Deconstructing Data

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, host Jessie Lizak and guest co-host David Welborn, CTO at BDEX, sit down with Andrea Lechner-Becker, Chief Strategy Officer at GNW Consulting, to explore how AI is transforming marketing measurement, attribution, and customer discovery. Drawing on her experience in marketing technology and strategic marketing operations, Andrea explains how generative engine optimization (GEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO) are changing how brands reach potential customers. She shares why marketers need to rethink traditional attribution models, embrace transparency, and focus on delivering accurate, actionable data to make better marketing and revenue decisions.

The conversation explores how AI search is reshaping the buyer journey, why identity resolution and data enrichment are becoming more complex as customer interactions spread across multiple platforms, and how marketers can turn quality data into meaningful action. Andrea also discusses practical ways to measure AI visibility, understand how large language models represent a brand, and prioritize experimentation over perfect attribution. To wrap up, she shares her favorite marketing and AI tools, including Marketo, Salesforce, SEMrush, Profound, AirOps, Claude, and GitHub, offering a look at the technology and data practices that support her work.

Main Topics Covered

• How AI Search Is Changing Marketing Measurement and Attribution
• Where Identity Resolution and Data Enrichment Fit Into Fragmented Customer Journeys
• Turning Quality Data Into Confident Marketing and Revenue Decisions
• Tech Stack

Connect with Andrea Lechner-Becker

• Website: https://gnwconsulting.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaelbee/?isSelfProfile=false
• GNW Consulting LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gnw-consulting/home/

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Connect with David Welborn

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpwelborn/?isSelfProfile=false

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Jean Perez, Director of Data, Analytics and AI at Valuedynamx, to explore how organizations can turn AI pilots into production-ready solutions, test recommendations beyond human intuition, and balance customer loyalty with business budgets. Drawing from nearly a decade of experience managing the end-to-end data journey at Valuedynamx, Jean shares how data governance, experimentation, and AI can help businesses deliver more relevant customer experiences while driving measurable commercial value.

The conversation explores what it takes to move AI from experimentation into production, including the importance of governance, regulatory requirements, data quality, and clearly defined success metrics. Jean explains how Valuedynamx combines collaborative filtering and content-based filtering to create personalized recommendations, while testing those recommendations against real-world customer behavior rather than relying solely on what looks intuitive to human testers. He also discusses the growing importance of loyalty programs, how brands can maximize the value of their budgets, and how AI-powered and agentic commerce could reshape loyalty and shopping in the future.

Jean also provides a look inside the technology powering Valuedynamx's data and AI capabilities, including AWS, Amazon Bedrock, Databricks, and Tableau. Whether you're a data leader, marketer, loyalty professional, AI practitioner, or business executive, this episode offers practical insights into using data and AI to create better customer experiences while generating measurable business value.

Main Topics Covered

• Moving AI Pilots Into Production
• Testing Recommendations Beyond Human Intuition
• Balancing Loyalty Value and Budgets
• Tech Stack

Connect with Jean Perez

• Website: https://www.valuedynamx.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-perez-dataai/?isSelfProfile=false
• Valuedynamx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valuedynamx/

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Fern Halper, Founder of AI Foundations Group and VP of Research at TDWI, to explore what it really takes to make AI work inside an organization. Drawing on decades of experience in data analytics and AI, Fern explains why successful AI initiatives depend on much more than the model itself. From building a strong data foundation to understanding the business meaning behind data, she shares why organizations need to think about data as a living, continuously changing asset that requires ongoing attention.

The conversation explores how companies can bring together structured and unstructured data to unlock more valuable AI use cases, while also validating the signals being extracted from documents, emails, call center notes, images, and other sources. Fern explains why semantics, data freshness, ownership, provenance, and lineage are becoming increasingly important as organizations adopt generative and agentic AI. She also breaks down the difference between data governance and AI governance, why governance should be treated as an enabler rather than a compliance exercise, and how organizations can build a culture of collaboration around their data. Fern also shares insights into her technology stack, including how she uses AI tools for application development and data analysis.

Main Topics Covered

• Building a Strong Data Foundation for AI
• Managing and Validating Unstructured Data Signals
• Governing Data for Accurate AI Performance
• Tech Stack

Connect with Fern Halper

• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbhalper/⁠
• AI Foundations Group Website: https://www.aifoundationsgroup.com

• AI Foundations Group LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-foundations-group/

• TDWI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tdwi/
• TDWI Website: https://tdwi.org/home.aspx

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Daniel Burrus, CEO of Burrus Research, global technology futurist, AI strategy expert, and New York Times bestselling author, to explore how businesses can use data and emerging technology to anticipate customer needs, create deeper personalization, and turn AI insights into meaningful action. Daniel shares his Hard Trend methodology for separating predictable future facts from assumptions, giving organizations a framework for identifying opportunities and solving problems before they become disruptions.

The conversation explores how fragmented and outdated data can limit the value of AI, why organizations need to audit their data before putting it to work, and how combining data from multiple sources can enable hyper-personalization. Daniel also explains why AI should augment human thinking rather than replace it, and how businesses can move from an overwhelming number of possibilities to the vital few actions that can create measurable results. He also shares the AI tools and technology he uses, including multiple frontier AI models and his own technology resources, along with a free AI strategy report featuring tools and use cases.

Main Topics Covered

• Using Hard Trends to Anticipate Needs

• Connecting Fragmented Data for Personalization

• Turning AI Insights into Strategic Action

• Tech Stack

Connect with Daniel Burrus

• Website: https://www.burrus.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielburrus/?isSelfProfile=false
• Burrus Research LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/burrus-research-inc-/

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, host Jessie Lizak is joined by David Welborn, Chief Technology Officer at BDEX, who fills in for David Finkelstein, for a conversation with Nick Cooper, Global Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Landor. Nick explains why brand performance requires a different approach to measurement than traditional performance marketing, and why businesses need to look beyond easily measured metrics to understand the true financial impact of brand.

The conversation explores how brand equity can be quantified and connected to incremental revenue, why data can give creative teams the confidence to make bolder decisions, and how future-facing financial models can help businesses evaluate brand investments. Nick also explains how data enrichment can reveal persuadable audiences by combining different perspectives, from demographics and attitudes to brand equity and emotional demand spaces. He shares how AI is changing brand measurement and strategy, including the growing importance of understanding how brands are perceived by large language models and how tools like WPP Open and Claude are becoming part of the modern marketing technology landscape.

Main Topics Covered

• Why Measurement Undervalues True Brand Performance
• Using Data to Support Smarter Creative Decisions
• Identifying Persuadable Audiences Through Data Enrichment
• Tech Stack

Connect with Nick Cooper

• Website: https://landor.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-cooper-14b22324/?isSelfProfile=false
• Landor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/landorglobal/

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Welborn

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpwelborn/?isSelfProfile=false

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Kristin Wozniak, Chief Data and Growth Officer of Cosmo5, to explore the limitations of data-driven decision-making and why businesses need to look beyond dashboards and KPIs to understand what is really happening. Drawing from her experience in audience research, advertising, measurement, and strategy, Kristin explains why data can help organizations learn and understand their customers but cannot determine whether a decision is ultimately the right one. She also explores the importance of intuition, experience, experimentation, and human judgment in a world increasingly focused on data and AI.

The conversation examines why performance metrics often fail to capture the full complexity of human behavior, how optimizing for clicks and ROAS can distract from the customer experience, and why qualitative research still has an important role in modern marketing. Kristin also explains how an obsession with measurable outcomes can turn data into a liability by limiting curiosity, creativity, experimentation, and innovation. Finally, she shares her perspective on building an effective technology stack, arguing that even the best tools and data are only as valuable as the team using them.

Main Topics Covered

• What Your Data Is Not Telling You

• Data Does Not Capture Human Behavior

• When Data Becomes a Liability

• Tech Stack

Connect with Kristin Wozniak

Website: https://cosmo5.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-wozniak-5b64602a/
Cosmo5 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cosmo5/

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: Talk to an Expert

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Eric Williamson, CMO of CallMiner, to explore how businesses can turn the massive volume of customer conversations they collect into actionable intelligence. Eric explains why analyzing every customer interaction—not just a small sample—can uncover insights that improve customer experience, product development, marketing, and business performance. The conversation also explores how AI and agentic technology are helping enterprises make sense of overwhelming amounts of customer data while making those insights accessible to people beyond traditional data analysts.

Eric also discusses the importance of connecting customer experience and marketing data, combining solicited feedback like surveys with unsolicited insights from real customer interactions. He shares why businesses should start small when activating their data, the importance of human oversight when deploying AI agents, and the risks of trying to build complex AI solutions without considering security, scalability, integrations, and total cost of ownership. The episode wraps up with a look at the technology stack Eric and his team use to support marketing, sales, customer engagement, and data-driven decision-making.

Main Topics Covered

• Turning Customer Conversations into Actionable Intelligence

• Using AI to Overcome Customer-Data Overload

• Connecting Marketing and CX for Enterprise Alignment

• Building a Technology Stack That Supports Action

Connect with Eric Williamson

• Website: CallMiner

• LinkedIn: Eric Williamson on LinkedIn

• CallMiner LinkedIn: CallMiner on LinkedIn

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: BDEX

• LinkedIn: BDEX on LinkedIn

• YouTube: BDEX on YouTube

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: David Finkelstein on LinkedIn

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: Jessie Lizak on LinkedIn

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Dirk Rohweder, entrepreneur and marketing technology expert at Tivaro, to explore how identity resolution can turn anonymous behavioral signals into actionable customer intelligence. With more than 35 years of experience building data and marketing infrastructure, Dirk explains how identity graphs connect fragmented signals across devices, domains, and customer touchpoints to create a more complete picture of the people behind the data. He also breaks down the difference between public and private identity graphs and why maintaining an identity graph requires constant, real-time updates.

The conversation also explores why some of the most valuable customer intent signals happen before a person ever logs in or identifies themselves. Dirk shares practical examples of using anonymous signals for audience suppression, predictive models, abandoned-cart triggers, and real-time personalization. He explains how businesses can move beyond traditional lifecycle marketing and begin responding to customer intent earlier in the decision-making process, creating better experiences while improving marketing efficiency. The episode also looks at the evolving role of AI and LLMs in modern marketing technology infrastructure.

Main Topics Covered

• How Identity Resolution Connects Fragmented Behavioral Signals

• Public vs. Private Identity Graphs

• Turning Anonymous Customer Intent Into Action

• Using Behavioral Signals to Power Intent-Driven Marketing

• Tech Stack

Connect with Dirk Rohweder

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohweder/

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, Jessie Lizak is joined by David Goecke, Founder and CEO of GoTex, filling in for David Finkelstein, as they sit down with Ashley Moser, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of MelodyArc, to explore how businesses can combine AI, data, and human expertise to make smarter decisions. Ashley shares how MelodyArc helps organizations orchestrate data, AI, and people while emphasizing why human oversight remains essential for maintaining data accuracy and turning insights into meaningful action.

The conversation explores how qualitative signals can be transformed into actionable data, how businesses can use real-time information to improve targeting and customer experiences, and why not every data workflow needs to happen in real time. Ashley also explains how companies can determine when automation is appropriate, when human intervention creates more value, and how institutional knowledge can be captured from employees and incorporated into future workflows. The episode wraps with a look at the AI and data tools powering Ashley and David's workflows, including MelodyArc, Cursor, H2O AI, and other emerging technologies.

Main Topics Covered

• Human Oversight Ensures Data Accuracy in AI

• Turning Qualitative Signals into Actionable Data

• Unlocking Real-Time Data for Better Targeting

• Tech Stack

Connect with Ashley Moser

• Website: https://melodyarc.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleylmoser/
• MelodyArc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/melodyarc/

Connect with David Goecke

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgoecke/

Follow BDEX to Stay Updated on Upcoming Episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/

In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Mark Himmelsbach, CEO and Founding Partner of RYA, to explore why proprietary data—not AI alone—is becoming a critical source of competitive advantage. Mark shares how eight years of collecting passion-point data helped RYA build a unique data set designed to understand not just what consumers do, but why they make decisions. He explains how RYA combines proprietary data, AI, and human expertise to help brands develop more resonant creative and make smarter marketing decisions.

The conversation explores how brands can determine whether their data is truly unique and actionable, how data can inform creative and campaign strategy, and why marketers should balance prediction and measurement with experimentation. Mark also discusses the importance of keeping humans in the loop when using AI for creative work, the role of feedback loops in continuously improving data and AI models, and the technology behind RYA's approach to creative intelligence.

Main Topics

• Why Proprietary Data Drives Advantage in the AI Era

• Using Data to Inform Creative and Campaign Strategy

• Measuring and Predicting Audience Response to Campaigns

• Tech Stack

Connect with Mark Himmelsbach

• Website: https://www.askrya.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhimmelsbach/
• RYA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/askrya/home/

Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodes

• Website: https://www.bdex.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022A

Connect with David Finkelstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/

Connect with Jessie Lizak

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessielizak/