusses the complexities of thyroid disorders. With each story she shares, Sheeba shines a light on the unique array of symptoms that people with these conditions experience, both in diversity and intensity. Her own personal journey with the disorder is marked by a vivid recollection – the day fatigue overwhelmed her after a seemingly normal work routine with clients. This poignant memory of utter exhaustion led to a realization that she was battling more than just physical tiredness; it was a sign of severe depression intertwined with her thyroid condition. Her raw and personal narratives not only raise awareness about the condition but also serve as a beacon of hope and understanding for others navigating similar health challenges.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Coach Sheeba: https://www.tiktok.com/@xsheebax

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 Welcome to the studio, Marc Jacobs

00:02:13 Who is Sheeba

00:04:21 Thyroid TikTok taking off

00:05:54 Inspiration behind talking thyroid

00:08:47 Mental and physical symptoms of thyroid

00:12:24 Handling hateful comments on social media

00:14:21 What is a thyroid and what does it do

00:16:16 Early success on YouTube

00:20:52 YouTube audience don't like change

00:25:56 Three things to know about your thyroid

00:33:28 Paul's protocol part one

00:48:05 Thyroid and depression

00:51:58 Paul's protocol part two

00:54:25 How to get started on your superhuman journey

01:00:49 Harmful effects and downside of TRT

01:08:54 Keeping up with the latest in thyroid research

01:11:24 Summary and final advice on thyroid and health

01:15:45 3001 Questions

01:16:24 Closing remarks

Paul: Introduce yourself.

Yousuf: My professional journey has been both fun and rewarding, encompassing diverse roles such as a brand designer at a boutique corporate branding studio, digital producer then account director at a large ad agency, and management consultant at PwC.

You might be wondering, how did this guy start in visual design and end up leading business transformations for major corporations in Canada? Well, curiosity and an entrepreneurial spirit have been my driving forces, complemented by great mentorship along the way. These experiences have equipped me with unique vantage points for problem-solving and a versatile skill set for building solutions with incredible teams.

Today, I have the privilege of serving as the Head of Product Management and Strategic Design at PwC Canada, an iconic global enterprise with an impressive array of clients. My current practice area focuses on reimagining end-to-end customer and employee experiences. We design, build, and launch software to bring those experiences to life and enhance organizational capabilities to enable sustained success.

In my role, I foster an environment that enables pragmatic innovation, resulting in aligning siloed processes, integrating disparate technologies, and realigning incentives to successfully deliver customer/employee experiences that lead to business growth, increased customer satisfaction, and improved operational efficiency. It’s a wonderful blend of business, creativity, and technology. _ SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: ⁠https://linktr.ee/paulsyng⁠ Guest, Yousuf Afridi: ⁠linkedin.com/in/afridi⁠ _ EPISODE LINKS Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: ⁠https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG⁠ CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Yousuf on writing his LinkedIn bio 00:02:06 How we met 00:07:01 When a Pakistani studying at British School in Dubai 00:20:40 Immigrating to Canada 00:27:30 Being self-taught 00:30:00 Skateboarding and emulating 00:36:28 Starting a creative business at the age of fifteen 00:44:18 Mentorship and learning the business of design 00:49:41 What Yousuf’s mentor taught him 00:57:36 Asking questions vs having answers 01:03:05 How consulting firms differ from agencies 01:11:00 Coffee and creative career paths 01:19:03 Business case vs creative brief 01:21:50 Can agencies swim upstream? 01:38:36 First year in consulting 01:48:04 What working WITH clients looks like 02:00:32 What consulting and agencies have in common 02:16:23 What creative people do in consulting 02:25:59 Being authentic as your MOAT 02:34:08 Ways of working and how approaches differ 02:53:52 Curious creative consultant over conclusions 02:59:34 What is Yousuf focused on now 03:06:08 3001 Questions and final thoughts 03:09:52 Closing remarks

Andrea Guertin is a seasoned design strategist and innovation leader currently heading Design & Co-creation at Kyndryl Vital Canada. With a Master's in Social Design, she has held key positions at Bridgeable, Deloitte, and Gensler, specializing in bridging business strategy with design thinking. Guertin's expertise lies in facilitating executive-level workshops, driving organizational transformation, and implementing human-centred design approaches across various industries. From her early days as a design strategist to her current role as a transformational leader, Andrea Guertin has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation and design in business. Her journey includes founding a B2B market research firm, teaching service design at the college level, and advising executives on inclusive design. Guertin's career is marked by a commitment to solving complex challenges through creative problem-solving and co-creation, leaving a significant impact on organizations ranging from startups to global consultancies. 👉🏼 DOTS PODCAST ON ALL OTHER PLATFORMS Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: ⁠ https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG⁠ 👉🏼 SUBSCRIBE TO SQUAD — A WEEKLY DIGEST Dive deep into business, brand and strategy every Tuesday. https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/114937/68230051490956385/share 👉🏼 READ PLATONIC BLOG https://paulsyng.com/blog/ 👉🏼 NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGES? https://paulsyng.com 👉🏼 SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: https://x.com/paulsyng https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/ Guest, Andrea Guertin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaguertin/ 👉🏼 CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Modelling gig story 00:01:36 How do you say 'Guertin' by the way? 00:03:14 Who is Andrea Guertin? 00:06:50 A designer who no longer designs 00:11:27 Where GREAT designers and consultants overlap 00:22:41 Telling people vs taking them along 00:29:02 Be confident in being the dumbest person in the room 00:32:26 Embrace the messy nature of the work 00:36:01 Curiosity over conclusions 00:44:28 Why consulting gets a bad reputation? 00:50:44 Secrets of facilitation no one talks about 00:58:15 How quality of your questions builds trust 01:08:44 USA vs Canada 01:20:22 The 'S' word (strategy) 01:23:43 Andrea shares personal stories about being a mom 01:39:32 What led to Andrea leaving her job as the CEO 01:45:03 Nerd out on strategy 02:08:34 What the client is asking for vs what they need and want 02:16:12 Role of curiosity in your job search and advice for women 02:24:43 3001 Questions all about me 02:32:33 Final words, closing remarks

Nicole is a former Marketing Executive turned Founder, Marketing Consultant & Business Coach. Nicole rapidly grew her corporate career in just eight years, from earning $55k as a Marketing Specialist in 2013 to earning $240k as a VP of Growth in 2021.

In addition to consulting, Nicole is also a Mentor in a few Toronto Accelerator Programs, where she coaches a variety of early-stage start-ups on how to grow their businesses.

When Nicole isn’t working with clients, she is building her own e-commerce company, Tall Size — the first-ever online shopping platform for tall women. As a tall woman, she was sick and tired of how hard it was to find clothes that fit her body, so she set out to solve the problem herself.

Nicole’s sole mission in life is to empower 1 million women to step into their most confident and comfortable selves in both business and in life, and she will not stop until she does.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Nicole Murphy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolemjmurphy/

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

Youtube: https://youtu.be/jnifJfG9YqM

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) How we know each other

(03:00) Who is Nicole Murphy (Founder & Coach)

(05:25) What is Tall Size

(08:32) Growing up in a small town

(13:13) Influence of family

(16:33) Being the tall one out from an early age

(20:00) Finding her superpower and community

(27:00) Funny dating stories of a tall girl (advice for men)

(34:09) Moving to the big city

(39:49) Getting hired at Well.ca (Lesson on how to apply for a job)

(49:22) What kind of company you should apply for fresh out of school

(57:40) Role email marketing played in Nicole’s career

(01:06:52) Obvious things that hold people back in their career

(01:08:48) What it was like to become an executive

(01:13:13) Leading vs managing the work

(01:24:05) Individual contributors vs managers (Org incentive structure)

(01:31:58) Leaving the executive role and microdosing

(01:44:26) Starting to live life for yourself and closing the first deal

(01:56:23) How to show up to client meetings and getting them to open up

(02:09:35) Being curious and coach-like (and also hiring her first coach)

(02:19:13) Finding her voice and not being obsessed with metrics

(02:30:05) What’s better than having a website when starting out on your own

(02:32:49) Becoming a coach and coaching other women

(02:40:52) Starting and building Tall Size

(02:46:32) How to find your customers and build an email list

(02:57:47) What’s next for Tall Size

(03:02:54) Paul summarizes Nicole’s story

(03:06:20) Closing remarks by Nicole

Shwetank Dixit has broad experience in product management, technology strategy (including AI strategy), corporate innovation, engineering management, program management, developer relations, technology evangelism, web standards, browser extensions, technical documentation, and conference organization and public speaking. He often acts as a bridge between the pure tech and business realms.

EPISODE LINKS

Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Shwetank Dixit: https://twitter.com/shwetank

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Shwetank's talk at JSConf on Adblocker Circumvention
https://youtu.be/Vk9bPDaZELQ

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Articles by Shwetank

Table stakes, KTLOs and Differentiators
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/shwetank/issues/table-stakes-ktlos-and-differentiators-955701

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Dealing with change: NIH Syndrome, institutional exceptionalism and isomorphic mimicry
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/shwetank/issues/dealing-with-change-nih-syndrome-institutional-exceptionalism-and-isomorphic-mimicry-955519

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Ambitious Leadership
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/shwetank/issues/ambitious-leadership-955518

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Book Recommendation: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0465062881/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_RFAM2WP0GYT8N043T499

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Sundar Pichai's OKR tweet
https://twitter.com/sundarpichai/status/1543328071532523521?s=20

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Ad Filtering Dev Summit
https://adfilteringdevsummit.com

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Optimism and raising kids

(05:39) Zero to one efforts

(09:58) Doing things that don’t scale (Airbnb story)

(14:09) Behind the scenes: Opera (How browsers work and the future)

(24:02) Browser rendering engine monopolies and privacy, user data and cookies

(38:00) How online ads help prevent a class system on the internet

(42:20) People behind ad block services and their philosophy

(48:29) Leadership and future value mindset to tactics

(57:36) Ambitious leadership: Voyages, Marathons and Sprints

(01:08:06) Being strategic and preparing a business case for executives

(01:17:57) Diverse teams and assembling the right people (+ challenges)

(01:26:42) Learn how your company makes money and incentives (+ KLO)

(01:34:28) OKRs, NIH Syndrome and dealing with conflicts (org dysfunctions)

(01:42:34) Different teams and building culture

(01:50:28) Giving feedback the right way and understanding team dynamics

(01:55:34) Isomorphic Mimicry

(01:58:52) Summary by Paul

(2:04:45) Advice on how to show up and get hired (remote first)

Watch this episode on Youtube.

Follow me on Twitter: @paulsyng

Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/IhrE3HZp-W0

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulsyng

Josh Lowman founded Gold Front, an agency that’s helped major players like Stripe, Uber, and Clari carve out new market categories. Josh and his team focus on business strategy, positioning, and brand design, working with top CEOs, founders, and CMOs who want to be different in their industries.

But that’s not all. Josh is also passionate about sharing his insights for free through his newsletter, LinkedIn, and live workshops. When he’s not shaping the future of tech brands, you can find him hanging out with his daughters or rooting for the Detroit Lions—a test of loyalty if there ever was one!

DOTS PODCAST ON ALL PLATFORMS

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJhdYWtEVH6R9lX2exP_8ni9YGKNTZ1b8&si=4s69nrKCahy5vQ5O

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2z0Vgy7eNR6XSk3M0uSugp?si=eb5369dea4314099 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dots-podcast-of-paul-syng/id1557392269  

Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng

READ PLATONIC BLOG

https://paulsyng.com/blog/

NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE? 

https://paulsyng.com

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng:

https://x.com/paulsyng

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/

Guest, Josh Lowman:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshlowman/

Gold Front | Apex - Case Study

https://www.goldfront.com/work/real-performance-apex

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome Josh Lowman

02:38 How Josh created Gold Front (A category design studio)

11:53 Connecting the dots from strategy to execution

22:14 Category vs 'Brand' and why words you use matter

29:55 Positioning in category strategy

36:27 One thing that drives Josh about Gold Front

40:11 Apex case study

44:25 Working with founders and CEOs

50:07 3001 Questions all about me

Dann Petty is a renowned freelance designer and entrepreneur, widely recognized in the design and tech industries for his expertise in UI/UX design. He is the founder of Epicurrence, an innovative event blending creative discussions with outdoor activities, aimed at fostering community and inspiration among designers. Known for his advocacy of freelance work and remote lifestyles, Petty shares insights and experiences to help others succeed in the freelance world. His career includes collaborations with various startups and major companies, where he has left a significant mark with his user-centric design approach. Petty is also a public speaker and mentor, sharing his knowledge at design conferences and through online platforms. His influence extends across social media, where he actively engages with the design community, offering mentorship and insights into his creative process. SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng Guest, Dann Petty: https://twitter.com/DannPetty EPISODE LINKS Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG Joe Stewart on design doing https://youtu.be/MOrWV-LOwUY?si=a39gU1TGinlpc_Fy CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Who is Dann Petty? 00:01:08 How we know each other 00:03:32 The power of asking questions 00:08:22 Overcoming rejection 00:10:05 The unexpected shy kid 00:15:26 Dann, the cartoonist 00:16:57 Why Dann loves teaching 00:20:49 Role of teachers in stifling or nurturing creativity 00:28:58 Finding mentors and leaning in 00:33:26 How Dann became a designer 00:43:47 How to be self-taught without structure 00:48:15 Great vs average creative folks (do vs think) 00:55:21 Joe Stewart on design doing vs design thinking 01:09:17 How Dann got hired at Medium 01:20:00 Dann's Y-Combinator story 01:26:05 What Dann learned from his adventures in SF 01:31:04 Role of creative / designer today 01:37:27 Putting yourself out there (fear of rejection) 01:40:36 Going where the clients are 01:45:27 What is on Dann's plate today 01:47:34 Final words from Dann 01:49:40 Closing remarks and farewell

Tom's work focuses on long-term strategic visioning and implementation, executive management, board management, team building, stakeholder relations, storytelling in digital media, and government relations. He is a proud human rights advocate, an experienced consultant, and formerly a journalist and entrepreneur. At the Arctic Research Foundation, Tom develops and implements long-term strategy, oversees hiring, budgeting, communications and the management of relationships with community, government, corporate and university partners; seven research vessels; five renewable-powered Arctic-hardened laboratories; and ARF's ArcticFocus website and Arctic Research Database. As a Senior Political Consultant, Tom led the federal Green Party's Rapid Response Team in the 2018 federal election and advised Annamie Paul during her successful campaign for GPC leadership. Tom was also Director of News and Digital at VICE Canada, an editor at the Toronto Star, and a reporter at Maclean's Magazine.  He also worked as the Executive Director of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, which protects the right to free expression in Canada and worldwide. Originally from New Brunswick, Tom has consulted on and helped pass crucial legislation in Canada and Ontario. This includes reforming Bill C-51, successfully lobbying for Canada’s first Press Shield Law, and passing Ontario’s anti-SLAPP legislation. He helped fight against a major crackdown on the free press in Croatia, a fight which had a major part in the formation of a new, democratically elected government. Tom has successfully advocated for the release of jailed journalists worldwide and has facilitated the disbursement of dozens of life-saving grants to journalists in distress throughout the globe.  As a journalist, Tom covered everything from food insecurity, resource extraction, serial killers, and the Toronto International Film Festival. He’s also launched numerous digital and print products, including Canada’s first national Web TV program, Macleans: TV, and the Toronto Star’s Small Business Section and Star Business Club. A former videographer and small business owner, Tom has also designed, patented and licenced innovative products for shooting video with digital SLRs. SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/paulsyng⁠⁠ Guest, Tom Henheffer: ⁠https://www.arcticfocus.org/⁠ EPISODE LINKS Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: ⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG⁠⁠ 00:00:00 Who is Tom Henheffer 00:03:48 Tom's career in journalism 00:07:44 Decline of journalism 00:15:30 The business of journalism 00:24:01 Canadian media and social media 00:28:17 What is the Artic Research Foundation? 00:39:29 Blackberry CEO Jim 00:41:11 Politics and planet 00:49:44 Procurement and the planet 00:53:44 How to get involved with ARF 00:58:15 3001 Questions all about me

Also on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OELmw4QSRfY

Isha is a Transformation and Change Management Coach with extensive experience in introducing change and driving adoption with people. She is skilled at structured design and implementation of large-scale complex change initiatives while focusing on a smooth transition from the current state to the target state by providing thought leadership, coaching and training. Outside of work, she is a loving daughter, mom and wife who enjoys spending time with her family. She likes to meditate and focus on holistic health in her quiet time.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Isha Singh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishasingh-5221/

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

Watch on Youtube 

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Galaxies and spirituality

(10:57) How do we know each other

(14:50) Memories and lessons learned from college

(19:32) Boeing 777 campaign story

(24:03) Isha’s current role as a transformation coach

(25:10) Understanding macro and micro, connecting strategy with initiatives

(28:22) How and when do transformation coaches get involved

(32:26) How to get buy-in at the leadership level

(38:46) Understanding and knowing incentives that drive behaviour

(43:16) Advice on how to navigate a dysfunctional organization

(59:12) High five diffusion in management consulting

(01:02:12) Cognitive empathy, speaking in grade eight language and asking stupid questions

(01:17:10) Isha’s backstory, early years and influences

(01:33:12) Radical candour, self-awareness and cultural differences

(01:51:57) Who moved my cheese

(02:04:04) Learning zone and growth mindset

(02:05:02) How coaches and SMEs help leadership navigate a dysfunctional org

(02:13:30) Tactical steps leadership can take to address dysfunction and get alignment

(02:23:29) 3001 questions all about me

(02:24:46) Final words and close

Talica's sales career has spanned over two decades. She has expertise in selling products and services ranging from high-end apparel, investment management, high ticket coaching programs and consulting services. She has led business development and revenue growth strategies for top-performing wealth advisory teams and run sales departments for start-ups and established entrepreneurs.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Talica Davies: talicadavies.com

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Who is Talica Davies

(03:39) Closing $750,000,000 in sales

(05:23) Lessons from closing 9-figure deals for individuals

(10:22) How to become the person that closes 9-figure deals

(13:05) Discomfort and uncertainty in sales vs regular 9-5 folks

(16:20) What advice would Talica give to her younger self

(19:17) How to care about and believe in what you’re selling

(24:24) How to step into the shoes of your customer or client

(27:27) Language vs intelligence 

(29:59) What is sales?

(33:23) Onboarding: Training, scripts and frameworks 

(38:18) The power of questions

(40:24) How to start your coaching business without a website

(47:05) Warm vs cold lead. Doing outreach right

(52:18) How to build an offer

(56:16) Pricing: common mistakes

(58:28) Reframing: what you’re selling vs what they are buying 

(01:07:24) Sales 101: Presenting your compelling offer 

(01:13:24) What are buying signals and how to look for them

(01:18:09) Asking for money 

(01:22:50) How to control the sales conversation without being needy

(01:28:37) Summary and 3001 Questions

(01:33:35) Final words from Talica

Jen was a full-cycle Enterprise Sales rep for 18 years. As a seller who made every mistake in the book, she believes sellers don’t need to be motivated; she feels they need to be empowered. 

Jen teaches the strategies and tactics to earn buyer attention and trust. She has sold $50M+ to C-level Sales, Marketing, and Strategy executives while at Corporate Executive Board, Gartner, and Challenger Inc. (the company behind The Challenger Sale). Jen was a Relationship Builder who learned to sell like a Challenger.

Jen has hosted the Winning the Challenger Sale podcast (growing the audience from 2k to 20k listeners per month) and created the role of Chief Evangelist at Challenger. This Is when she fell in love with speaking at SKOs to help Sales and marketing teams rethink their beliefs and assumptions about how to earn buyer attention and trust and defeat the status quo.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Jen Allen-Knuth (aka DemandJen): https://demandjen.com/

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Warming up and stretching

02:14 Who is Jen, and why she can't stop rescuing animals

03:49 Jen is not your guru (*wink Tony Robbins)

06:10 Lead Gen (Sales 101 with email and social)

09:04 How to know your client's problems

12:33 How to write a crispy email

15:25 Who do you email at a company?

18:04 Don't make this rookie mistake

19:47 Showing up like a boss to the first booked meeting

22:42 How to compound your upfront research by getting curious

24:17 Jen's LinkedIn strategy

27:09 Knowing your client's priorities

28:54 How to show up on social media

31:36 Another reason why you should be personable online

32:36 Bite-sized summary by Paul

33:15 Wisdomous last words by Jen

33:48 Josh Braun fan club

34:21 3001 questions all about me

36:04 Closing remarks

Jessica Guzik is a Senior Brand Lead at Shopify in Berlin, Germany. She has over 5 years of experience in digital and brand marketing. She is also a licensed attorney. She has experience coaching teams, establishing partnerships and leveraging relationships with international and remote teams to drive brand awareness. She has also led creative teams and has experience in video marketing and social media management for Oberlo. Prior to joining Shopify, she has worked as a consultant, a dinner party host, a manager for strategic partnerships and events, an associate director for strategic content, and a judicial law clerk. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Classics from University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor degree from Washington and Lee University.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Jessica Guzik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaguzik/

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

Jessica’s Oberlo YouTube videos 

https://youtu.be/w1j0bdLlAkY

https://youtu.be/H-BhkIteerc

https://youtu.be/jfwUsQ2Y1lg

Jessica’s book: Let's Take Berlin: Essays on Expat Life

https://a.co/d/aLZoFKl

Book Recommendations

Crucial Conversations: https://a.co/d/7DjyYUS

How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen https://a.co/d/3ZjWPjU

Inspiration

Colin & Samir: https://www.youtube.com/@ColinandSamir

Neil Patel: https://twitter.com/neilpatel

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Theme of the conversation

(02:22) How we know each other

(05:59) Jessica’s life before Berlin: Writing, co-living & feeling lost

(12:05) Only looking back the Dots connect: From law to YouTube

(17:48) How Jessica got into practicing law

(20:15) Lessons and takeaways from law

(21:30) The master curator: organizing house parties and dinners

(25:39) Why Jessica organized events 

(33:14) Staring into the eyes of a person or a screen (lost skills)

(41:50) Loneliness and dealing with it at different stages

(49:00) Getting a job at Shopify: Tips on standing out to get hired

(55:33) Jealousy and how Jessica wrote a book about Berlin 

(01:01:30) Do this one thing and the hiring manager will hire you on the spot

(01:06:38) Initial days at Shopify

(01:11:45) Advice for YouTubers on how to grow fast (Oberlo lady tells all)

(01:20:24) Life beyond fame and being on camera

(01:25:45) Babies, mat leave around the world (going down the rabbit hole)

(01:29:18) Fun story about Berlin and Mayonnaise 

(01:34:24) Leadership, difficult conversations and giving feedback

(01:49:29) 2 great books on communication for adults and kids

(01:54:40) Closing remarks and thoughts

(01:58:24) 3001 Questions All About Me

(02:01:21) Jessica’s message to the audience

(02:02:46) Bonus question

Cecilia Ambros is a trained fine artist who has seamlessly transitioned from painting with colours and digital designs to "painting with data." Leveraging a versatile skill set, Cecilia embraces the challenge of learning new domains, thriving even without initial subject matter expertise. Her remarkable career has led her through unexpected opportunities, including roles at prestigious companies such as banks and Amazon.

DOTS PODCAST ON ALL PLATFORMS

YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJhdYWtEVH6R9lX2exP_8ni9YGKNTZ1b8&si=4s69nrKCahy5vQ5O⁠

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2z0Vgy7eNR6XSk3M0uSugp?si=eb5369dea4314099⁠

Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dots-podcast-of-paul-syng/id1557392269⁠

Podcasters: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng⁠

READ PLATONIC BLOG

⁠https://paulsyng.com/blog/⁠

NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE?

⁠https://paulsyng.com⁠

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng:

⁠https://x.com/paulsyng⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/⁠

Guest, Cecilia Ambros:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/conceptualthinking/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Small studio grew; pursued MBA for job.

05:36 Missing two MBA classes; career shifts rapidly.

12:18 Differences in design approach: Nike, Amazon, Loblaws.

17:32 Observing brand adaptation, design validation differs greatly.

26:16 Nike tested gear innovations with University of Oregon.

32:21 Man's intellect challenged value of product branding.

36:50 Navigating creative differences between brands and agencies.

42:42 Nike nurtures curiosity, aligning designers across disciplines.

46:43 Understanding athlete rigor enhances design inspiration.

53:02 Nike's coaching philosophy shaped my leadership journey.

58:26 Impressed by leaders’ rapid document understanding skills.

01:03:51 Evolving client relationships through digital transformation.

01:08:33 Nike, Amazon, and Chase share service values.

01:12:28 Shattered ankle, long recovery, first hospital experience.

Anchal is a Certified Somatic Sexologist from the Institute of Somatic Sexology, Australia.

In addition to this, she is also a certified counsellor and Art Based Therapist and provides emotional support at sex and intimacy festivals all around the world.

Her mission is to support individuals and couples (of all genders and relational styles) to become an authority over their bodies and pleasure.

Using somatic embodiment tools, she guides you to develop a deeper connection with your body and sexuality, assisting you to let go of shame, conditioning and unhelpful patterns and open to more pleasure, purpose and choice.

She leads with an open heart & facilitates with knowledge, integrity, & wisdom.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Anchal Kaushal on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/anchal-kaushal-1482a61

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/integratedsexuality/

Calendly: https://calendly.com/anchal-integratedsexuality/somatic-inquiry

1st book recommendation: https://a.co/d/0tdNnq7

2nd book recommendation: ⁠https://a.co/d/bgi0bOT⁠

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

CHAPTERS

(00:00) What is a Somatic Sexologist

(10:11) Early career as an Art Director working in an agency

(12:39) Relationships, sexuality and story of anguish 

(21:34) The Birds and the Bees: society, family, talking taboo subjects

(34:56) Focus of society on the internal vs the external world 

(38:48) Watching blue films (and their impact on thinking and beliefs)

(43:03) First-time encounters were pretty bad (we’ve all been there)

(47:55) Sharing your desires and listening to your body

(54:53) How males and females use sex (selection, attraction and scripts)

(01:10:20) With great power comes great responsibility (+intrinsic vs extrinsic)

(01:15:14) Daddy or mommy issues 

(01:17:37) Anchal shares observations and common questions people ask

(01:34:56) How selection criteria vary for a short-term vs long-term mate

(01:37:32) The role of the head, heart and gut (awareness exercise)

(01:45:43) What fetishes, kinks and preferences say about us

(01:50:15) How and where to start your somatic journey (recommendations)

(01:53:58) Concluding notes and final thoughts

Paul helps Sales and Service leaders implement SwitchGear Operating Systems.

These systems have had a significant impact.

- Sales Acceleration System: $100M revenue growth

- LEAD System: $34M added to bottom-line

- Trusted Advisor System: Increased customer loyalty

- 750+ leaders graduated from programs

- 14,000+ frontline employees impacted

DOTS PODCAST ON ALL OTHER PLATFORMS

Spotify, Apple, & more: ⁠

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng

READ PLATONIC BLOG

https://paulsyng.com/blog/

NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE?

https://paulsyng.com

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng:

https://x.com/paulsyng

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/

Guest, Paul Hicks:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wphicks/

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 Who is Paul Hicks?

00:06:03 Role of feedback and having a mentor

00:13:12 Distinction between mentors and coaches

00:15:42 Memborable coaching moments

00:26:02 Common mistakes sales leaders make

00:54:13 Asking questions as your superpower

01:05:11 Doubling valuation by articulating the problem

01:21:15 Helping front-line workers navigate through the pandemic

01:45:04 Early stages of AI being implemented in sales

02:02:30 How do you navigate and prepare for AI at work?

02:11:22 How to build rapport on a sales call?

02:15:35 What sales leaders need to do right away

02:23:53 What did the CSO say to the CMO?

02:29:22 3001 questions all about me

02:30:20 Final words and closing remarks

Erik Host-Steen is an expert in sales, marketing, and product development who helps business leaders improve their revenue trajectory and satisfaction at work. He has cross-functional leadership skills and specializes in sales processes, funnel management, strategic marketing, product management, business development, and digital transformation. He has expertise in water, environmental monitoring, specialty materials, measurement systems, process control instrumentation, IoT, wind energy, wind turbines, and drones.

_

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Erik. Host-Steen:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikhoststeen/

_

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

↓

Fix culture without fixing people

https://www.smpalignment.com/blog/2021/7/fix-culture-without-fixing-people

_

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Who is Erik Host-Steen

(05:38) Talking to the customer from their perspective vs your own

(08:47) Peanut butter, camping gear and mental models for simplifying ideas

(16:04) Fixing culture without fixing people

(22:28) NASCAR and common mistakes leaders make in designing orgs

(32:42) Why metrics, dashboards and obsession over data is pointless

(33:28) How brand and business strategy can often become dumpster terms

(38:07) Tour of duty, adaptability and employability    

(42:21) Connecting the dots between outcome hierarchy and the round canoe

(48:10) Building a house vs The blind men and the elephant

(55:01) Scenarios: How to build a culture of curiosity (order taker to advisory)

(01:04:51) Coinbase, Twitter and final thoughts from Erik and Paul

(01:11:36) 3001 Questions All About Me

(01:14:39) Closing remarks

Daniel Stillman designs conversations for a living and insists that you do, too. As an executive coach and facilitator, he works with clients of all shapes and sizes on leadership and team dynamics as well as on product and organizational innovation. He also hosts The Conversation Factory podcast (a top 100 Management Podcast) and is the author of “Good Talk: How to Design Conversations that Matter” a handbook for changemakers and innovators.

Daniel has worked with Fortune 500 organizations like Accenture, Cisco, Google and Visa and non-profits and government agencies like The Institute of International Education, UNICEF and The NYC Public School Innovation Lab to help them put people at the center of change.

Daniel has a BS in Physics from the City College of New York and a Masters in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He lives in Harlem with his wife and a grumpy black cat.

_

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

👉🏼 Guest, Daniel Stillman:

Podcast: https://theconversationfactory.com/listen

Book: https://theconversationfactory.com/good-talk

Personal Site: https://www.danielstillman.com/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielstillman/

Connect on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dastillman

_

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

Listening Triangle

Making Conversations

Mastering Virtual Presence

Power of Leader Humility

Sales Metaphor

Problem Framing

Indigenous Thinking

_

BOOKS

Humble Inquiry: Link

Helping: Link

_

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Meeting at a bar in New York and the story behind the book, Good Talk

(04:21) Who is Daniel Stillman?

(10:51) The art of communication as a critical skill

(17:21) Conversations in our head to complex conversations

(28:44) Perspective-taking, biases and uncovering the true challenge

(35:41) Deep listening, frameworks and mental models

(46:22) Expert listening, coaching vs advisory

(58:50) Humble inquiry, thinking partner and early conversations to build trust

(01:15:35) The client doesn’t know what they want (the abstraction ladder and Conversation OS)

(01:26:47) How to get clarity and intention when you express yourself

(01:38:32) From peer to boss. Leadership and how to handle difficult conversations

(01:48:27) Final words from Daniel

Eric Almquist has 44 years of experience in management consulting, focusing on customer strategy and marketing to help companies with their toughest management challenges. He has brought the best ideas from numerous fields to help clients better understand their customers. He created the first advanced customer analytics capability in the consulting industry, focusing on segmentation, demand modelling, brand strategy, and customer relationship management. His team pioneered the commercialization of discrete choice models, latent class analysis, and other tools, creating new customer segmentation, CRM, and in-market experimentation approaches.

As a partner in Bain & Company’s Boston office and leader of Bain’s global Customer Insights and Analytics capability, Eric has worked in various industries, including retail, consumer products, financial services, and telecommunications. He is an expert in applying advanced analytics to help companies improve their value propositions, marketing, customer experience delivery, and customer retention. He has extensive experience with new customer acquisition, brand strategy, and product/service development.

Eric has also contributed to several publications and regularly speaks on customer, demand management, and corporate brand strategies. His most recent research is on the Elements of Value, both B2C and B2B, published in the Harvard Business Review.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Eric Almquist: linkedin.com/in/eric-almquist-993898

HBR article: https://hbr.org/2016/09/the-elements-of-value

Bain & Co: https://www.bain.com/insights/the-elements-of-value-hbr/

Vermicular Pots: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=Vermicular&ref=bl_dp_s_web_0

Balmuda: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=BALMUDA

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/PAULSYNG

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Welcome to episode 11, Eric’s origin story

(06:41) Applying to a blind AD, first job

(08:52) Early days at Lippincott, growing it into a behemoth 

(18:37) Statistics, the average person and big data

(26:48) OpenAI, language models and data (Have a POV)

(36:08) What Dyson, Vermicular (high-end rice cookers) and the iPod have in common

(41:59) Origins of The Elements of Value, NPS (Net Promoter Score) & HBR article

(55:32) Using TEoV to build empathy and other use cases

(58:17) Using TEoV in a sales cycle to understand the buyers (B2C vs B2B)

(01:09:59) TEoV is perfect for positioning work (brand strategy)

(01:22:15) Having meaningful conversations and measuring buyer sentiment

(01:31:39) The biggest misconception about The Elements of Value 

(01:38:02) Summary and concluding thoughts

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulsyng

Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/XEUCP_BuJp8

Karan is a Sr. Product Manager (External Ecosystem group) at TD Bank with a focus on Digital Identity. He is an Ex Management Consultant who has spent the last 10 years in Banking in Canada with exposure to Mid-Market Lending, Personal Banking, Product Management and Innovation.

SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng: https://linktr.ee/paulsyng

Guest, Karan Puri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karan-puri-0342039  

EPISODE LINKS

Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: https://anchor.fm/paulsyng

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Karan’s backstory (India)

(09:40) Dreams of becoming a fighter jet pilot

(13:00) Suiting up, long walks, reading books and mental health

(19:45) First interview and introduction to media planning

(22:50) Client presentation and being coached by inspirational leaders

(28:53) Work culture, making mistakes and feeling safe

(36:51) Being a generalist and following your curiosity

(39:09) Lacoste shocker and Nielsen data (inside joke)

(48:20) People don’t know what they want

(51:49) Being a visible minority in India and Canada

(57:02) Building resilience and work-life balance

(01:05:51) Leaders vs managers (vision and focus on outcomes)

(01:08:05) Radical candour and giving feedback (India vs Canada)

(01:16:35) Working at the bank (the first 6 years)

(01:37:53) Present role at the bank (External Ecosystems group)

(01:45:20) Key learnings (marketing, product mindset, business case)

(01:52:00) Digital identity, fintech and bringing perspective

(02:02:20) Important lessons and cultural differences (India to Canada)

Steve Patti is a seasoned marketing strategist specializing in helping B2B companies align their marketing efforts with how their Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) really buy. He excels in three core areas:

1. Aligning marketing strategy with genuine buyer behaviour by integrating brand, demand, and customer expansion, while debunking common marketing myths like fake funnels and false intent signals.

2. Centering ICPs in content strategies by involving them as expert guests and contributors, thereby boosting content credibility, distribution, and engagement.

3. Accelerating the development of first-time CMOs, guiding them to quickly and effectively take on leadership roles.

Steve's extensive experience spans across both B2B and B2C sectors, including cloud hosting, SaaS, telecom, banking, and augmented reality. He has held leadership roles as a $20MM Founder/CEO, agency VP, and startup advisor, and serves as an adjunct professor of Entrepreneurship & Marketing. Clients praise Steve for his no-nonsense, actionable advice that brings clarity and focus to their marketing strategies.

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SPEAKER LINKS

Host, Paul Syng:

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/

Guest, Steve Patti:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepatti/

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 Hello, Steve Patti

00:04:27 Getting the fundamentals right (Marketing 101)

00:11:02 Three reasons marketing and sales folks are at odds with each other

00:18:35 Organizing teams and resources around the customer

00:28:56 Everyone must get on customer calls

00:34:04 How to deprogram demand gen cults

00:48:37 Why marketers need to use Elon Musk's playbook

00:53:40 On growth mindset

00:59:16 Summarizing the key points

01:02:03 3001 Questions all about me

01:04:13 Closing remarks

Follow me on Twitter: @paulsyng

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