Paris Talks Marketing

In this episode of Paris Talks Marketing, Paris welcomes Preston Junger, VP of Restaurant Solutions at Nift. Preston shares his journey from traditional office jobs to embracing the flexible, passion-driven work culture influenced by the pandemic. He discusses Nift's innovative approach to helping restaurants acquire customers through personalized gifts, elaborating on the company's evolution and his role in driving the restaurant initiative forward. Preston also touches on his balance of professional and personal life.

Preston is currently Vice President Restaurant Solutions for Nift. Nift has redefined how restaurants acquire customers by replacing traditional advertising with gifts that drive traffic and database growth. Preston also formerly co-founded Mile Square Labs as a startup consulting company, and is board member for the company, that consists of 30+ expert advisors providing hands-on business consulting, go-to-market sales and marketing guidance for seed to series B companies in Europe, Scandinavia, South America & North America.

Prior to Nift, Preston was the former Vice President & Head of U.S. Operations for 7shifts, as well as employee hashtag#82 for Yelp where he was VP of Brand Sales for 8 years, and has been a lifelong builder & believer in new ideas and great people. Before Yelp, he led teams at IAC (Evite, Citysearch, Ticketmaster, Match.com, Expedia) Yahoo! & Apple. As a sports enthusiast, and a family man, he devotes a lot of time to the court, soccer pitch, ski slopes, lacrosse fields and traveling with his family enjoying wonderful experiences, which allows him to maintain a thoughtful and balanced perspective.

He’s an optimistic entrepreneurial-minded business leader, advisor, board member & mentor with international experience. He has a proven track record in raising the bar for success with his unique perspective and commitment to building companies, innovative thinking and execution. Junger excels in coaching and inspiring others to rally around a common mission, not following the status quo.

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Links:

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

https://business.gonift.com

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:00 The Evolution of the Workplace

03:24 Joining Nift: The Journey and Decision

11:03 Nift's Business Model

20:26 Acquiring New Restaurants for Nift

33:22 Balancing Work and Family Life

42:42 Final Thoughts

In this episode Paris sits down with Eric Brooker, a revered business leader, author, and podcast host. Eric shares his journey of building a successful personal brand through consistent engagement on LinkedIn, leveraging the platform for immense business growth, and establishing a top 1% globally ranked podcast, 'Counsel Culture.' The two share insights on creating and repurposing content, getting notable guests, and maximizing LinkedIn's potential for personal and company branding. Eric also reveals strategies for overcoming initial discomfort in content creation.

Eric Brooker has earned respect as a keynote speaker, author, and podcast host. His career is distinguished by a track record of transformative leadership and substantial success across various organizations. Eric’s new book, "You Are Enough: Overcoming Lifelong Doubts of Worthiness," reflects his journey through personal challenges and his path to understanding self-worth. This book is complemented by his popular podcast, 'Counsel Culture', which has aired over 150 episodes since 2020, discussing leadership and culture with notable figures from diverse fields. 

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Links:

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

https://www.ericbrooker.com

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:04 Who is Eric Brooker? 

03:22 Eric's Journey with Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

08:02 Strategies for Personal and Business Growth on LinkedIn

23:31 The Art of Podcasting

38:45 Final Thoughts

In this episode of Paris Talks Marketing, Paris talks with Alberto Rizzoli, co-founder of V7, a platform advancing the automation of AI data labeling. They delve into the significant role of AI in marketing, the ethical use of AI in creating genuine content and the risks of saturating the market with AI-generated content. 

Alberto Rizzoli is co-Founder of V7, a work automation platform that speeds up the labeling of AI data and is used by over 350 companies including GE, Siemens, Merck, and MIT.

Alberto founded his first startup at age 19 becoming MakerFaire’s 20under20. In 2015, he founded Aipoly with Simon Edwardsson - the first consumer app running convolutional neural networks on smartphones for real-time image recognition. It helped the blind identify 5,000 objects through their phone camera used over 3 billion times.

His interests lie in the intersection of AI and new human-computer interactions, and today he mostly spends his time on new product interactions unlocked by generative AI.

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Links:

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

https://www.v7labs.com

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:28 Alberto Rizzoli's Journey From Aipoly to V7

07:42 Exploring V7

10:40 The Future of AI in Work Automation

15:49 Marketing in the Age of AI

21:00 AI in Content Creation

23:04 Developing and Testing AI Products

27:29 The Future of Video Content

30:03 Challenges and Tools for AI Content Creation

36:16 The Ethical Dilemma of AI-Generated Content

37:55 How Great Marketers Differentiate in the AI Era

40:39 The Human Touch in a Digital World

43:42 Final Thoughts

In this episode of Paris Talks Marketing, host Paris talks with Arjun Pillai, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Docket, an AI platform transforming B2B sales. 

Arjun Pillai is a serial entrepreneur with two successful exits and is currently on his 3rd venture. He is the Co-founder & CEO at Docket Inc., an AI platform that serves as a virtual sales engineer for AEs to close complex B2B deals. 

Docket trains on all your company’s knowledge, powered by state-of-the-art LLMs, and creates a dynamic knowledge graph. Integrating deep into AE workflow, Docket delivers just-in-time knowledge to answer complex product questions, fill RFPs/RFIs and understand where knowledge is missing to close deals.

Previously, Arjun was the Chief Data Officer at ZoomInfo Technologies Inc. 

In this podcast episode, Pillai shares insights on AI's role in onboarding and data migration, reducing switching costs and increasing market competition. The discussion also covers the evolution of sales teams, the impact of AI on jobs, and the future of AI in sales demos and customer support, outlining a vision where AI dramatically streamlines and enriches the sales process.

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Links:

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

https://www.docketai.com

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:29 Arjun Pillai's Journey: From ZoomInfo to Docket

07:30 Exploring Docket: The AI Platform Transforming B2B Sales

14:00 The Role of Sales Engineers in Modern SaaS Sales

18:05 The Changing Dynamics of Sales Teams

25:51 Embracing AI for Enhanced Sales and Marketing Efficiency

28:51 Empowering Sales Teams with AI

31:12 Transforming Data Ingestion and Processing with Docket

38:04 The Future of AI in Sales and Customer Support

50:28 Expanding the Role of AI in the Buying Process

54:48 Final Thoughts

This episode of Paris Talks Marketing features Shay David, co-founder and CEO of Retrain.a, discussing the misconceptions surrounding AI and automation's impact on the job market. The conversation delves into how AI is transforming the digital landscape, Shay's entrepreneurial journey, and insights on how technology is reshaping skills demands.

Shay David is the Co-Founder & CEO of retrain.ai. Retrain.ai sees a world where people can work alongside machines, and not be displaced by them, where automation and AI help bring out the best in people rather than threaten their livelihood. Their mission is to create a reality in which every person has a good job, and anybody can be gainfully employed and not subject to technological unemployment. Their strategy is to develop the world’s leading AI platform for skills & qualifications assessment, and workforce retraining while working with employers and governments to place 1 million people back in jobs in the first 5 years. 

As a serial entrepreneur, he brings to the table many years of experience in dreaming up products and making them a reality: from concept to market, from slideware to hundreds of millions of dollars in sales.

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Links:

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

https://www.retrain.ai

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:31 Shay David's Entrepreneurial Journey

09:05 Bridging the AI Skills Gap

12:59 Embracing AI in Marketing

24:02 How Retrain.ai Revolutionized HR with AI-Driven Talent Intelligence

38:32 The Role of Education and Government in Addressing the AI Skills Gap

43:37 Final Thoughts

In this episode of Paris Talks Marketing, host Paris dives deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Chris Heffernan, founder and CEO of Dlivrd, a logistics platform connecting brands with independent contract delivery drivers in the U.S. and Canada. 

Chris shares his early days of doing unscalable tasks to differentiate from competitors, the importance of personal touch in the gig economy, strategies for driver recruitment and retention, and marketing techniques that have helped Dlivrd carve its niche. 

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Links:

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

https://www.dlivrd.io

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:14 What is Dlivrd?

05:11 Dlivrd's Unique Selling Proposition

11:23 The Strategy Behind Driver Recruitment and Retention

16:43 Market Differences

22:46 How Dlivrd Connects with Local Businesses

25:34 Building Brand Awareness and Market Strategy

29:02 Chris's Entrepreneurial Journey

38:50 Customer Support and the Role of AI in Streamlining Operations

40:25 Embracing Non-scalable Actions for Growth

In this episode of Paris Talks Marketing, host Paris dives into the world of SaaS marketing strategies with guest Megan Bowen, CEO of Refine Labs, a leading B2B demand generation agency that helps B2B companies transform their marketing strategies to generate revenue. 

Paris and Megan discuss the importance of balancing organic and paid content distribution, Megan's journey from account manager to CEO, and the evolution of Refine Labs under her leadership. The conversation covers key insights on B2B marketing, leveraging AI, and adapting to changing buying behaviors in the digital landscape. 

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Links:

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

https://www.refinelabs.com

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:18 Megan Bowen's Journey to CEO of Refine Labs

09:44 Refine Labs' Unique Approach to B2B Marketing

19:42 The Power of Paid and Organic Strategies Combined

24:26 Software Attribution vs. Self-Reported Attribution Insights

28:53 The Impact of LinkedIn on Organic Traffic

29:39 Bidding on Brand Names in Google Ads

36:55 Navigating Long Sales Cycles

39:01 CRM Optimization

46:24 Embracing AI in Marketing

53:40 Final Thoughts

In this episode of Paris Talks Marketing, host Paris delves into the world of SaaS marketing strategies with guest Arun Lal, a seasoned marketing executive. 

Arun Lal has 18+ years of experience as a Marketing Executive across enterprises: Microsoft, VMware, and multiple startups: Productiv, Climate (Unicorn acquired by Bayer), Contiq (as Co-founder). He has a track record of taking products from 0 to 1. Currently, he is the VP of Product Marketing at Culture Amp, an all-in-one intuitive employee experience platform. Arun has been voted as one of the Top 100 Influencers in Product Marketing for 2023 by the Product Marketing Alliance community.

He introduces the 'B Mantra' framework, a comprehensive strategy for SaaS product marketing and go-to-market strategies, and discusses the impact of AI and the trend towards consolidation in the SaaS industry. Additionally, Arun provides insights into the challenges and opportunities in the HR tech space, specifically around employee experience platforms and the role of generative AI in transforming SaaS marketing and product strategies.

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Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun-lal-pmm/

https://www.cultureamp.com

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:38 Arun Lal's Journey to Product Marketing

12:58 The B Mantra Framework: Revolutionizing Go-to-Market Strategies

26:12 Cracking the Code on Buyer Intent Signals

30:12 B Mantra Continued

34:30 How to Apply the B Mantra Framework for Startups

39:06 Navigating the Crowded Landscape of HR Tech

41:31 Embracing AI as Part of the Future of HR Tech

45:22 Final Thoughts

This episode of Paris Talks Marketing delves into the strategies behind demand generation versus lead generation, particularly in the competitive SaaS market with Liam Bartholomew, the VP of Marketing at Cognism. 

Having been there for the last 4.5 years, he helped the company grow its marketing team from 4 to now over 40 people! Liam is passionate about demand generation and shaking up B2B marketing to move it away from traditional lead gen. Demonstrating how we can all do more fun, advanced and buyer centric marketing.

In his conversation with Paris he shares his thoughts on ungating content, targeting specific bottom-of-funnel keywords and utilizing competitor comparisons to capture high-intent traffic. The two also discuss the evolving landscape of content marketing in the face of AI and strategies to adapt and thrive in a crowded and competitive digital market.

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Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-bartholomew-90004b83/

https://www.cognism.com

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:40 The Evolution of Cognism's Marketing Team

05:27 Cognism's Unique Position in the Sales Intelligence Market

07:29 Navigating GDPR and Data Utilization Strategies

09:25 Why You Should Ungate Content and Its Impact

13:20 The Future of Content Marketing in the AI Era

20:57 Demand Gen vs. Lead Gen

27:23 Capturing High-Intent Traffic and Leveraging Competitor Analysis

36:01 Final Thoughts

This episode of Paris Talks Marketing features Marc Rutzen, CEO and co-founder of HelloData.ai, discussing the impact of generative AI on SEO strategies. 

Marc shares his journey from founding his company, achieving profitability without external funding, to leveraging AI for efficient real estate data analysis. The conversation also touches on the sustainability of SEO practices in the age of AI, the company's approach to product development, and marketing strategies that have contributed to their success.

HelloData.ai uses AI and machine learning tools to help real estate investors and property managers instantly analyze multifamily rent and expense comps, optimize rental pricing, benchmark expenses, and improve deal flow in any market. 

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Links:

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

https://www.hellodata.ai

More about:

Explore: https://hop.online/

Connect with Paris Childress, the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parischildress/

Subscribe for more insightful episodes: https://paristalksmarketing.transistor.fm/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:36 The Journey of HelloData.ai: From Startup to Market Fit

04:42 The Impact of AI on Real Estate Data Analysis

13:54 HelloData.ai's Marketing Strategy

18:08 Unlocking SEO Success with AI 

23:56 Leveraging AI for Content Creation

29:14 Exploring the Future of Search and SEO

36:18 Final Thoughts