This week Bill and I are joined by Scott Mager, CMO of Deloitte U.S. to mix something up - ostensibly some Margarita riffs, though Scott had his own ideas - and talk about the world of consulting and systems integration and how all that is evolving in the face of AI.

Scott is now CMO of Deloitte U.S., but brings a deep background in commerce and digital experience to our conversation, having led these practices at Deloitte for many years before moving into marketing leadership in 2022.

Bill and I have both known Scott for many years, and wanted to reconnect and pick his brain on how the world of consulting is changing with Generative AI, agents, and agentic systems.

Please pour yourself something to sip along and enjoy this fascinating conversation with Scott.

¡Salud!

Episode Chapters:

* Rosalita vs. Ranch Water, plus a bit of the history of Amaro Montenegro

* Hey Kai, understanding Deloitte and consulting

* The evolution of consulting in the face of changing customer challenges

* The impact of AI on consulting, and the evolving role of consultants in the AI era

* Deloitte's investment in agents - blurring the lines between product and service

* The key tactics Scott focuses on as CMO of Deloitte

* Marketing strategies for services firms competing in today’s market

* The future of consulting: Predictions and insights

* Personal passions: Cycling and running

* The next cocktail…

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This week’s cocktail: The Rosalita

The Rosalita is best summed up as a thoughtful riff on the classic Tommy’s Margarita we featured in the podcast episode with Vickie Cantrell.

Created in 2015 by Dylan O’Brien at Prizefighter in Emeryville, California, this variation on the Tommy takes the clean, agave-forward foundation of Julio Bermejo’s now-iconic Tommy’s Margarita and veers it gently into bittersweet terrain. By introducing Amaro Montenegro into the mix - alongside the classic trio of tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup - O’Brien layered in a soft, herbal complexity that transforms the Margarita’s sunny brightness into something more dusky and contemplative. Its name is borrowed from the Springsteen anthem by the same name, adds a touch of swagger and romance to the glass.

Where the Tommy’s Margarita is a balance of sharp citrus and agave sweetness - the Rosalita is a cocktail that lingers a bit more on the tongue. Montenegro adds subtle orange peel, rose petal, and spice notes temper the lime’s acidity, drawing out the mellow warmth of reposado tequila. A dash of saline solution (a much better way to control the salt than a salted rim) emphasizes the flavors, giving the drink lift and clarity.

The Rosalita is perfect for those who love the classic Margarita but are ready to slow things down a bit and add an aperitivo twist. It feels at home in a well-worn leather chair with records spinning in the background, or clinked across a table with good friends and family over fresh guacamole.

Spec: Rosalita Cocktail

2 oz. (~60 ml) - Reposado Tequila

1/2 oz (~15 ml) - Amaro Montenegro

3/4 oz (~22.5 ml) - Fresh lime juice

3/4 oz. (~22.5 ml) - Agave syrup

1 dash - 20% saline solution (optional but encouraged, see note)

Garnish - Salted tim (optional)

Steps:

Salt the rim of a rocks glass (optional). Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice until well chilled. Strain into the glass.

Notes:

* A 20% saline solution is pretty easy to make, especially if you have a gram scale. Make 20% saline by dissolving 20 grams of salt (sodium chloride, preferably a quality sea-salt) in 80 grams of water (or 80 milliliters, since water's density is roughly 1 gram per milliliter). No need to heat it up, just stir until salt is fully dissolved. Should last indefinitely in a clean glass container.

Please share with your network and help us grow! There is plenty of room for others at the cocktail party! Thank you!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

Submit questions, topics, or comments via text or voice via our Google Voice number: +1 831-704-6665.

Be well, drink well, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

This week Bill and I are joined by Dirk Hörig, founder and CEO of commercetools. We warned Dirk that we would ply him with drinks and ask him some tough questions, and that’s just what we did. We talked about what is happening with Commercetools, the state of the market, MACH Alliance, and the advent of Agentic Commerce and what that means for commerce tech.

Dirk co-founded Commercetools in 2006, leading CT through its growth to become one of the world's leading enterprise commerce platforms. Dirk is credited by many with popularizing the concept of headless commerce and was central to the formation of the MACH Alliance.

It’s a great conversation, so please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* Amaretto Sours!

* Hey Kai, understanding Commercetools

* Dirk’s Founder Story

* A bit of “Headless History”

* State of the Commerce Platform Market - dynamics and challenges

* Future outlook and the competitive landscape

* Dirk’s POV on Shopify and Commercetools differentiation

* The rise of Agentic Commerce and what it means for commerce platforms

* The evolving role of the MACH Alliance and commerce ecosystems

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This week’s cocktail: Amaretto Sour

The Amaretto Sour is one of those cocktails that walks a tightrope between kitschy nostalgia and modern classic - but which when made right, lands squarely in the pantheon of beautifully balanced drinks. Originating from the boom of Italian liqueurs in American bars during the 1970s, the Amaretto Sour quickly became synonymous with sweet, low-proof indulgence. But the original recipe - little more than amaretto and commercial sour mix - left much to be desired. It wasn’t until bartenders began reimagining it with fresh citrus and structural support that it reclaimed its rightful place as a serious sipper.

The first thing to understand about the Amaretto Sour is that amaretto is not enough on its own. Yes, that nutty, almond-forward sweetness is lush and aromatic, but it lacks acid, backbone, and bite. Modern iterations - notably Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s influential 2012 upgrade - build in a dose of high-proof bourbon for heat and depth, fresh lemon juice for brightness, and egg white for a velvety texture that elevates the experience from cloying to captivating. Morgenthaler’s is no longer just just a party drink hungover from the 70’s, it's a balanced, full-bodied cocktail with layers of character.

Finally, it's worth noting that the Amaretto Sour is a reminder of how modern bartending is about redemption as much as innovation. Thoughtful technique and respect for ingredients can turn a dated throwback into a nostalgic, yet fresh triumph.

Amaretto Sour Cocktail Spec - Jefferey Morgenthaller variation

1 1/2 oz (~ 45 ml) - Amaretto liqueur

3/4 oz (~ 20 ml) - Bourbon (Cask-proof if available)

1 oz (~ 30 ml) - Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 teaspoon (~ 5 ml) - Rich simple syrup (2:1)

~1/2 oz (~ 15 ml) - Egg white

Garnish: Lemon twist

Garnish: 2 brandied cherries

Steps

Add amaretto, bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white to a shaker and dry-shake (no ice) for 15 seconds. Add ice and shake again until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon twist and 2 skewered brandied cherries.

Please share! There is plenty of room for others at the cocktail party! Please share with your network today. Thank you!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

Call or text your feedback or questions to our Google Voice number: +1 831-704-6665

Be well, drink well, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

This week Bill and I are joined by Scot Wingo, founder and CEO of early-stage agentic commerce start-up, ReFiBuy and the podcast and Substack Retailgentic - where he focuses on Agentic Commerce. When we wanted to focus on the topic of Agentic Commerce, we could think of no one better than Scot to come on and talk about.

Scot is a serial entrepreneur with an impressive and long background in commerce. Scot founded Channel Advisor in 2001, and later took it public in 2013. He later started Spiffy to explore digital car care services and this year he started ReFiBuy. Scot is also active in the VC community in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Besides Retailgentic, Scot co-hosts the Jason & Scot Show - a podcast with friend of Cocktails & Commerce, Jason Goldberg.

We cover a lot of agentic ground on the episode, so please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation with Scot.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* “Wake me up and F*** me up,” introducing the Espresso Martini

* Hey Kai, defining Agentic Commerce

* The Future of Agentic Shopping: Trends and Predictions

* Challenges in Payments and Transactions

* Building trust in Agentic Commerce

* Navigating the new landscape of Retail and AI

* The role of context and authority in Product Discovery

* The future of Retailer-Agent interactions

* Agentic Commerce’s impact: Winners and losers

* Monetization models in Agentic Commerce

* Transforming the marketing tech stack

* Imagining the future of Agentic Commerce

* What’s up with one ‘t’ in “Scot”?

For more on Agentic Commerce see our last C&C newsletter on Substack: Surf’s Up! The Next Wave of Commerce is Here - Amplified and Shaped by AI

Thanks for listening to Cocktails & Commerce! Subscribe to receive all our content - including industry analysis and cocktails!

This week’s cocktail: Espresso Martini

The Espresso Martini’s origin story is as sleek and irreverent as the drink itself. In the late 1980s, Dick Bradsell - then bartending at Fred’s Club in London - was cleaning up after an espresso training in the afternoon when he was approached by a young model with sunglasses on who asked for something that would, “Wake me up, and then f*** me up.”

Bradsell turned back to the espresso machine and went to work - pulling together vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur, and sugar syrup together in a shaker and created what was originally called the “Vodka Espresso.” Served in a V-shaped glass with a creamy head and three coffee beans as garnish (a nod to the traditional Italian garnish symbolizing health, wealth, and happiness), the drink quickly became a London staple. It was later rechristened the “Espresso Martini” during the ’90s martini craze, cementing its place in cocktail history.

Fast forward to today, and the Espresso Martini is having a moment. Many claim it is among the most over-rated of cocktails, but it’s popularity ensures it is everywhere there is a party brewing. The drink bridges two once disparate worlds—caffeine and spirits—and appeals equally to cocktail neophytes and seasoned enthusiasts.

On Instagram feeds, in dive bars, and at high-concept cocktail dens, the Espresso Martini has evolved from a clubbing indulgence to a canvas for mixology: think cold brew riffs, mezcal substitutions, and even non-alcoholic versions for the sober-curious.

Bradsell unfortunately left us early, but his creation didn’t just survive decades of shifting tastes—it influenced them, proving that a well-balanced drink can be both a pick-me-up and a cultural icon. For more on Bradsell and the Espresso Martini see C&C Issue No. 18

Espresso Martini Cocktail Spec

2 oz - vodka (or sub gin or tequila)

1 oz - Kahlua or other coffee liqueur

1 oz - strong, fresh, cooled espresso

1 tsp - simple syrup (optional)

Garnish - 3 coffee beans

Steps

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously until well chilled. (Dry shake optional to increase foam). Serve up in a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with the coffee beans set in the foam.

Please share! There is plenty of room for others at the cocktail party! Thank you!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

REMINDER: SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS! Call or Text our Google Voice number: +1 831-704-6665

Be well, drink well, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

This week Bill and I are joined by Maju Kuruvilla - founder and CEO of commerce AI start-up, Spangle AI. Spangle is one of a number of early stage companies that have emerged over the past year leveraging advances in Generative-AI - large language models and transformers - to impact the commerce experience and lead down a new agentic commerce path transforming both the human experience and laying the foundation for agent experience. We talk to Maju about the ways in which Generative AI unlocks personalization potential, about Spangle’s ‘ProductGPT’ and where all this is headed.

Prior to Spangle, Maju has had an impressive career spanning a range of commerce domains, most recently as CEO of Bolt - the eCommerce payments company. Prior to that, and for many years, Maju was VP & GM at Amazon where he led much of the technology build out and operations in Amazon’s fulfillment and supply chain network - including leading early, key investments Amazon made in AI to ensure accuracy, quality and performance of the fulfillment network. Now with Spangle, Maju has turned his focus to commerce experience.

With that, please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy our conversation with Maju!

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* Introducing our GingerGPT NA cocktail!

* Hey Kai, Understanding Spangle and the problem it solves

* The founding story of Spangle

* Why personalization has largely failed in the past & what’s different now

* The role of AI in eCommerce

* What is Spangle’s ProductGPT? How was it built & trained?

* The future of Agentic Commerce

* Asking for a friend… Could AI disrupt Amazon?

* The future of commerce tech stacks

* Bridging legacy systems with AI innovation

* Envisioning the future of consumer experience

Please subscribe to our Substack! Its free, we don’t share email addresses with anyone, and we want to be sure you don’t miss any of our content! Cheers!

This week’s cocktail is a Mocktail - GingerGPT

This week’s non-alcoholic cocktail is a C&C original. As we describe at the top of the pod, we took some NA “bourbon” and mixed it in equal parts with some ginger-forward NA “botanicals” (think liqueur or bitters) from a maker called Tennysøn, added some simple syrup and boom! Add a bit of plain sparkling mineral water and you have something very refreshing if the bite of the ginger and spice of the NA bourbon is too much for the palette.

Tennysøn is something we would also suggest could be used in an alcoholic cocktail as well to bring some kick. We encourage you to check it out.

GingerGPT NA Cocktail Spec

1 oz - Free Spirits NA Bourbon

1 oz - Tennysøn Black Ginger NA “Liquid Botanicals”

½ oz - Simple syrup (1:1)

Garnish - Orange twist

Optional - Sparkling Mineral Water to taste

Steps

Add all ingredients to a cocktail mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 30 seconds. Serve up or in a rocks glass over a large ice cube/rock (or regular ice if not available). Express oils from the twist and garnish. Optional: add sparkling mineral water to taste.

Shout out to one of the best NA Bottle Shops! And they ship!

If you are in Seattle, check out NA Bottle Shop Cheeky & Dry in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood and tell them Cocktails & Commerce sent ya! Kristin is great about offering tastings and works hard to carry stuff you will not find easily as mass-market retailers. They also ship to most locations in the U.S.!

Help us grow! Please share! There is plenty of room for others at the cocktail party!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

Be well, be safe, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

This week Bill and I are joined by Bobby Morrison, Chief Revenue Officer at Shopify

We invited Bobby on the show to respond to our recent article on Shopify, and talk about a number of things we shared there. Bobby goes deep, sharing insights into their momentum to the enterprise commerce platform market and their ambitions moving forward - in both product & GTM. If you partner with, work with, or compete against Shopify you are going to get a lot out of this conversation.

Bobby has been Chief Revenue Officer at Shopify since August of 2022 - leading the Commercial team at a company that needs no introduction. Prior to that Bobby held a number of senior roles in technology and software including CRO at Intuit, VP over SMB and corporate markets at Microsoft, and a long stint at Verizon where he rose to President and leadership over digital operations.

We cover a lot of ground here with Bobby, so settle in, pour yourself something to sip along with us, and enjoy the conversation.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* Mocktail chat and the rise of NA Spirits and modifiers

* Hey Kai, understanding Shopify

* Shopify's focus on enterprise market

* Shopify's expansion into new verticals

* Shopify in B2B

* Shopify’s commitment to partners: Opportunities and strategies

* The evolution of ShopPay and Merchant Services

* Purity of purpose in Product Development

* Navigating tariffs and market disruptions

* The Future of Digital Commerce and AI’s impact

* Personal insights and closing thoughts

Thanks for reading Cocktails & Commerce! Please subscribe! We want to be sure you make it to the next party! Cheers!

This week… a Mocktail - NA Boulevardier & Negroni

Right before we recorded this episode we made a last minute pivot from a boozy Mezcal cocktail to a mocktail, “making good decisions” early in the afternoon and in the middle of busy work and family schedules.

As we’ve shared before, our attitude on mocktails has evolved significantly over the last few years as we too cut down on our alcohol consumption. It’s great to be able to enjoy something without downside, or to ensure everyone feels welcome when you have friends or family over. Its been wonderful to see such an explosion of the NA category, making “drinking NA” more accessible and available. Making mocktails in the past often meant planning ahead and essentially cooking - making syrups and infusions to then mix with. Today, many NA products are now on the market and can sit alongside and within the mixology toolkit (aka, the bar) - providing a palette of great products to mix with when ever the desire or need arrises.

At the top of the pod, we mention a few great NA products we enjoy, which are becoming more readily available. As they are alcohol-free many are showing up outside of liquor stores and many are available online. Here are some links if you are interested in finding any of the ones we mention:

* Free Spirits NA “Bourbon” - A non-alcoholic spirit alternative inspired by classic bourbons.

* Lucano Amaro Zero - Lucano’s classic Amaro, but with the alcohol removed.

* Babylon Spritz - A great NA orange bitter from Dubai, with hibiscus and tamarind.

* Dr. Zero-Zero NA “Amarno” - a smoky NA Amaro from Trieste, Italy.

We encourage you to check out these and others in the fast growing NA category! Cheers!

Please share! There is plenty of room for others at the cocktail party! Thank you!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

Be well, be safe, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

This week Bill and I are joined by Raj De Datta, Founder and CEO of Bloomreach to mix up a Kir Royale cocktail and talk about Raj’s perspective on the market, his many lessons from founding and leading Bloomreach, and AI’s impact on the future of commerce experiences, digital marketing, and how merchants and marketers work going forward.

Many of you will know Raj, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomreach, a significant player in commerce search, personalization, and marketing automation markets. What you may not know is that Raj is a multiple-time entrepreneur, investor, and very into tennis - including serving on the Council for Player Development at the US Tennis Association.

I have known and of course worked with Raj for many years, and always enjoy our conversations about the market and where things are headed. We cover a lot of ground, so please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* Cocktail chat - the Kir Royale & Wimbledon

* Hey Kai, understanding Bloomreach

* Raj’s Bloomreach Founder’s Story

* Navigating challenges: Pivots and strategic shifts

* AI’s impact on consumer experiences

* The evolution of digital marketing: From workflow to data

* The impact of AI Search and aggregators on Digital Commerce

* The future skills needed for marketers and merchants

* The growing importance of business agility

* Lessons in category creation & evolving Bloomreach + The Exponea acquisition story

* Thoughts on the future of the Commerce Tech market

* Tennis as a metaphor for entrepreneurship

Please subscribe! We want to be sure you make it to the next party! Cheers!

This week’s cocktail - the Kir Royale

The Kir Royale is a variation on the Kir, a once popular French drink combining dry white Burgundian wine with crème de cassis that dates back to the 19th century and was further popularized after World War II. Crème de Cassis is a sweet, dark red liqueur made from macerated blackcurrants, traditionally from the Burgundy region of France. It originated in the mid-19th century, evolving from a medieval French medicinal elixir, and rose to prominence thanks largely to the Kir and Kir Royale.

You can use many sweet liqueurs in a Kir, and Brian used Crème Yvette in his. This is a violet liqueur originally produced in the late 19th century in the U.S., made with parma violets, berries, citrus peel, honey, and vanilla. After disappearing from the market for decades, it was revived in 2009. Slightly drier in flavor than Cassis it is perfect for classic cocktails like the Aviation or to make a Kir Yvette.

The Kir Royale sets itself apart by specifically calling for Champagne, while another variation, the Kir Imperial, calls for sparkling wine and raspberry liqueur rather than cassis.

Aside from being delicious, the best thing about the Kir Royale might be how easy it is to make. Great for brunches and large gatherings (Mother’s Day people!). The scant half ounce of crème de cassis permeates the Champagne, resulting in a gorgeous cocktail with a hint of berry sweetness. Be sure to pour the liqueur into the glass first, followed by the Champagne, which ensures the ingredients will mix naturally. A bit more or less cassis can fine tune the cocktail to one’s individual taste, turning any glass of bubbly into something a bit more special.

Cheers!

Cocktail spec: Kir Royale

Scant 1/2 ounce - Crème de Cassis or Crème Yvette (see note)

To top - Dry Champagne (or other dry sparkling wine or Prosecco)

Garnish: Lemon twist

The process:

Pour the creme de cassis into a Champagne flute. Top with the Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist, and voilà!

Notes:

* “Scant” here means just a bit less than a ½ ounce, but make them to your taste.

* Use of Crème Yvette will add a violet note and lead to a slightly drier Kir. Also wonderful in an Aviation.

Please share! There is plenty of room for others at the cocktail party! Please share with your network or workplace today. Thank you!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

Be well, be safe, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

This week Bill and I are joined by Travis Hess, CEO of BigCommerce to mix up a C&C original cocktail with us and talk about BigCommerce - his vision, where BigCommerce fits, contrasting BigCommerce & Shopify, and where the commerce platform and technology market is headed.

Travis took the reins at BigCommerce this past September, rising from President to lead the company’s transformation. Travis has an extensive background in commerce, but much of it on the services side including leadership roles at LiveArea, BVA and The Stable, and then Accenture - and was a part of numerous successful exits.

It's a lively, fun, and a terrific conversation, so please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* Cocktail talk: The Gran Comercio Caliente

* Hey Kai, understanding BigCommerce

* Taking the reins at BigCommerce

* Navigating Market Challenges & The Evolving Landscape of E-commerce

* The Future of Commerce: Agility, AI, and Composability, and Orchestration

* Understanding the Competitive Landscape - Contrasting BigCommerce & Shopify

* Building a Strong Team and Culture

More about LALO Tequila

LALO is a wonderful, additive-free, artisanal tequila from third-generation tequila makers in Jalisco, Mexico using a time-honored approach. Just cooked and steam rolled agave, then fermented and into the bottle. It’s wonderful, clean and delicious - and we love mixing with it! Find it here.

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This week’s cocktail - the Gran Comercio Caliente

This week's cocktail is a C&C original. A riff on a Negroni spec, this is a well balanced cocktail with just a hint of spice. Careful with those spicy bitters!

Cheers!

Cocktail: Gran Comercia Caliente

1 oz - Blanco tequila (LALO Tequila Blanco recommended)

.75 oz - Campari

.5 oz - Palo Cortado Sherry (substitute Amontillado sherry or Cream Sherry)

.5 oz - Ancho Reyes Chile liqueur

2 drops - Tres Amigos cocktail bitters by Infused Bitters or Bitterman’s Hellfire cocktail bitters

The process:

Add ingredients to a cocktail mixing glass, add ice, and stir until well chilled (~30 seconds). Strain into a rocks glass or coupe. No garnish.

Please share! There is plenty of room for others at the party! Thank you!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

Be well, be safe, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

Welcome everyone to another episode of Cocktails & Commerce. This week Kiri Masters joins us to mix up a ‘Walk in the Park’ mocktail and talk about the world of retail media and how it is poised to change quickly.

Kiri was the founder of Bobsled Marketing, an agency focused on helping marketplace sellers with their strategy to compete and gain exposure. Bobsled was acquired in 2022, and Kiri is now host of the ‘Retail Media Breakfast Club’ - a daily podcast and newsletter focused on the retail media landscape. She is also a contributor to Forbes.

Please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation.

Chapters:

* Introduction and the ‘Walk in the Park’ mocktail

* Hey Kai, Retail Media

* The Fractured Retail Media Landscape

* The Dominance of Amazon and Walmart

* Brands' Perspectives on Retail Media Spending

* Technology Solutions in Retail Media

* Impact of Retail Media on the eCommerce Customer Experience

* The Future of Retail Media Advertising

* Evolving eCommerce Experiences and the impact of Agentic agents on Retail Media + The Role of Loyalty Programs in AI Shopping

* Some Personal Insights from life in Thailand

The Walk in the Park mocktail:

1 ½ ounces mango puree

¼ ounce simple syrup (1:1)

½ ounce fresh orange juice

½ ounce fresh lime juice

Garnish - slice of mango & mint sprig

Steps:

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake vigorously until chilled. Strain in a cocktail coupe or other cocktail glass

This week Bill and I are joined by Rick Nash, Founder & CEO of Spotlight, to mix up a Horsefeather from Rick’s hometown of Kansas City, and talk about analyst relations and how to think about that.

Spotlight is among the leading analyst relations firms that help technology and services companies with analyst relations strategy and execution.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Rick for many years, from way back when I was an analyst to later, as a customer of Spotlight - it was great to reconnect and have him on the show.

So please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* Intros exploring the Horsefeather

* Hey Kai, understanding Analyst Relations

* The Birth of Spotlight and Rick’s Founder's Story

* Engaging analysts in new categories

* Misconceptions of Analyst Relations

* The Evolution of analyst firms with influencers and thought-leaders (asking for a friend)

* Strategic AR steps for startups

* A few personal reflections

Please subscribe! We want to be sure you make it to the next party! Cheers!

This week’s cocktail - the Horsefeather

The Horsefeather is a lesser-known yet highly enjoyable variation of the classic buck cocktail, a family of drinks that combine a spirit, citrus, ginger beer (or ginger ale), and sometimes bitters. Bucks, also known as mules, gained widespread popularity in the early 20th century, particularly with the rise of the Moscow Mule in the 1940s. The Moscow Mule, a simple but effective blend of vodka, lime, and ginger beer, was born out of marketing necessity—a joint effort by John G. Martin, who was struggling to sell Smirnoff vodka in the U.S., and Jack Morgan, who had a surplus of ginger beer at his L.A. bar. Served in copper mug that Morgan also had a surplus of, the drink took off with the Hollywood crowd and cemented the mule (or buck) as an entire cocktail category.

While the Moscow Mule put bucks in the limelight, the family of drinks long predates it. The Kentucky Mule (with bourbon), Mexican Mule (with tequila), and London Mule (with gin) all follow the same template, allowing the base spirit to shape the drink’s profile. The buck itself dates back to the 19th century, when drinks like the Horse’s Neck (a ginger and bitters-based highball) laid the groundwork. The defining characteristic of a buck is its balance between spice, sweetness, and acidity, making it a refreshing and versatile template for bartenders to play with.

The Horsefeather mule variation originated in Lawrence, Kansas, sometime in the 1990s, making it a relatively modern entry in the buck lineage. It swaps vodka for rye whiskey, adding Angostura bitters for depth and complexity. The result is a spicier, more robust take on the mule—where the peppery bite of rye and the warmth of ginger beer complement each other very well. Often served in a highball glass over ice, the Horsefeather remains a regional favorite in the Midwest, though its appeal is slowly spreading beyond Kansas. Its name, while whimsical, remains a bit of a mystery, but like many great cocktails, its charm lies in its balance of the simple and the bold.

Cheers!

Horsefeather Cocktail Spec (Serves one)

Absinthe, to rinse

1.5 oz (~45ml) - Rye whiskey or bourbon

4 oz (~30ml) - Ginger beer (Fevertree recommended)

4 dashes - Angostura bitters

Garnish - Lemon wedge

The process:

Add a bunch of ice to a tall Collins or highball glass, add ingredients and stir. Express lemon wedge, stir again and enjoy.

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Be well, be safe, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

This week Bill and I are joined by Jamie Anderson, President of UserTesting, to mix up a legendary Scottish cocktail - the Bobby Burns - and talk about the importance of customer feedback, testing, and balancing qualitative and quantitative customer input. We also touch on Jamie’s unique career journey from engineer into sales, then into marketing, sales leadership to today as President at UserTesting.

Jamie has an impressive, and unique background - including his time as a rock musician fronting Scottish band Big Wednesday before moving into software - with stops at Siebel, SAP, Marketo, Xcactly, and now UserTesting - the market leader in usability and a solution provider uniquely able understand human reactions to digital experiences at scale.

We’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jamie for many years, including working closely together at SAP. It was great to reconnect and have him on the show.

So please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* Intros and exploring the Bobby Burns cocktail

* Hey Kai, understanding UserTesting

* The value of customer feedback

* Leveraging AI at User Testing

* Democratizing research and insights

* Journey to leadership: A personal evolution

* Comparing GTM across global software markets

* The impact of AI on sales and marketing

* Scotland's tech scene: Talent and opportunities

* The musician's journey: Lessons in resilience and connection

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This week’s cocktail - the Bobby Burns

The Bobby Burns cocktail is a sophisticated classic that pays homage to Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. This elegant mix of Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, and Bénédictine is a close cousin to the Rob Roy but with a unique herbal twist. Its origins trace back to early 20th-century cocktail culture, appearing in various forms in classic bartending guides like The Savoy Cocktail Book. The drink is a perfect example of how Scotch, often seen as a sipper, can be transformed into a well-balanced cocktail with depth and complexity.

Much like the Rob Roy, which is essentially a Scotch-based Manhattan, the Bobby Burns follows a similar formula but substitutes a portion of the vermouth’s sweetness with Bénédictine, a French herbal liqueur. This small addition brings a layered, botanical quality that distinguishes it from its better-known counterpart. Some early versions of the cocktail even called for absinthe or Drambuie instead, but Bénédictine ultimately became the defining element of the drink. It adds a nuanced, honeyed herbal character that plays beautifully with the smoky, rich notes of the blended Scotch.

Bénédictine itself is an intriguing ingredient, steeped in mystery and history. First created in the 19th century, it’s made from a blend of 27 herbs and spices, giving it a complex, slightly medicinal yet sweet and aromatic profile. When mixed into the Bobby Burns, it rounds out the cocktail with a velvety texture and a hint of spice, making it a perfect sipper for cooler evenings. Whether enjoyed as a toast to poetry or simply as a refined alternative to the Rob Roy, the Bobby Burns is a timeless choice for lovers of Scotch-based cocktails.

Cheers!

Bobby Burns Cocktail Spec (Serves one)

Absinthe, to rinse

1 oz (~30ml) - Blended Scotch whisky (Johnny Walker Black Label is a good choice)

1 oz (~30ml) - Sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica recommended)

.5 oz (~15ml) - Bénédictine

Garnish - Lemon peel

The process:

Add the scotch, vermouth and Benedictine to a mixing glass, add ice to cover, and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist a lemon peel over the glass to release its oils and then drop it into the drink and enjoy!

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As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

Be well, be safe, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.