EvalNetwork

In this episode we talk with Mike Silver, who is principal of Baron Silver Stevens Financial Advisors, which is a firm that provides comprehensive wealth management services to high net worth investors. Mike started his career in 1994 with a major insurance company, and in 1997 he formed his own independent financial planning firm. He currently holds a number of industry certifications and is an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University.

Mike specializes in the design, implementation, and funding of advanced estate planning. He has to communicate complex concepts in straightforward language to his clients. During the interview we hear how he does that, along with his approachable style. We go into how he uses data to run his business and work with his clients by relating how he looks at financial market information and communicates his views and recommendations to his clients, while being sensitive to their risk tolerance and personalities.

This episode is with Robert Garelick, Executive Director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Rocky Mountain Chapter. JDRF’s goal is to cure type 1 diabetes. Robert has over 23 years experience in sales and with for-profit companies. He made the transition to JDRF about 2 years ago.

We hear from Robert about how his organization uses data to make decisions, the key metrics they monitor regularly, and his process transitioning from the for-profit to the nonprofit world.

Show Notes:

* Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation goals

* Difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes

* Use of data to make organizational decisions and data systems employed

* Large companies and sponsors often get involved because they have some connection to someone impacted by diabetes

* How Robert remembers donors’ stories and personal connections to the disease

* Communication to funders and the different methods used, including the use of medical professionals to provide information regarding the latest advances

* How connections are made with families after an initial diagnosis; introduction to a supportive network

* How Robert’s personal experiences impact his role at work and how this informs his work

* Key metrics used to track progress

* Maximizing efficiency in a nonprofit organization

* Other uses of data in the organization and the importance of demographics

* JDRF’s involvement with advocacy and how they raise organizational awareness

* Why Robert made the transition from the private to a nonprofit sector and how his goals drove his decision

Contact Robert Garelick at:

Please post any questions or comments, thanks!

This episode is with Robert Garelick, Executive Director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Rocky Mountain Chapter. JDRF’s goal is to cure type 1 diabetes. Robert has over 23 years experience in sales and with for-profit companies. He made the transition to JDRF about 2 years ago.

We hear from Robert about how his organization uses data to make decisions, the key metrics they monitor regularly, and his process transitioning from the for-profit to the nonprofit world.

Show Notes:

* Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation goals

* Difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes

* Use of data to make organizational decisions and data systems employed

* Large companies and sponsors often get involved because they have some connection to someone impacted by diabetes

* How Robert remembers donors’ stories and personal connections to the disease

* Communication to funders and the different methods used, including the use of medical professionals to provide information regarding the latest advances

* How connections are made with families after an initial diagnosis; introduction to a supportive network

* How Robert’s personal experiences impact his role at work and how this informs his work

* Key metrics used to track progress

* Maximizing efficiency in a nonprofit organization

* Other uses of data in the organization and the importance of demographics

* JDRF’s involvement with advocacy and how they raise organizational awareness

* Why Robert made the transition from the private to a nonprofit sector and how his goals drove his decision

Contact Robert Garelick at:

Please post any questions or comments, thanks!

Welcome to the first Data Talks podcast episode! On Data Talks I interview people who work in a wide variety of disciplines to determine what kinds of data they use, or don’t use, to inform their decision-making and the actions they take in their professional and personal lives.

In our first episode I talk with Joe Hodas, who is Chief Marketing Officer at Dixie Brands in Denver, Colorado. Dixie Brands is a marijuana-infused products company. Joe has over 20 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He previously served as a partner and Executive Vice President of Channel Management at Vladimir Jones, one of the largest and oldest independently held advertising agencies in Colorado. At Dixie Elixirs, in addition to fielding pot jokes and requests for volunteer “tasters,” he heads up a team that is helping to define adult use marketing of marijuana.

We talk about some of the personal and professional decisions that Joe has made and the role of data in that process.

We discuss:

– Risk/reward analysis: How Joe made his decision to take the position of Dixie CMO

– How he saw that decision as a once in a lifetime opportunity

– Joe’s public relations and marketing experience

– Information sources and metrics that inform his planning and decisions

– The lack of good marketing data in the marijuana industry and the challenges that present

– What is a bud tender and why they are important? How he uses their input

– The impact of state regulators and lawyers on Joe’s decision-making process

– What is a dispensary, what do they look like, and how do they work

– How he uses social media

– Marijuana social media websites:

*  Leafly- https://www.leafly.com

* Massroots- http://massroots.com

* Weedmaps- https://weedmaps.com

– Cause and effect of marketing on sales: what is not known

– Reluctance of Dixie customers to engage certain aspects of social media due to stigma of marijuana

– Importance of listening to consumers and dispensaries in product development

– How they test products in the market versus conducting market research studies to understand what consumers want

– Delivery system, flavor profile, food type, and production as important product development factors

– What Joe would really like to know about Dixie’s consumers

– Media sources that he finds helpful:

* Marijuana Business Daily: http://mjbizdaily.com

* The Cannabist, Denver Post: http://www.thecannabist.co

– Industry Groups:

* National Cannabis Industry Association: https://www.thecannabisindustry.org

* Cannabis Industry Alliance: http://cannabisalliance.org

* Marijuana Industry Group: http://marijuanaindustrygroup.org

– The elephant in the room: What Joe says to people who say his company is selling drugs. What is marijuana’s place in society?

– The impact of legalization on Colorado

– The overabundance of data in marketing and its limitations

How to reach Joe:

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @JoeHodas

Facebook: /joehodas

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joehodas/

Blog:

Welcome to the first Data Talks podcast episode! On Data Talks I interview people who work in a wide variety of disciplines to determine what kinds of data they use, or don’t use, to inform their decision-making and the actions they take in their professional and personal lives.In our first episode I talk with Joe Hodas, who is Chief Marketing Officer at Dixie Brands in Denver, Colorado. Dixie Brands is a marijuana-infused products company. Joe has over 20 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He previously served as a partner and Executive Vice President of Channel Management at Vladimir Jones, one of the largest and oldest independently held advertising agencies in Colorado. At Dixie Elixirs, in addition to fielding pot jokes and requests for volunteer “tasters,” he heads up a team that is helping to define adult use marketing of marijuana.We talk about some of the personal and professional decisions that Joe has made and the role of data in that process. We discuss:– Risk/reward analysis: How Joe made his decision to take the position of Dixie CMO– How he saw that decision as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity– Joe’s public relations and marketing experience– Information sources and metrics that inform his planning and decisions– The lack of good marketing data in the marijuana industry and the challenges that present– What is a budtender, and why are they important? How he uses their input– The impact of state regulators and lawyers on Joe’s decision-making process– What is a dispensary, what do they look like, and how do they work– How he uses social media– Marijuana social media websites:*  Leafly- https://www.leafly.com* Massroots- http://massroots.com* Weedmaps- https://weedmaps.com– Cause and effect of marketing on sales: what is not known– Reluctance of Dixie customers to engage in certain aspects of social media due to the stigma of marijuana– Importance of listening to consumers and dispensaries in product development– How do they test products in the market versus conducting market research studies to understand what consumers want– Delivery system, flavor profile, food type, and production as important product development factors– What Joe would really like to know about Dixie’s consumers– Media sources that he finds helpful:* Marijuana Business Daily: http://mjbizdaily.com* The Cannabist, Denver Post: http://www.thecannabist.co– Industry Groups:* National Cannabis Industry Association: https://www.thecannabisindustry.org* Cannabis Industry Alliance: http://cannabisalliance.org* Marijuana Industry Group: http://marijuanaindustrygroup.org– The elephant in the room: What Joe says to people who say his company is selling drugs. What is marijuana’s place in society?– The impact of legalization on Colorado– The overabundance of data in marketing and its limitations How to reach Joe:Email: [email protected]: @JoeHodasFacebook: /joehodasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joehodas/Blog: http://thefutureofcannabis.blogspot.com Please post your comments.