The Trending Communicator

In this week’s episode, Dan reunites with an old friend to talk about online and hybrid social media community building and its challenges of the past, present and future. Joining him today is fellow Japan aficionado, super connector, brand expert, event master, and his friend of more than 20 years, Andrew Shuttleworth. He's currently the Head of Business Development, Japan and Asia Pacific for the Singapore-based innovation platform Agorize. Prior to that, Andrew held leadership roles at tech companies in Japan and Singapore and had his own consulting business in Japan focused on connecting customers, vendors, and people (called Customers Vendors People, naturally). He runs a community called Innovators United and chairs the Sales Leaders Peer Group for EGN in Singapore.

Andrew talks in depth about creating, promoting, and regulating online and hybrid social platforms and networks. He reflects on the challenges faced by Net Tokyo, an organization he co-founded with Dan and other super connectors in Tokyo before social media became so ubiquitous. Prepare to be taken on a guided tour of how people connected at a time when social networking was unheard all the way through to when it finally caught on and changed everything. 

This is one episode you don’t want to miss.

In This Episode

• (03:32) Welcoming Andrew Shuttleworth to the Dan Nestle Show.

• (03:49) Talking about Net Tokyo, a community of communities he and Dan started before “The Facebook”.

• (10:51) How the idea of networking was ahead of its time back then.

• (13:49) Andrew’s journey from a lad from Northern England to becoming the accidental business nomad.

• (19:44) Talking about the idea behind connecting people: to create value.

• (25:02) On the move to Singapore and still maintaining ties with Japan.

• (27:18) Andrew's role at Apple and how it aided his goal to connect people.

• (30:50) Being mindful of creating communities without over-commercializing them.

• (36:01) Indicators that show that the community is growing and interacting.

• (38:33) Andrew’s take on current platforms when it comes to community creation.

• (42:51) Different tools for different generations such as Discord and Slack.

• (47:18) How size matters when it comes to building trustful communities. 

• (50:59) Regulate, populate, and evaluate contributions from communities.

• (56:03) On Innovators United being a hybrid community with in-person events.

• (1:03:52) Andrew’s advice to marketers today.

• (1:03:45) Final remarks from Andrew.

Notable Quotes

• “I always had Southeast Asia on my map as kind of a natural next step from Japan, knowing that the economy here is just going to keep growing and growing for decades. There's a lot of similarities to Japan, but there's also a lot to learn and a lot to experience. I mean, one of the reasons I went to Japan was just to have this information in your face every day while you're walking around reading kanji. And the level of challenge in your life is kind of doubled just by being there, especially when you're new and young. And so, I wanted to experience that daily challenge of life again by going to a completely new place.” - Andrew (25:56)

• “When other people start introducing other relevant people to the community and talking about it, that's when you know it's really working. And actually, from the business perspective, the awareness when people come to you and say, ‘Hey, actually I want to hear about your product and service,’ that is really nice because like you say, you're not doing it for business purposes, but there has to be some sort of win-win there.” – Andrew (36:01)

• “We can just continue to build and build communities and participate in communities. And you know, I think that by being community oriented, you've got. Already a kind of an advantage over a lot of other salespeople, marketers, whatever you want to call yourself at any given time. Look, we aren’t old, but we aren’t getting any younger. So, you know, to prepare ourselves for the future as we live longer and longer and longer, understanding community and the effects that has on people's behavior and just the idea of making relationships and connections and understanding that I think is going to be a massive advantage for you.” Dan (1:02:21)

• “My sales team, even though they're in Singapore, are maybe 30 minutes away. But what I've realized is and I think pretty much most people would agree with this, is that there's something totally different about getting together with people in person. I've built relationships, I've hired people. I've mentored people online. But when you get together and you have an in-person conversation, either 1 to 1 or especially in a group, the dynamics and the information exchange transforms. And it's as much as I love technology, you can't replace it, at least not at the moment.” Andrew (57:17)

• “I'm sure marketers are looking at this saying, okay, how do I, how do I work with community? My advice would be, assign a little bit of your budget to communities. Communities don't take a lot to fund. Um, but they do require money, right? You require money for a venue requirement, for some refreshments. And I think businesses can play a good part in enabling communities. But you aren't going to get your ROI next month or you're not going to get your ROI this quarter. So, it's up to the marketers to kind of learn how to justify this investment in communities.” Andrew (1:03:52)

About Andrew Shuttleworth

Andrew Shuttleworth is an expert in building communities. For over two decades, Andrew has been in sales, marketing, project management, and event production, overseeing all aspects of creating, populating, regulating, and promoting a community, whether online, in person, or hybrid. He's currently the head of business development, Japan and Asia Pacific for the innovation platform Agorize, based in Singapore. Prior to that, Andrew has been in leadership roles at tech companies in Asia, did a considerable stint at Apple, and had his own consulting business in Japan focused on connecting customers, vendors, and people. He set up and runs a community called Innovators United and chairs the Sales Leaders Peer Group for EGN in Singapore.

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/

• Dan Nestle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsnestle

• Dan Nestle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow/ 

Andrew Shuttleworth

• Company: https://get.agorize.com/en/

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

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashuttleworth

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shuttleworthandrew

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewshuttleworth/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@runners.t.v  

• EGN Sales Leaders Peer Group: https://www.egnpeernetwork.com/peergroup-singapore-sales-leaders 

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this very special milestone, the 100th episode of The Dan Nestle Show,  Dan has the great honor to chat with Ruth Hartt, a classically trained opera singer and music educator, now Chief of Staff at the Clayton Christensen Institute (a think tank dedicated to improving the world through Disruptive Innovation) and founder of Culture For Hire, a platform she uses to help arts organizations rethink their purpose and reinvent themselves by understanding their customers.

Drawing examples from the world of music and art, we learn how Ruth is applying Jobs to Be Done theory to become a true customer champion and turn arts marketing on its head. You'll find yourself nodding along with Ruth as she takes us through stories of marketing malpractice, and how a few brave innovators and Jobs to be Done approaches are helping to breathe life into a dying industry.

In This Episode

• (01:59) Dan welcomes Ruth to Dan Nestle show.

• (03:49) On meeting Ruth as part of the uprising at an anti-conference.

• (05:40) Ruth journey as a musician and educator to joining the Clayton Institute.

• (06:18) Talking about harassment and pregnancy discrimination.

• (09:50) Absorbing, learning, reading, and listening to knowledge coming her way.

• (16:01) Explaining Job to Be Done and why people buy.

• (26:33) On being a relevant strategist and customer champion.

• (38:40) Discussing the epidemic of loneliness and how to tackle it.

• (40:17) Dan elaborates on the three-box solution.

• (52:15) Job To be Done going beyond just a marketing solution.

• (54:58) How can people discover classical music and the arts today.

• (59:53) What Dan discovered about classical music.

• (1:03:18) How reaction videos can create an impact.

• (1:05:33) Ruth shares a book with the audience.

Notable Quotes

• “All of a sudden, I am thinking, we have got a marketing problem in the arts world. Because we are not considering the customer at all. In fact, traditional arts marketing ignores the customer, and so does the theory change the game for marketers in the arts world and I sort of set out to figure out what that looks like.” – Ruth (11:33)

• “We need to understand the functional need, the emotional context, and the social context in their life that causes them to buy. Sort of in a nutshell, people buy not because of who they are but because of who they want to become. Or because of what they want their life to become or their world to become.  The way Clayton Christensen always puts it is they say, people hire things to help them make progress on a circumstance in their life.” – Ruth (16:39)

• “There is the value chain architecture; how the business is run and how value gets delivered. There is the value of proposition, and then there is the customer. Those 3 elements if you change any one of those, it’s a non-linear innovation. And that a way you can sort of validate whether or not what you are doing is innovative.” – Dan (42:09)

• “The forces of progress. There are forces that are in someone’s circumstance that are pushing him towards a solution. There is a solution that has great things about that is pulling them towards it. But then there are these habits of the past and anxieties about the new solution that are forcing them away and unless the pull towards the new solution outweighs the anxieties and the habits of the past, you are not going to sell whatever it is you are trying to sell.” – Ruth (43:55)

• “How do you get people to buy in, right? Some of it is creating this relevant doorway; relevant meaning something that is familiar to them. There are so many Queen fans out there. And for them to see a concert advertised as Queen with full orchestra, that’s a draw! I would be interested in that. I am a Queen fan.” – Ruth (1:01:39)

About Ruth Hartt

Ruth Hartt is a classically trained opera singer and music educator. She spent the last 5 years at the Clayton Christensen Institute for disruptive innovation, where she has been immersed in research and theories of one of the world's legendary business thinkers, learning the power of Jobs to be Done and customer-centricity. Now she has combined her experience in the arts with her expertise in business strategy and launched Culture For Hire, where she helps arts organizations to rethink their purpose and reinvent themselves by understanding their customers and creating relevance for their communities. 

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/

• Dan Nestle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsnestle

• Dan Nestle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow/ 

Ruth Hartt

• Website: https://www.cultureforhire.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-hartt/

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruth_hartt

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultureforhire

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultureforhire/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt6qshnsYS1UHPa7H8DuTlA

Mentions

• Book: https://www.priyaparker.com/book-art-of-gathering

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dan connects with serial learner, social media trainer, speaker, and founder and owner of Beyond Engagement, Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez. Dan and Valentina sit down to chat about community, the ins and outs of social media, the importance of putting yourself out there and just “showing up,” the keys to authentically connecting with people through social media, and the pros and cons of Web3’s development and advancement. 

Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez is a serial learner and expert social media marketer with an unquenchable desire to speak with and engage with people. As a well-known speaker and social media educator, she understands how to combine social media marketing principles with authentic relationship-building to develop true connections and create a purposeful community online. Her years of expertise help her cater to business owners who do not understand how to put humanity in their marketing.

In This Episode

• (4:29) How Valentina became dedicated to selfless learning 

• (13:14) Is there a difference between marketing and PR? 

• (17:28) The importance of putting yourself out there and staying determined

• (28:58) Quantifying the ROI of putting yourself out there

• (31:46) How Valentina built and evolved her social media business 

• (34:40) Social media is a tool to help you truly connect with people

• (44:29) Organically collecting connections and building a community as a result

• (50:50) Web3’s development is fascinating and terrifying

• (1:03:15) What keeps Valentina up at night? 

• (1:13:34) Final message from Valentina 

Notable Quotes

• “I started taking notes on everyone and really understanding people because I think you have to be prepared. You have to do research. You [have to] have the tools. There’s no excuse to bond with someone if they have a profile; there is a way to really identify and create a relationship with someone if you take the time to research who they are and what they stand for.” - Valentina (5:35)

• “I went up to have him [I met his wife and him] and had him sign my book, and I’m like, “I don’t know who he is. Let’s talk about golf because he’s from Florida, so maybe he’s a golfer.” He was not a golfer, but somehow [we] we took a picture, we stayed in touch, I followed him on Twitter, and I found his address on his website. At one point, I either sent him a thank you card or a Christmas card…You keep in contact with folks…It’s all about putting yourself out there. If I had not taken that step to go get the book signed by Mark and just talk about golf [you know, being an ex-Floridian] and just putting myself out there and just taking the initiative to write him a little hand-written card…You know, that sort of stuff. - Valentina (17:48)

• “The idea of going up to somebody who I’ve admired from afar or I’m familiar with their books…you know, you have this kind of image or this feeling that they’re too busy or they’re too famous or whatever to spend any time with you. It took me far [far] too long in my life to get to the point where I was like, “why should I care?” Right? If they don’t wanna talk to me, they’ll just turn around, and they’ll go someplace else, and then, you know, that just means they’re a dick.” - Dan (21:47)

• “When I started my business, I only knew one other person who was getting paid in the area to do social media. At the time, not even the agencies had social media. I said to myself, “it’s a way to communicate with your customers. How are you gonna know how to sell to them, how to approach them, how to market to them, if you don’t know what they’re saying?” - Valentina (33:41)

• “You don’t really know what you’re gonna get out of a relationship when you first meet someone. You don’t know the ripple effect…how much it’s gonna impact you, your family, [and] your contacts. And I think it’s just the desire to be a connector. I might not be able to help you, but I might direct you to the right person.” - Valentina (46:58)

About Valentina

Valentina Gonzalez is a seasoned marketer, social media strategist, serial learner, speaker, and marketing educator specializing in helping individuals and their businesses build authentic connections with their social media to boost customer relations and create a strong, purposeful community online. She also deeply understands digital content, social media platforms, social listening practices, and digital marketing strategies, with over 10 years of experience in the world of social media. As a co-author of the upcoming book,  “The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever,” she collaborates with over 35 fellow marketers to give you their combined top strategies for 2023 and beyond. She has been featured in multiple podcasts available on her website and has won several prestigious awards throughout her marketing career. 

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/

• Dan Nestle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsnestle

• Dan Nestle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow/ 

Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez 

• Website: https://beyond-engagement.com/

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

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeyondEngagement

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EquineValentina

• Guest appearances: https://beyond-engagement.com/podcasts/

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dan connects with leading thinker and practitioner in the emerging communications technology space and Founder of Point 600, Brittany Paxman. Dan and Brittany sit down to chat about the importance of strategic communications and the ways technology is enhancing that importance and changing the profession. They discuss how communications technology - CommTech - helps communicators and the businesses they serve. The entire conversation is loaded with practical takeaways for anyone interested in this evolving field.

Brittany Paxman dives headfirst into changing the world of communications. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between communications and technology to improve company functions and people's lives within the communications space. Tune in to learn more about the value of improving strategic communications by integrating technology to maximize consumer interactions, marketing, communications, sales, revenue, and other business interactions.

In This Episode

• (1:41) Why Dan has been so keen to speak with Brittany
• (3:51) Brittany dives into her background and getting into the Comm-Tech space and starting her own firm
• (13:03) The “chicken and the egg” situation of integrating technology into communications    
• (15:40) Why marketers understood the importance of technology integration sooner than communications experts 
• (22:00) The qualitative vs. quantitative difference for approaching technology between marketing and communications
• (28:40) The roles of communications that often go unnoticed
• (36:43) The mindset shift needed to embrace modernized communications
• (45:44) The value of a communicator as an informed consumer of data    
• (49:50) The framework for a modernized communicator ecosystem with CommTech  
• (1:00:20) The evolution of the communications space with technology integration 
• (1:09:24) Brittany’s and Dan’s suggestions for improving statistical prowess 
• (1:12:24) Brittany’s final words to Dan and the audience      

Notable Quotes

• “I really, at my core, believe in the power of communications to be a connector…Communications has such an important role, not just for organizations, but for society because it’s the connector. It’s the persuader, but it’s also the opportunity for that information exchange for knowledge, argumentation to happen between companies and people, and I believe that is incredibly important.” - Brittany (4:30)
• “I think alot of communicators are burnt out. It is a field where you can be working 24/7, where we deal with crisis communication, where we deal with some of the most important things a company does and says…I think there is an opportunity for data and technology to make it a more sustainable profession where excellent people can stya in the profession and that we don’t lose the talent to other areas…That’s sort of the other half of the reason I started my company. I wanted to help communicators to not only survive, but thrive.” - Brittany (6:14)
• “Relationships are the domain of communications, like real relationships that matter because the other thing about communications - reputation, right? Looking at reputation, [that’s our]...we are stewards of reputation. And as a steward of reputation, that’s where crisis and things come in, we really started looking at how people are talking about us.” - Dan (21:14)
• “When I explain what I think communications is to people who are not in this industry at all, I think communications is definitely top of the funnel - beginning of the journey. But comms is also responsible for relationships with everyone who is not a customer.” - Brittany (28:43)
• “In my mind, technology, the mindset shift is not that technology is going to do everything for us, but that it’s gonna take the stuff that’s super repeatable that we are wasting mental capacity on and help us with that so that the communicators can spend their time being strategists.” - Brittany (38:57)

About Brittany

Brittany Paxman is a leading expert and thinker in the emerging field of communications technology with her company Point 600. She emphasizes data analysis, process design, and technology consulting for communications to build long-term success. With her decade of experience in digital communications, she developed her principles of Systems-Thinking, Data-Driven, and Technology-Enabled. Armed with these principles, she works tirelessly to provide the framework necessary to help communicators not just survive, but thrive in the modern world.   

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/

Brittany Paxman 

• Website: https://www.point600.com/

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dan connects with seasoned content marketer, communicator, search engine optimization (SEO) expert, author, strategist, and Web3 speaker Brian Piper. Dan and Brian sit down to chat about the basics of Web3 and why it’s the next step in the evolution of communication, expression, and innovative ownership. In the process they dig into the idea of community (they're both members of Mark Schaefer's RISE community) and how it has turbocharged their learning. 

We learn that Brian is a serial learner. Almost thirty years ago, he jumped into content marketing and SEO and began paving his career path simply because he had a burning interest in the field. As a well-known speaker and Web3 educator, those dedicated beginnings are still with him today, and he remains eager to continue learning and share his findings with others. With his upcoming book (available for preorder), Epic Content Marketing, Second Edition: Break through the Clutter with a Different Story, Get the Most Out of Your Content, and Build a Community in Web3, he breaks down storytelling, creation, and connection in this ever-evolving digital world. Tune in to learn more about how Web3 is ushering in a new age of marketing and creativity and helping to develop communities all across the globe. 

In This Episode

• (5:03) Brian’s introduction to Web3, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and content strategy
• (14:36) The importance of trusting your instincts and skills
• (17:00) The evolution of connecting and networking in the professional world
• (22:13) How Web3, blockchain, and NFTs are revolutionizing efficiency, transparency, community, and ownership
• (30:51) The core elements of Web3 and how the transactions work
• (42:04) How to visualize and understand the contractual qualities of an NFT
• (50:10) How to control and protect your digital assets and why education on this topic is so important
• (58:57) Exploring the metaverse and understanding its impact and potential
• (1:10:37) The upcoming co-created book, Brian’s exciting new business ventures, and where to connect with him

Notable Quotes

• “You have a unique way because of your life experiences of communicating information that’s completely different than anybody else. And some people are just going to connect with you on that. And I think that’s really the fundamental, beginning point of community.” – Brian (16:28) 
• “(On NFTs) You can put whatever assets you want, whatever digital property you want to represent yourself in a wallet, and you can share that.” – Brian (26:28)
• “But really the coins (tokens) are serving as a kind of, almost as a social lubricant. Somebody does something nice in the community; they get rewarded with some coins (tokens). You want to have somebody help you promote your podcast; ‘I’ll give ya 50 coins (tokens).’ It’s a grand experiment, but that’s the way that brands could also think about using their coins (tokens).” – Dan (35:14) 
• “Typically the way that most experts define the metaverse – it’s a virtual, 3D, immersive environment that’s persistent, that stays there even if there’s no people in there, where you can have large groups of people come in and interact.” – Brian (1:01:16)
• “I really think the future of marketing is community. I see everything moving back from, ‘How big an audience do you have? How many people do you have following you?’ to ‘How connected is your community? How engaged is your community? How loyal and active and incentivized are your people?’” – Brian (1:15:21)

About Brian

Brian Piper is a seasoned marketer, search engine optimization (SEO) expert, author, speaker, strategist, and Web3 educator specializing in helping individuals and their businesses understand blockchain and digital exchange. He also knows digital content, data, and communication well after entering the industry almost thirty years ago. With his upcoming book, Epic Content Marketing, Second Edition: Break through the Clutter with a Different Story, Get the Most Out of Your Content, and Build a Community in Web3, he’s sharing the steps to begin optimizing your content to reach a greater audience and level of success. 

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/

Brian Piper 

• Website: https://www.brianwpiper.com/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianwpiper/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashpipe/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/brianwpiper/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianwpiperllc/ 
• Discord: https://discord.com/invite/9evgkWx2Dw 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVjjnshrgifgPhkiHXegVXQ 
• Pre-Order Epic Content Marketing: https://www.amazon.com/Epic-Content-Marketing-Second-Different/dp/1264774451/ 

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dan connects with one of the leaders of The Connective, a lifelong learner, marketing expert, entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed “business mechanic,” Adrian Sasine. Dan and Adrian discuss intentionality and purpose in the professional sphere. 

Adrian considers himself an inventor of sorts, and for good reason. His undeniable drive to create innovative and successful businesses has led him through several marketing endeavors over the years and ultimately led him to the Head of Operations and Marketing role at The Connective. He’s also building a new connection platform called Nolodex, which he hopes will optimize connections by merging affiliate marketing, community management, and FinTech. Listen in to discover how he’s supporting the growth of The Connective and Nolodex and how you can create lasting connections with intention. 

In This Episode

• (3:02) Adrian shares his journey to The Connective and his philosophy surrounding marketing
• (9:04) Why The Connective is a unique networking group
• (13:26) How Joe and Adrian built and now run the Atlanta chapter
• (16:18) The role revenue plays in the decision-making process
• (18:25) Connecting vs. networking and the future of The Connective and Nolodex 
• (25:18) The need that Nolodex meets and how it merges affiliate marketing, community management, and FinTech 
• (30:55) Practical implementation of the software in a school or church setting
• (33:36) Why this new platform will optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of connections
• (37:47) LinkedIn and Discord as competitors 
• (42:02) The process of referrals on the Nolodex platform
• (43:26) How Adrian expects connection to evolve and how COVID influenced the corporate space  
• (46:06) The difficulty of connecting in a virtual environment 
• (51:26) Why the digital age can cultivate belonging as well as loneliness
• (55:59) Adrian’s hope for The Connective’s growth and community as an educational resource

Notable Quotes

• “Networking for most people is about, ‘What’s in it for me? I’m networking with you because I want something.’ And I’ve found that this group [The Connective] – very different.” – Adrian (8:21)
• “My personal mantra is push myself hard enough that I will fail. And when I do – and believe me, I have failed more than more people are willing to put themselves in that situation – it’s ‘fall forward.’ That’s my mantra. ‘Fall forward.’ You’re gonna screw up. It’s not all gonna go your way. As long as you learn from it and you take a step forward, great.” – Adrian (18:38) 
• “The difference between networking and connecting? Connecting is taking it a step forward. ‘How can I help you, getting to know you…’” – Adrian (20:35) 
• “My idea of what community really is is a baseline of people you are connected with, that kind of meaningful intent, that ‘OK I’m not here just to have a name. I’m here to actually get to know people in a certain way’… There’s some common ground and usually there’s several shared values as well.” – Dan (25:33)
• “It’s the relationship first, you know, and the business second, which is really important. But you always know that the business is there. People always ask with interest and intent what’s going on.” – Dan (59:25)

About Adrian 

Adrian Sasine is the co-founder of Nolodex and the Head of Operations and Marketing at The Connective. He has over 20 years of experience in marketing and business, and his entrepreneurial drive has fueled more than a few business ventures, which allows him to advise brands, business owners, and executives in company strategy and growth. Alongside his work at The Connective, he’s working on completing a platform called Nolodex, which will support connections across various communities. 

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show: https://nestle.libsyn.com/

Adrian Sasine

• Adrian Sasine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asasine 
• The Connective on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theconnective 
• The Connective’s website: https://www.theconnective.me/ 
• Nolodex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nolodex

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dan connects with a true architect of modern Customer Experience (CX) and a man who can claim more than most to be a relationship innovator, the founder and CEO of The Center for Client Retention (TCFCR), Richard Shapiro. 

A former VP of Customer Satisfaction and Client Retention at ADP, Rich joins Dan to discuss his passion for developing relationships, the way his early experiences in retail with his father played a role in the trajectory of his life and career, and how he’s acted as a trailblazer in the industry for customer experience. Rich has pioneered a unique path for businesses to maximize growth and revenue potential by returning to the fundamental truth of the customer experience – that customers are people first and customers second. 

Today, Dan and Rich discuss Rich’s people-first approach to customer service, how his time at ADP influenced his ideas for shifting how businesses can enrich the customer experience, the ins and outs of his book,  The Endangered Customer: 8 Steps to Guarantee Repeat Business, and how the lessons from his book are applicable to all forms of relationships. 

Notable Quotes

• “The strongest bond in any relationship or business is between two people. Whether you have an e-commerce business or have a brick-and-mortar store or a medical practice – it’s all about the 1:1 relationships. People like to feel like somebody else really cares about them, and you can’t really care about someone unless you get to know them.” (1:01:29)

In This Episode

• (02:50) Richard’s story - from his father’s partner to trailblazing a new approach to the customer experience
• (06:38) Human connection in the corporate world
• (13:15) The evolution of the customer experience throughout the decades
• (19:32) Meaningful relationships are a pillar of the customer experience
• (26:24) The levels of customer service using a people-first approach
• (30:05) Richard breaks down his 8-step process for building brand loyalty
• (36:07) Using the invite to return instead of saying no to the customer. 
• (39:48) Treating customers like people even in frustrating situations to build trust
• (43:20) The 8 steps are all about relationships
• (51:01) Richard’s personal growth in building relationships using his 8-step process 
• (55:20) Genuine curiosity and sincerity are a necessity for building relationships
• (58:45) The key to customer service: people are people, not transactions

About Richard

Richard Shapiro is the Founder and President of The Center For Client Retention (TCFCR). He is an author and mentor with expertise in brand loyalty, customer experience, and customer retention. His upbringing, paired with his time in the corporate world, shaped Richard’s ideas for how powerful the customer experience is for improving customer retention. Richard believes by taking a people-first customer–second approach, customers will enter your business as a stranger but leave as a friend, eager to return. Richard is a renowned author of books such as “The Endangered Customer: 8 Steps to Guarantee Repeat Business” and “The Welcomer Edge: Unlocking the Secrets to Repeat Business.” Richard enjoys making new friends, mentoring others, and doing architectural tours.

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle

The Dan Nestle Show

• Website
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Google Podcasts
• Stitcher
• Deezer

Richard Shapiro

• Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardrshapiro/?locale=es_ES

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dan connects with business builder, data scientist, tech industry leader, and iBridge LLC co-founder and CEO Desh Urs to dive into leadership, data transformation, company culture, and the internet’s influence on understanding and utilizing data. After spending decades in the data science field, Desh saw how his clients struggled with the huge gaps in data quality and analysis, and together with his wife founded iBridge to solve that problem. Now, over 15 years later, Desh talks about the winding road he took to build a successful global business and grow into the leader he is today. He and Dan dig into the importance of building a corporate culture rooted in empathy and awareness, and Desh reveals some unique leadership development tactics he's using to grow his people and his business. In this wide-ranging conversation, Desh offers his insight into the state of data science, company-wide accountability, leadership, family, the meaning of connections, and much more. 

In This Episode

• (1:11) Introduction to Desh Urs
• (3:21) Navigating the last few years
• (5:14) Desh’s beginning and journey through data 
• (11:37) The internet’s influence on business, opinion, and data
• (19:04) The role of curiosity and a learning mindset
• (24:41) Where Dan and Desh were on 9/11 
• (29:06) Beginning iBridge, finding success, and the impact on personal life
• (43:56) Family culture and the human-to-human connection
• (49:02) Leading with empathy and leadership development at iBridge
• (59:27) iBridge’s mission and digital transformation as a whole
• (1:11:39) The pace of acceleration 

Notable Quotes

• “We all know how to ask questions, but the art of asking the right question is sort of few and far between. And when you think about when you’re trying to collect information, either anonymously or for a purpose… the questions that you ask can lead to information gathering or can lead to assessments…” – Desh (7:48)
• “That is what I think we miss as we get older – that amazement, that feeling of “My God! Do I really know this?” As opposed to, “I know this, and this is how this is.” And that’s the world of data.” – Desh (17:48)
• “The word we use – “customer, customer, customer” – is another human being just like you.” – Desh (47:02)
• “It is hard work to do this, but it’s extremely fun work. And there is such pleasure in helping people understand there is a bigger purpose to all this… I’m the guy that’s spreading the joy, so if you’re not happy, I have failed.” – Desh (1:15:15)

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• https://nestle.libsyn.com/
• http://twitter.com/dsnestle
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle
• https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow

Desh Urs

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/deshurs
• https://ibridgellc.com/

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dan connects with creative director, entrepreneur, designer, and founder of Hagopian Ink, Christina Hagopian. With about two decades of experience in advertising and marketing, Christina is a well-versed strategist who built her own agency with collaboration and innovation at the forefront of her mind. As Dan and Christina discuss her journey to building her own company after beginning as a designer in the industry, they consider the future of email strategy, how effective other channels of communication are in the realm of marketing, the significance of building your team, and how you can stay up-to-date on new trends. 

In This Episode

• (03:00) Christina’s journey to where she is today 
• (7:28) True confidence and collaboration in the industry
• (11:29) Christina’s beginning as a designer
• (12:28) The evolution and development of multi-channel marketing
• (15:35) How consumer behavior is changing the way marketers produce content
• (18:55) Christina’s approach to staying up-to-date in her field
• (21:42) “Design is at the center of everything.”
• (24:23) The Social Life of Brands

Notable Quotes

• “I realized very quickly that clients aren’t just hiring designers; they’re hiring teams.” – Christina (6:01)
• “I still believe in multi-channel marketing, and they just are different channels now.” – Christina (12:28)
• “When you’re at that mastermind level, you can’t only be in a silo. You have to reach out to other experts in your field. I hire strategists that know more than me…” – Christina (19:49)
• “Design is synonymous with experience.” – Dan (22:22) 
• “We live in our inbox. It’s where we live.” – Christina (29:32) 
• “You’re introducing a known entity to an unknown entity. And that’s why that works and that’s why that whole social side has taken off because that’s really what co-branding is, right? You’re trying to find like-minded brands that are already established…” – Christina (48:32) 
• “Giving the people on your list homage and gratitude and help them in some way. Serve them, so that they grow to be a part of your community… That’s a successful, long-term nurturing approach.” – Dan (49:41) 
• “When you’re trying to create a branded message with images and with rich content, there is no other channel that’s doing it well. There’s no other channel that does it the way that email does.” – Christina (51:24) 

Resources & Links

The Dan Nestle Show

• https://nestle.libsyn.com/
• http://twitter.com/dsnestle
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestle
• https://www.facebook.com/TheDanNestleShow

Christina Hagopian 

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinahagopian/
• https://hagopianink.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/hagopianink/?hl=en
• https://mobile.twitter.com/hagopianink
• https://www.facebook.com/HagopianInk/

Mentioned

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dan connects with IT project manager-turned-entrepreneur, Chief Connector of the Charleston chapter of The Connective, and CEO of Turtle Bay Payment Solutions, Karena Bell. Dan and Karena discuss how her journey through a male-dominated field led her to understand the significance of shifting your mindset to realize your potential and see potential in others—and how that helped her refine the art of building connections. They dive into the distinction between networking and connecting, how your approach to connections impacts your business and helps you become a better leader, and how true connection can lay the foundation for real success. 

In This Episode

• (2:23) – Karena begins speaking about her journey to becoming a CEO
• (4:15) – Even as an employee, she viewed herself as a business owner
• (5:13) - Discusses how complex situations can become valuable growth opportunities 
• (9:18) – The concept of mindset is introduced 
• (10:31) – The importance of mentors
• (11:58) – Realizing that she had no limits
• (19:35) – Do not bring emotion to the office 
• (31:31) – Destinations can be limiting 
• (40:35) -The difference between networking and connecting 
• (47:00) – The importance of showing interest in others
• (53:00) – Business and relationships

Notable Quotes

• “Good networks yield good people.” (1:25) - Dan
• “I want you to develop a mindset that has no limits, and you get used to asking for forgiveness rather than permission.” (15:35) - Karena 
• “If it's average or mediocre, it’s really boring to me.” (16:38) - Karena
• “There’s a response and a reaction. A reaction is anchored in emotion. A response is anchored in logic.” (20:02) - Karena
• “They say ‘it’s lonely at the top’... The reason it’s lonely at the top is because you don’t have people that you trust around you.” (26:36) - Karena
• “We’re all developers.” (28:33) - Karena
• “It is the journey that gets me excited because what motivates me is, ‘what is your potential?’ Do you know the answer to that question?” (31:34) - Karena
• “My own potential is only limited by my limiting beliefs.” (32:30) - Dan 
• “We’re all like onions. We all have different layers that we allow people to see. (43:50) - Karena
• “There is no one that I cannot find something interesting about to ask a simple question.” (45:50) - Karena
• “The blessings in my life are meant to benefit others.” (55:01) - Karena
• “I believe collaboration is the new currency.” (1:01:10) - Karena
• “Change the word ‘failure’ in your vocabulary to ‘feedback’.” (1:05:56) - Karena

Resources & Links

Dan Nestle

• The Dan Nestle Show
• Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn
• The Dan Nestle Show | Facebook
• Dan Nestle / Twitter

Karena Bell

• Karena Bell - LinkedIn
• Karena Bell-Facebook
• Karena Bell-Instagram
• Turtle Bay Payment Solutions

Mentioned: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

About The Trending Communicator

The Trending Communicator is a podcast about the future of communications and marketing, hosted by Dan Nestle. Each episode is a conversation with a communicator, marketer, author, or technologist about how the work is changing and what that means for the people doing it. The show launched in 2020 as The Dan Nestle Show and has published more than 150 episodes.

About the Host

Dan Nestle (Daniel Nestle) is a communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience, including 16 years in Japan. He is co-founder and Chief Product & Intelligence Officer of Lilypath, the company behind the patent-pending Authority Intelligence™ platform, and founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of Inquisitive Communications, a strategic advisory practice. He received the 2022 Arthur W. Page Society Page Up Innovation Award, was named a PRWeek Dashboard 25 AI Pioneer in 2023 and 2024, and was named one of Propel's 100 Most Influential PR Tech Leaders Worldwide in 2025.

Connect with Dan

The Trending Communicator: https://trendingcommunicator.com
Substack: https://trendingcommunicator.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nestle
Lilypath: https://lilypath.com
Inquisitive Communications: https://be-inquisitive.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/trendingcommunicator

Show notes for The Trending Communicator are co-created by Human Dan, Claude, and Fireflies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.