Brands, Beats & Bytes

REMIX: Album 2 Track 21 – Dr. Sydney Seiger, CMO of Vistra Energy 
Hey Brand Nerds! We have another very special guest in our virtual house today and yes our first Doctor!  Sydney earned undergrad, Masters degrees and then a PhD all at Baylor University with her PhD in Applied Social Psychology with an emphasis in quantitative research and advanced analytics.  Sydney is a great listener and so genuine.  Here are some of the wonderful highlights from our conversation:  

• Be thoughtful and strategic before initiating action
• Market research/analytics is a great pathway to the CMO role
• Be open to finding and listening to great mentors (shout out to Dan Valentine and Julie Cary)
• Demonstrate honesty and candor and if you can, do it diplomatically
• Be genuine to who you are and fully leverage that in career and life
• As a marketer, you create value for people that brings you trust,  loyalty and ultimately more value to the company
• Brand purpose is essential foundation for marketing success
• Create emotional connections in otherwise rational category 
• Want customer to feel Supported, assured and worry free
• In marketing department, strive for build a “resume” culture
• Create team environment that is safe and inclusive 
• Diversity is demographic and inclusivity is psychographic

Lastly, we really do appreciate Sydney being an integral part of our conversation involving race.  We think these kind of conversations with Black and White people sharing personal tribulations need to happen and actually don’t have to be difficult, just candid with ears wide open. 

Here are the links to the article and Ted Talk Sydney referenced in the podcast:
Lori Hutcherson article
Ted Talk by Verna Myers 

#sydneyseiger #marketing #branding #thecmoclub # thecmoclubsummit #vistraenergy #fightracism #blacklivesmatter

REMIX: Album 3 Track 9 – Melissa Proctor, CMO of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, author of “From Ball Girl to CMO” previously marketing exec for Turner Broadcasting and first female ballgirl/team attendant for the Miami Heat.

Hey Brand Nerds! Back at it here with a fantastic guest who has lived authentically and blazed her own incredibly successful path from her high school days through the present.  Lots to learn from Melissa weaved into great stories including these highlights:  

• Life comes before work and is your authentic self, always
• Grit, hustle, persistence, initiative
• Treat everybody with love no matter their station
• Find a great mentor who becomes a friendtor 
• In the darkness, there are silver linings 

And oh, by the way, Melissa and her team have secured our own DC as an Atlanta Hawks season ticket holder!

#atlantahawks #statefarmarena #branding #turnerbroadcasting # nba #marketing #powerpuffgirls 

Album 4 Track 7 – Larry Kahn, Media Strategist and Forecaster

Hey Brand Nerds! We are joined by a friend, colleague, and data storytelling specialist in the virtual building, Larry Kahn. Formerly with NBC Sports, now a consultant for Datanautix. Larry is using AI and Big Data to analyze customers' own words after years of crunching numbers. including a fan feedback model unlike any you've heard of before. He is bringing us wisdom from his career journey through time spent in the radio industry, with Golf Channel, giving back to his local community through Harvard Alumni Association’s Early College Awareness program, and more. 

Join our insightful conversation that is going to make you think, laugh, and reconsider the ways you can speak quickly and honestly with your target markets.

Key Takeaways: 

• Research can be referred to as various things, but should be focused on data storytelling rooted in the purpose of monetizing content.
• There is a great benefit to listening more than always speaking
• Let's talk about the importance of silence. 
• As LK's wife Amy says, "Go find something you like to do with people you like to do it with."

 
NOTES:
Learn more about Datanautix
Datanautix provides instant fan feedback for The Harlem Globetrotters
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Oren Katzeff's Podcast, mentioned by DC

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Album 4 Track 6 – Derek Osgood, Founder and CEO, Ignition

Hey Brand Nerds! Join us in our virtual house as we chat with Derek Osgood, who brings over a decade of knowledge from leading and scaling marketing teams at brands like Playstation, BBVA, and Rippling. He has launched over 100 products working as a Product Marketer that have collectively generated over $1B in revenue. 

Derek shows us the importance of connecting the dots, internal marketing as much as external, and the joys of admiring a brand as a child and growing up to work for the same brand in innovative and successful ways. 

Key Takeaways: 

• As a marketer, if you aren't failing you may want to ask yourself if you're taking big enough risks.
• Marketing must have a 360 view of what is going on in both your company and the world to maximize your chances of success
• Don't get caught up in the hype of marketing and forget the importance of understanding the fundamentals of marketing

NOTES:
Learn more about Derek's company, Ignition
View the animated short, The Park Bench presented by Aflac 
View Rippling's Poem in Response to Gusto's Cease & Desist here

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Album 4 Track 5 – Dan Fachner, President & CEO at J&J Snack Foods Corp (ICEE, Super Pretzel, Whole Fruit, Dogster, etc.)

Hey Brand Nerds! We have a special guest in our virtual house today, one-of-a-kind President and CEO Dan Fachner.

Dan is our first guest who has been with one company throughout his entire career. He joins us with golden nuggets of knowledge that he's learned from his starting days as a service technician all the way through to becoming President and CEO. 

A client of BPD who has turned into a great friend of the partners, and when you listen to today's show you'll understand why/how. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Listening will take you farther than speaking - if you do both right.
• Lead with curiosity in your work, to not only see the things others can't but also to see things differently to inspire innovation in your brand
• Are you operating in your career with intentionality? 
• It's important to make sure you're confidential when you need to be...and not leave your potential client a voicemail with your behind-the-scenes negotiation tactics (yikes - definitely a story you don't want to miss) 

Album 4 Track 4 – Dante Simpson, Co-Founder at ESPAT | TNJ 40 Under 40 | TEDx

Hey Brand Nerds! We are rounding out Black History Month with another extraordinary Black leader in the marketing, brand, and tech space.
Today we are chatting with Dante Simpson who has had a career as vibrant and extraordinary as he is. From his time playing football at THE Ohio State University to his experiences in fashion, health, and sports - gems are dropped. You'll leave inspired, perplexed, and ready to take on your next career move knowing that there is not one traditional path in the marketing industry. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Not every career is linear, with the right skill set, you can be successful in various industries 
• Marketing and branding (when done right) are a force that brings people together. If we say, "my bologna has a first name..." - we all gather to finish the jingle
• Dante creates space for those that are to come behind him and this shows up in the multiple stories Dante shares
• Last but not least, as Black Enterprise said it best, "if you don't know Dante Simpson, you need to."

Album 4 Track 3 – Jeff Shirley, Managing Partner, Brand Positioning Doctors

Hey Brand Nerds! We have a special guest in the literal house for Black History Month, our own Jeff Shirley! 
You may know Jeff as mentioned in a few shows as not only a Managing Partner alongside our hosts, DC & LT, but he also is behind the scenes as a producer of this podcast! 
Jeff is finally taking a step out from behind the scenes and in front of the mic where he is dropping not only gems that are new to you, Brand Nerds, but also to his close best friends, DC and LT. 

As we continue to elevate amazing Black leaders in the marketing space this month, we are excited for you to (finally) meet Jeff Shirley! 

Key Takeaways: 

• Understanding the organizational culture of the company you work for can make the biggest difference (both for your enjoyment and financial)
• Being surrounded by great people who push you to grow is a must in your career
• Marketing has power, whether you are creating it or consuming it
• BOOK: EMPOWERING YOURSELF: THE ORGANIZATIONAL GAME REVEALED

Black History Month Remix - Since we last met with Ryan he has continued to become a primary innovator and leader in the Esports space, with recent partnerships with Nike & House of Hoops by Foot Locker, XBox, Microsoft and more! As we look at leaders in the Black community, we are excited to bring Ryan back for all the Brand Nerds out there! 
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Album 3 Track 4 – Ryan Johnson, Founder @ Cxmmunity & HBCU Esports League, an organization committed to delivering and supporting Esports and gamers throughout the ecosystem, most prominently with underserved communities.    

Hey Brand Nerds! In Ryan, we have a genuine subject matter expert to really break down the force of Esports and how it fits within the entire electronic gaming category.  Ryan shares excellent insights and stories helping experts and novices alike navigate this ever-evolving and burgeoning area.  As a young African-American entrepreneur, Ryan also shares his story and how in a very short period of time, he has set up Cxmmunity and himself for genuine success going forward. ENJOY!

Album 4 Track 2 – Kevin Knight, Owner, K Group LTD

Hey Brand Nerds! For Black History Month, we have committed to bringing you Black innovators and leaders in the marketing, brand, and tech space. 
We are excited to bring you Kevin Knight, a man of both incredible career experiences and also inspiring Rennasaince character. 

Key Takeaways: 

• The importance of having people around you that encourage and inspire you to be all you can be
• Change doesn't have to be done all at once, sometimes big change comes from one simple change
• There can be great power in prioritizing human connection and relationships in the midst of your daily hustle & bustle

Album 4 Track 1 – Phil Colon, Chief Impact Officer, Project 2050

Hey Brand Nerds! We are back for our fourth season/album of Brands, Beats, & Bytes. 
We are starting the year and new album with one of DC's close friends, dropping jewels you don't want to miss. 
Phil Colón brings his experience of uplifting the LatinX community with socially conscious strategy and innovative thinking.

A few takeaways: 

• When you are an innovator in every space you are in, you may be a brand psychic 
• What glitters is not always gold
• Doing it all is not always the best way. Slow down to speed up.
• What's Poppin' - NBC Universal's Peacock TPlus, NFTs, and Fashion Brands of Today