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The Strategy Inside Everything

The Strategy Inside Everything

By Adam Pierno

Host Adam Pierno brings in artists, authors, executives, makers, marketers and strategists to dissect events in culture, art, politics, business, sports and beyond to discuss the strategy driving it.
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Darien LaBeach welcomes you to the strategy community

The Strategy Inside EverythingAug 23, 2018

00:00
41:41
I'd like to hear from YOU

I'd like to hear from YOU

It's Adam. I'm planning a light weight version of the show that I can support in 2024 along with my work on In the Demo (with the one and only Farrah Bostic). I can't do that without thoughts, ideas, questions from you, the listeners. There's three ways to share your thinking with me: Voice message through Spotify. It's easy. Click here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/adam-pierno and find the button that says "Send voice message." Fill out a form on the podcast website, thatsnotaninsight.com. It's right there on the homepage, go for it. The Q&A on this episode's show notes (Spotify listeners only, which is about 10% of you). Or just email me or message me directly on LinkedIn. I'm no longer active on any other social media (even Twitter, can you believe it?), so please, just email or LinkedIn. What topics are you interested in? What people would you love to hear from? What stories have you been turning over in your mind that you'd like to expand? Also, please no PR pitches. I won't be taking pitched guests in this iteration of the show.
Dec 29, 202303:58
Gaming in culture with Jamin Warren

Gaming in culture with Jamin Warren

Shall we play a game? Sorry, couldn't resist and I know that only people over 40 will get the joke. Jamin Warren of Twofivesix has been working in gaming for long enough to see the influence of games come full circle. Before, games tried to capitalize on pop culture, like films (anyone played the ET game?) but for the past decade, games have become a source of influence of pop culture (see: The Last of Us). Jamin takes us through what gaming means to people and how that influence plays out.

Find Jamin Warren at https://twofivesix.co/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamin-warren-5149aa20/

The Strategy Inside Everything is produced by me, Adam Pierno. If you like what you've heard, leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  Actually, I have no idea if that helps, or if it's ever done anybody any  good. If you really want to help the show, and you like what you've  heard, share it with someone else you think will dig it. That's the best  way to help the show and keep the conversation growing. If you have an idea, a question or want to push back, go to thatsnotaninsight.com where you can send me a message or leave me a voicemail that will be added to future shows.

New music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Luke Holizna, for more information on his music go to holizna.com. You can also support him by going to his Patreon at patreon.com/Holizna. For more information on me, you can go to AdamPierno.com To learn about my books, my speaking and my consulting practice. Thanks for listening.

Mar 28, 202337:02
Are dating apps video games with Katy Coduto

Are dating apps video games with Katy Coduto

You are no doubt familiar with some of the elements of dating apps that have become UX and pop culture staples. For some of you, you're all too familiar with the ways gamified UX features affect approach to dating. Dr. Katy Coduto can explain why. She's been researching dating apps and behaviors for years. A  researcher and Assistant Professor at Boston University (go Terriers!), she's been looking at the ways each swipe and tap has impacted the dating scene and the people living it on a day-to-day basis. She has insights into how the UX we use can become the prism through which we see the activity.

You can find Katy Coduto here: https://kdcoduto.com/
I first hear her on this episode of WBUR's The Endless Thread podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-bot-bad-bot-part-v-dating-bots/id1321060753?i=1000589578515&l=fr

The Strategy Inside Everything is produced by me, Adam Pierno. If  you like what you've heard, leave a review wherever you listen to   podcasts.  Actually, I have no idea if that helps, or if it's ever done   anybody any  good. If you really want to help the show, and you like   what you've  heard, share it with someone else you think will dig it.   That's the best  way to help the show and keep the conversation  growing.  If you have an  idea, a question or want to push back, go to thatsnotaninsight.com where you can send me a message or leave me a voicemail that will be    added to future shows. New music for The Strategy Inside Everything is    by Luke Holizna, for more information on his music go to holizna.com. You can also support him by going to his Patreon at patreon.com/Holizna. For more information on me, you can go to AdamPierno.com To learn about my books, my speaking and my consulting practice. Thanks for listening.

Mar 14, 202341:20
Lisa Heyamoto is helping unbreak news

Lisa Heyamoto is helping unbreak news

You've probably read or heard a lot about the plight of news in America, and specifically how local news has shrunk over the years. LION is an organization started to help more local groups successfully report their local news. Lisa Heyamoto, Programming Director, Membership Education at LION helps develop tools and training to help these local groups thrive. We talk about how they approach tools and training, and where she sees needs among these startups and entrepreneurs. 

Find Lisa Heyamoto at LIONpublishers.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is produced by me, Adam Pierno. If you like what you've heard, leave a review wherever you listen to  podcasts.  Actually, I have no idea if that helps, or if it's ever done  anybody any  good. If you really want to help the show, and you like  what you've  heard, share it with someone else you think will dig it.  That's the best  way to help the show and keep the conversation growing.  If you have an  idea, a question or want to push back, go to thatsnotaninsight.com where you can send me a message or leave me a voicemail that will be   added to future shows. New music for The Strategy Inside Everything is   by Luke Holizna, for more information on his music go to holizna.com. You can also support him by going to his Patreon at patreon.com/Holizna. For more information on me, you can go to AdamPierno.com To learn about my books, my speaking and my consulting practice. Thanks for listening.

Feb 28, 202339:46
Don Caldwell on the evolution of memes

Don Caldwell on the evolution of memes

If you're interested in memes, this show is for you. Managing director at Literally Media and Editor in chief of Know Your Meme, Don Caldwell joins Adam to talk about how memes have evolved from the early days of the commercial internet and how they look like they'll change going forward. Don's been at Know Your Meme for some of the memes that pop in your head when you describe what memes mean, the context he provides is rich. 

Find Don at knowyourmeme.com and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-caldwell-67b39016/
A great companion to this episode would be Amanda Brennan's recent conversation with Adam: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/lsRveNcGpxb

The Strategy Inside Everything is produced by me, Adam Pierno. If you  like what you've heard, leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  Actually, I have no idea if that helps, or if it's ever done anybody any  good. If you really want to help the show, and you like what you've  heard, share it with someone else you think will dig it. That's the best  way to help the show and keep the conversation growing. If you have an  idea, a question or want to push back, go to thatsnotaninsight.com where you can send me a message or leave me a voicemail that will be  added to future shows. New music for The Strategy Inside Everything is  by Luke Holizna, for more information on his music go to holizna.com. You can also support him by going to his Patreon at patreon.com/Holizna. For more information on me, you can go to AdamPierno.com To learn about my books, my speaking and my consulting practice. Thanks for listening.

Feb 14, 202350:43
SPECIAL EPISODE: Nishita Tamuly is gently powering through with Kaitlin Maud-Moon

SPECIAL EPISODE: Nishita Tamuly is gently powering through with Kaitlin Maud-Moon

Have you ever felt like you hit the wall? How did you get through it when you know stopping isn's a long term solution. Nishita Tamuly joins the show and talks about what's she has discovered about intention as a powerful force for overcoming burnout. She's joined by the one. The only. Kaitlin Maud-Moon (horn sound effect here). 

Find Kaitlin at: https://kaitlinmaud.com/ Kaitlin - sincere thanks for hosting this conversation.

But wait? Where the hell is Adam? He's been working on a new show, In  the Demo, all about the origins of the Millennial Myth. You can listen  here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-demo/id1655565898. He'll be back for the next episode and you'll be hearing more from Kaitlin and maybe some other voices.

The Strategy Inside Everything is produced by me, Adam Pierno. If you like what you've heard, leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Actually, I have no idea if that helps, or if it's ever done anybody any good. If you really want to help the show, and you like what you've heard, share it with someone else you think will dig it. That's the best way to help the show and keep the conversation growing. If you have an idea, a question or want to push back, go to thatsnotaninsight.com where you can send me a message or leave me a voicemail that will be added to future shows. New music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Luke Holizna, for more information on his music go to holizna.com. You can also support him by going to his Patreon at patreon.com/Holizna. For more information on me, you can go to AdamPierno.com To learn about my books, my speaking and my consulting practice. Thanks for listening.

Show notes:  
0:02 Nishita’s career to date
6:36 The desire map and how it relates to goals
11:14 Dealing with emotional burnout
18:09 The power of writing in the artists way
24:57 The power of gentle actions
33:10 How burnout teaches us that we have finite energy
37:39 How to get support from others
42:24 The parallels between burnout and burnout from work

Jan 31, 202350:02
Where we go wrong with performance improvement with Carla Fowler

Where we go wrong with performance improvement with Carla Fowler

How much time do you spend thinking about how you might perform better - at your job or in other areas of your life. Just in time for your new year's resolution, Dr. Carla Fowler is thinking about it for you. After leaving a pursuit of medicine, she realized she wanted to help people, but in a different way. She's gone on to build THAXA Executive Coaching. In this revealing conversation, she and Adam discuss where knowledge workers often go wrong when they approach performance improvement, and how they might think about it more productively. 

Find Carla Fowler at THAXA and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-fowler/

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back  on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail. The most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. Music  for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Show notes:
0:02 How Carla got to where she is today at THAXA
2:40 The decision to leave medicine and start a business
7:47 The importance of having a multi-pronged strategy
13:07 What are signs of confusion?
15:32 What do people want out of your career arc?
19:24 The importance of asking questions to help people understand their industry
25:03 What is an extreme outcome goal?
27:43 Process vs. outcome goals.
33:34 How do you promote yourself when there isn’t a scoreboard?
39:44 How does time play a role in a person’s success?

Dec 27, 202246:08
SPECIAL EPISODE: Kaitlin Maud-Moon hosts Ezra Englebardt and Matt Rainone
Dec 13, 202248:21
Nick Bond found real metrics for a scripted sport

Nick Bond found real metrics for a scripted sport

How many times have you come up with an idea, and then you have no idea how to measure it to see if it's successful? Nick Bond writes (and thinks and dreams) about professional wrestling. While acknowledging that WWE promotes a scripted sport, which he describes as subjective, Nick identified a clever way to measure how wrestlers are performing over time. In this fast-moving conversation, Nick talks about what he was trying to solve for, how he found a model to build on and how he continues to refine his POP Plus metric, now used by The Ringer to help rank and contextualize pro wrestlers. 

Read Nick Bond on The Ringer and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/THEN1CKSTER

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who  think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam  Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more  at adampierno.com.

Nov 29, 202251:51
Introducing: In the Demo - a new podcast from Adam Pierno

Introducing: In the Demo - a new podcast from Adam Pierno

A new podcast from the makers of The Strategy Inside Everything.  How did the generation defined by hope become the enemy? Where do stories this big come from? And why does it matter? Introducing, in the demo. A new podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, experienced strategists and researchers Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Available wherever you get your podcasts now. Follow or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-demo/id1655565898, Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0MUnoviXx1KidEpWds9Pma?si=38aOLGsgT9aTWanagPMYFQ or iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-in-the-demo-104887340/?
Nov 22, 202201:31
The art (and science) of the conversation with Brooke Sellas

The art (and science) of the conversation with Brooke Sellas

Author Brooke Sellas (she's still getting used to that descriptor) has been leading and measuring conversations for years. As CEO of B Squared Media, she's developed a model for metrics that have meaning and help organizations understand what is happening and why. Instead of generic measures linked to 'engagement' she reports on a return on conversation that has elasticity to better capture the needs of the particular organization, and those it is conversation with. Her book, Conversations That Connect, maps her creation of the model and how to best use it. 

Find Conversations That Connect here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4WLP1BQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
Find Brooke B. Sellas here: bsquared.media 

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who  think for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push  back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com  and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Nov 15, 202247:21
Amanda Brennan explores the connection between memes and culture

Amanda Brennan explores the connection between memes and culture

Ever wonder why a meme resonates with you so hard? Ever catch yourself realizing the dumb looping video you just giggled at and retweeted is actually a clever commentary on a common social convention? Ever apply library science skills to one of the largest meme data sets in the world? Okay, two out of three ain't bad. Amanda Brennan joins Adam to talk about her path into the world of internet culture and memes, and how she makes sense of it all. Her passion for memes is rivaled by her understanding of the form. 

Find Amanda on Tumblr: memelibrarian.com
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/continuants
And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/continuants/
But definitely not on TikTok (as of this recording)

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who  think for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push  back on  something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Nov 01, 202242:19
Aric Wood is focused on action

Aric Wood is focused on action

If you are a regular listener to this show, you probably make plans for a living. Ever feel like the job stalls out in Google Slides? Like, you work on the thinking but seeing it take flight is never quite right? Aric Wood of XPLANE gets strategies airborne for a living. He wrote a book, called The Strategy Activation Playbook, which Adam dug so much while preparing for this conversation, that he read it a second time. This conversation covers the how and why of this book, which will seem pretty clear, but the level of detail in the book, and Aric's insightful description is intriguing. Like Adam's first book, Under Think It, its meant to be a desk reference, flipped open whenever a strategist gets stuck. 

Find The Strategy Activation Playbook here: https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Activation-Playbook-Practical-Strategies/dp/1637741820
Find Aric Wood here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aric-wood-588272/ and XPLANE here: https://xplane.com/

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who  think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push  back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most  interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't  wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy  consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Oct 18, 202246:30
Kaitlin Maud Moon on perpetual forward motion

Kaitlin Maud Moon on perpetual forward motion

Ever meet someone and feel like you've known them your whole life? This episode captures that feeling in real time. The amazing Kaitlin Maud Moon was kind enough to join the show to talk to Adam about her non-linear career path and the inspiration for her pursuit of a degree beyond that work. She's thoughtful about how each body of work informs and enhances the other, and how she tapped into a plan that may have been there all along that.

You can find Kaitlin at her site: http://www.kaitlinmaud.com/ and on Twitter (that's where I found her): https://twitter.com/kaitlinmaud

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com 

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push  back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Oct 04, 202241:58
Neil Parker knows where brands are going

Neil Parker knows where brands are going

Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at co:collective, Neil Parker joins Adam to talk about his experience in corporate strategy and how it's informed his thinking about brands. As context changes, brands change. As the meta context changes, the needs for brands to exist change. His perspective as a consultant provides an outlook unique in the world of brand strategy, as he considers how brand managers can shift from the pure focus on ROI metrics to more meaningful outcomes. You can find Neil at co:collective or on Instagram. You may also like our episode with co:collective's Kit Krugman, one of Adam's favorites. 

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who  think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push  back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most  interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't  wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy  consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Sep 20, 202239:00
What conditions make great work possible with Katie Dreke

What conditions make great work possible with Katie Dreke

Katie Dreke has a lot of experience helping people get above the bar. Better thinking, better work, better outcomes. In agencies and global brands, she has tested ways to get people to feel and do their best work. In this conversation, Katie and I explore the conditions that help people perform and some of the specifics Katie has tried in her career at Nike, Adidas and others. 

If you haven't already, you should go back right now and listen to my earlier conversation with Katie.

You can find Katie here on Twitter: https://twitter.com/katiedreke
Or on her website: https://drke.co/

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who  think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push  back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most  interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't  wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by  Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy  consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Sep 06, 202247:55
Joey Camire on caring

Joey Camire on caring

Before all this talk of "quiet quitting," Joey Camire noticed people just tapping out of their work and other responsibilities. He realized there was something big going on, something beyond apathy and approaching nihilism. With waves of bad news, how can we reach people to reengage them, and apply meaning where they may have lost it? This conversation touches on ways we put humanity first, and manage what is in our control to inspire others. Joey is principal and managing director at Sylvain. 

You can find Joey here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjoeycamire/, he talks more about nihilism on Critical Nonsense here.

And Sylvain here: https://sylvain.co/

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who  think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push  back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most  interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't  wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by  Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy  consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Aug 23, 202246:58
Adrian Ho is putting in the work

Adrian Ho is putting in the work

When Adrian Ho founded Zeus Jones, he had a vision to be a partner that would help solve deeper business problems than the ad agencies in which he got his start. Over time, the firm did just that. Seeing there was more to do to drive change in the world, through business, he and Zeus Jones launched the Demos investment fund to support startups innovating towards a better world. After knowing Adrian by reputation and mutual friends for a long time, we finally connected to talk about his start, training and outlook on improving things around us.  


Find Adrian Ho here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianho/
Read about Zeus Jones and Demos here: https://tcbmag.com/zeus-jones-invests-in-the-future-of-business/

Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Aug 09, 202245:45
Mirror Thinking with Fiona Murden

Mirror Thinking with Fiona Murden

I was wondering about role models, especially in the type of work where people are being assigned to do things that they have never done. I didn't have to look far to find the excellent book Mirror Thinking, and its author, Fiona Murden. She is an Organizational Psychologist and the founder of Aroka Ltd. She joined me to talk about how we learn by taking cues from people who set an aspirational example, and where to find those when its not immediately clear.

Find Fiona at www.fionamurden.com and her podcast Dot to Dot.
Find your host, Adam Pierno at www.adampierno.com 

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Jul 26, 202236:37
David C. Lowery on finding your audience

David C. Lowery on finding your audience

Aggregator platforms are always talking about finding new content relevant for you; Netflix, Google, Amazon, Spotify. David C. Lowery has spent a lifetime figuring out first-hand how to find and curate audiences for his own bands, Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker, and now teaching all he’s learned as a Senior Lecturer at University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. He breaks down how audiences were discovered and nurtured, pre-algorithm. 

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait   to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Jul 12, 202252:23
Sara Lobkovich isn't afraid

Sara Lobkovich isn't afraid

The initial prompt for this conversation was "What would you accomplish at your job if you had no fear of losing it?" Sara Lobkovich is the perfect person to respond. She not only helps organizations identify and navigate positive change, but she's been challenging her perception of fear in activities like climbing and motorcycling her whole life. What follows is an honest, raw conversation with someone who is keenly aware of the line between security and fear and the benefits of balancing both. 

You can find Sara at Red Currant. https://redcurrantco.com/ and subscribe to her newsletter at https://ck.redcurrantco.com/subscribe.

As an audience, you guys are terrible at providing feedback. I dare you https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. The Strategy Inside Everything is a podcast for people who think for a living.

Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Jun 28, 202250:25
Timothy Summers' very practical plans for web3

Timothy Summers' very practical plans for web3

Dr. Timothy Summers is Executive Director of Product Development of Digital Trust and Lead of Pocket initiative at Arizona State University and CEO at Summers & Company. He has the knowledge and expertise that would make some people tough for laypeople to understand. But he approaches problem solving and opportunities with practicality that is energizing. I took this opportunity to ask him about how web3 might become the thing we've been reading speculation about, and he had some characteristically intelligent and down-to-earth thoughts on the subject, coming from his work at ASU. 

You can find Timothy on Twitter at @howhackersthink

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think   for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back   on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most   interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait   to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by   Sawsquarenoise.

Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Jun 14, 202242:03
Go Luck Yourself with Andy Nairn

Go Luck Yourself with Andy Nairn

At the end of every episode of How I Built It, host Guy Raz asks extremely successful founders whether hard work and smarts played as much of a role as luck. Andy Nairn is the founder of Lucky Generals. He's been paying attention to the role that luck plays in life and brand success, since before stumbling on that name almost ten years ago. Now he's written a book, Go Luck Yourself, to put the stories in context and explaining how to recognize and take advantage when luck smiles on your business and brand. 

Proceeds from the book are going to support Commercial Break, which creates job opportunities in the creative industries for young, working class talent: https://www.amazon.com/Go-Luck-Yourself-brands-favour/dp/0857198882
Find Andy Nairn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andynairn?lang=en
Andy's shop, Lucky Generals: https://www.luckygenerals.com/

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back  on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most  interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait  to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by  Sawsquarenoise.

Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.


May 31, 202242:48
Craig Elimeliah is respectfully obsessed

Craig Elimeliah is respectfully obsessed

Like many of our guests, Craig Elimeliah thinks a lot about things. But he's thinking a lot about a lot of things, and trying to assemble the pieces to understand patterns. From his early start studying the Talmud, through finding his way in the early commercial web, he's developed a passion for understanding the end user. Now, he's leading teams and passing on that obsession with cross-discipline teams at VMLY&R. He talked to Adam about just how he approaches that. 

You can find Craig on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CraigElimeliah

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise.

Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

May 17, 202239:35
Mapping new experiences with Sanya Deshpande

Mapping new experiences with Sanya Deshpande

After years of traditional strategy training at shops VMLY&R and PHD, Sanya Deshpande was inspried by the offering of Oura Ring. She talks about what elements of her experience have served her in this new world, and what she's had to learn and help create. 

You can find Sanya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanyadeshpande/

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on  something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most  interesting messages will be added to future episodes, and I can't wait  to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. 

Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

May 03, 202236:48
Kate Knibbs is making things interesting

Kate Knibbs is making things interesting

Kate Knibbs is a senior writer for Wired. In her work, she wants stories to be true and interesting. In pursuit of those goals Kate is a determined researcher. In this conversation, she shares her process and talks about stories which presented unexpected turns in the reporting which lead to better–that is more truthful and interesting stories. Strategists and knowledge workers of all kinds can benefit from this insightful approach.

Kate can be found on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Knibbs and Wired: https://www.wired.com/author/kate-knibbs/ 

We discussed two stories you will probably want to read after hearing about.
We worked at Vice, then went to jail. The ClickHole odyssey

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com

If you’d like to support the podcast, you can here: https://anchor.fm/adam-pierno/support

Apr 19, 202241:60
Carolina Cruz-Letelier is a realistic optimist.
Apr 05, 202245:57
Just how much do you need to know with Adam Nayman
Mar 27, 202253:16
Share this experience with Jenny Nicholson

Share this experience with Jenny Nicholson

Jenny Nicholson, Executive Director, Brand Experience at McKinney began her career as a copywriter. But before landing in advertising, she earned a Master's degree in Social Work. She's always been in touch with how people think and make decisions. Despite working on beautiful and compelling creative, she wondered traditional advertising channels were the most impactful tool which led to the creation of Spent, a game that puts the player in the position of having to make the hard choices necessary to stretch a small household budget over the course of a pretty typical month. Ten years later, this game is used to help teach principles of social work in universities and Jenny has created a unit at McKinney devoted to meaningful experiences. 

Play Spent here: https://playspent.org/
Find Jenny at http://www.jennysayshi.com/ and https://twitter.com/missjenny.

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back  on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most  interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait  to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by  Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy  consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Mar 08, 202246:09
Asking Neil Sahota how artificial intelligence will displace thought workers

Asking Neil Sahota how artificial intelligence will displace thought workers

Chief Innovation Officer at UC Irvine and UN Advisor on AI, Neil Sahota, joins a lively discussion with host Adam Pierno on how AI is improving. Improving means getting smarter, but also carving out niches for applications. This wide ranging conversation touches on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and thinking beyond automation. Neil shares examples of eye opening work being done by AI, like a film trailer cut from the full feature with no human editor... See it here

Find Neil on his website, LinkedIn and on Twitter

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back  on  something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most   interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait   to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by   Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Feb 22, 202237:47
Colin Mitchell on the Virtues of understanding your audience

Colin Mitchell on the Virtues of understanding your audience

Colin Mitchell has come from a traditional planning background at BMP and other shops famous for planning and creative, along with a stop at McDonald's before his current role at Virtue, the agency powered by Vice. Adam and Colin discuss how that planning education from the pre-digital era has informed the powerful work they're doing now to tap into culture and sub-culture trends.

You can learn more about Virtue here: https://www.virtueworldwide.com/

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a   living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back  on   something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most    interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't  wait   to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by    Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy  consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Feb 08, 202241:17
Reginald Cash is thinking beyond platforms

Reginald Cash is thinking beyond platforms

Reginald Cash, CEO of 3BLACKDOT joins Adam for an in-depth discussion about how creators are transcending (escaping?) the confines of platforms through their own creativity. His background spans the NY party scene and top-levels of high finance communications, providing a different prism to the oft rehashed world of creators, looking at it beyond typical marketing implications. 

Find more about Reg here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginald-cash-3614a898/

Learn about 3BLACKDOT: https://www.3blackdot.com/

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a   living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back  on   something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most    interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't  wait   to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by    Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy  consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Jan 25, 202238:56
Introduce yourself to Christina Garnett

Introduce yourself to Christina Garnett

Where do you fit in and why? Christina Garnett has figured out that people rarely fit in to communities that aren't welcoming. She's been single-handedly making Twitter friendlier (put her on the payroll, cowards!) and sharing insights about how to nurture meaningful communities. If you're a long-time listener, you know I come back to this topic often. See Darien LaBeach's episode for another solid conversation on this topic. It's a recurring passion of mine because I've always felt like an oddball, and am trying to learn what happens inside of groups that gives them their characteristics. Good news, Christina has answers. Find her here. Before and after the episode, we talked Foo Fighters, they are great but they don't need a plug so I'm not linking to them. Here's the original tweet we discuss at the top of the episode

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait to hear from you. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Jan 11, 202250:48
Making a list with Joe Cole

Making a list with Joe Cole

Joe Cole joined me from his cross-country travel to share what he's learned building a list of what agencies are serving the interests of oil and fossil fuel companies at Clean Creatives. He's been rallying creative people–and others (that's important) to bring that work into the light, and make it plain who is taking the money. We all have a choice what type of work we do. Joe's work as a creative recruiter with We Are Rosie has shown him that people have more of a voice than ever, and want to work with companies they can be proud of as well as be paid by.  

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think for a living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait to hear from you. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Hey, you might be a listener and have no idea, but I’ve written some books. You can find Under Think It (a marketing strategy handbook) and Specific (a book about trying to build brands in a world that doesn’t want any more of them). You can read some fiction I’ve written here, for free.

Dec 28, 202146:40
Brad Scott helps see things clearly
Dec 17, 202148:55
Leslie Short navigates uncharted waters

Leslie Short navigates uncharted waters

Leslie Short studies workplace dynamics and to identify how diversity, equity and inclusion can be better woven in–sometimes in places where it has never been considered. Her approach is practical, pragmatic. I was fortunate to speak with her and learn more about the questions she asks, and how she addresses some of the biggest challenges in this space.

For more information on Leslie Short, visit The Cavu Group.

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a   living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back  on   something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most    interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't  wait   to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by    Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy  consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Dec 03, 202148:17
Charlie McKittrick is exploring space

Charlie McKittrick is exploring space

I had to take a break from publishing. Truth, I got extremely busy at my full-time job, some challenging freelance strategy projects for brands, and little disinterested in extra effort beyond all of that.

The Strategy Inside Everything is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for hanging in there while I paused. When I tried to turn the podcast and newsletter machine back on, nothing really happened. Like a lot of procrastination, I assumed it was all about the build up of imaginary pain that prevents me from starting certain work or tasks. But as I waded back into production (real producers would be offended to my version of the craft) I paid attention to each step in the process at what I liked and didn’t like.

Honestly, I started this podcast and I continue it for my own selfish purposes. I do it to speak to and learn from smart people. People who are experts in their field, or who have information I find interesting or have questions to work through together. That learning is the part I care most about, followed by the conversations that kick off with people who listen after (nearly) every episode. Everything else, meh. Coordinating schedules, recording, editing, transcribing, blech. Even writing this letter, until my fingers touch the keys was just overwhelming me.

So here’s my request - tell me what parts you like and what you can live without. I did a Twitter and Linked in poll (very scientific) and less than 30% of people said they ever read transcripts. But if a single person tells me they personally read transcripts of this show, I will continue doing them.

The good news is I’ve got new conversations lined up, and I’m excited. If you have a guest you’d like to hear on the show,
please send them my way. On this episode, Charlie McKittrick joined me and I was so happy for the opportunity to speak with him. He’s seen creative business from a lot of perspectives, and he’s now CSO and Managing Partner at Mother, and agency I’ve long admired (and so have you). His energy for understanding creativity and finding the ways and the space for it to flourish is contagious. He and the very smart people at Mother are working together to learn from the last extremely bizarre 20 months and try new ways to inspire, motivate and respect agency professionals and partners to continue meeting their high standards for results.

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait to hear from you. Music for The Strategy Inside Everything is by Sawsquarenoise. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Get full access to The Strategy Inside Everything at specific.substack.com/subscribe

Nov 19, 202141:26
Claire Atkin helps brands define safety for themselves
Jul 28, 202145:43
Nick Childs helps tell your story
Jun 09, 202145:11
Finding your way with Katie Dreke

Finding your way with Katie Dreke

All day long, you hear challenges and create plans to navigate through them. Briefs, decks whatever. You put in writing the plan for how to get from the place the organization or brand is in today to where it needs to be. Where are you today? Are you where you need to be? If not, how do you approach that challenge? Here's an idea for you: write a brief for you. Strategists are brilliant at framing a problem and mapping the way out, but often pretty terrible at doing this for themselves. I spent some time writing a brief for myself this spring and found it very helpful. I took a few hours to do what I do for brands and business, clarified the challenge, described the obstacles and charted some potential paths forward. This helped me reframe things I had been worrying about a little to much in the greater context of where I could potentially go, and helped me map the path to how to get there. Want help with yours? Find me on Twitter or email me and I'd be happy to see where you are. I'd be interested to see what sort of approach you take and how the briefs are shaped. I'll share interesting stuff with the group (and hide the personal information, obviously). This month, I was extremely lucky to spend an hour talking with Katie Dreke. She is working through a brief of her own and talked me through how she is considering what her next move should be. Listening to this episode, you'll hear audible pauses where I believe I was just trying to keep up. Katie thinks deeply and expresses those thoughts simply. 

Links: Katie Dreke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/katiedreke

Katie Dreke on the web: https://drke.co/ 

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait to hear from you. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

May 25, 202146:15
Getting Thas Naseemuddeen's incredible perspective

Getting Thas Naseemuddeen's incredible perspective

Most industries work in teams. The recent adaptation to the way we work has affected our approach in some simple and profound ways. As I've spoken to strategists and marketers, I've learned that this has impacted the way their assignments happen, or maybe just the way they feel. Work, or parts of work that was formerly done by teams in shared space or at least shaped or nurtured in hallway conversations, has become solo work. Passed from person to person digitally, like an assembly line, in which each person is not always clear on what they are meant to add to the product. It can all feel a bit lonely. Ultimately, each person has a role and a responsibility to the project. What decisions one makes probably hasn't changed. But they may feel more isolating, and more revealing about what is at stake in each case.

When you listen to a choir, it's not always clear who is performing which part, while reviewing the 16 track recording tells you exactly who is doing what. Remember, we all dislike the sound of our own recorded voice. So it is with work, we want to know how what we do, what we decide fits in to the bigger picture, how our role contributes to the bigger result. When Thas Nuseemuddeen joined me for the following chat, she revealed a deep intelligence and curiosity about an incredible array of subjects. She casually dropped insightful comments faster than I could take notes. I realized in her role as CEO of Omelet, she is the type of leader thinking about challenges like these that her team may be facing. I never even asked, when she said something I've been thinking about deeply since: Making these decisions can be very lonely. Thas has a perspective on how all the parts of the choir should sound together, and we're fortunate to hear how she thinks in this episode.

Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thasnaseemuddeenhttps://twitter.com/thaz7

You want to read for yourself? Fine. Go then. Transcript: http://adampierno.com/getting-thas-naseemuddeens-incredible-perspective/

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May 12, 202137:42
Ben Perreira is learning through repetition
Apr 28, 202138:44
Nate Nichols is creating space

Nate Nichols is creating space

For the past year, there's been a big reason for each of us to think about ourselves. My safety and security. My health. My job security. Basically protecting our small bubble. As vaccination happens en masse and we take our first tenuous steps back towards a physical social world, you may have noticed a broadening of your perspective. Things are transforming from the nearly squarish Zoom screen to the full surround of the real world.

This means real actions and real consequence. There will be a million Medium posts on transforming who you are as you come back to the world. That can be as simple as ordering new pants from that no name brand on Instagram or by changing the fundamental way you relate to people. I don't expect I'll change that much, and I will grant you the same hall pass. As we come back, it will be easy to get caught up in the roaring aspect of the return. I am hoping I will be half the person in the new, real-world as I was hiding in my home for the past year.

I had the opportunity to speak with Nate Nichols, founder and creative director of Palette Group and co-founder of Allyship & Action. If you weren't inspired to reconsider how you relate to people, or the space you make in the world, you should listen. I only knew Nate from social media, where most of us go to post our victories. Imagine my surprise when I was even more impressed by hearing the full context of what he's been up to and why.

If you are building something (and many of you have told me you are) this episode will be instructive. As I prepare to re-enter to world, I'm taking some of these lessons with me, and wondering why I hadn't learned them earlier.

https://www.palettegrp.com/https://www.allyshipandaction.com/

You’re looking for the transcript, haven't you? You're so predictable. Well, fine. You can get that here: http://adampierno.com/nate-nichols-is-creating-space/

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Apr 13, 202151:60
You can trust Margot Bloomstein

You can trust Margot Bloomstein

I spoke with the author of Trustworthy, How The Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism and Bridge the Trust Gap,  Margot Bloomstein about how some brands design their communication and UX around building and maintaining trust, so their customers don't feel icky. In the book, she uses a collection of great examples to make her points, and goes pretty deep on the work they did to identify the point of trust and keep improving on that front.

Links:
https://appropriateinc.com/trustworthy/

Here is a transcript of the episode: http://adampierno.com/you-can-trust-margot-bloomstein/  

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait to hear from you. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Mar 31, 202145:22
James Gregson puts it together

James Gregson puts it together

Over the past year, I've been living almost exclusively online. If I had to guess, I would estimate I've watched more than 200 movies and competed a dozen series. I wrote and recorded a bunch. I've played video games and scrolled multiple marathons distance on Twitter. And then came TikTok. Oh boy, Clubhouse.

In marketing, advertising, whatever, we call them 'experiences' (myself included) but I think that is what the youth would call "b******t". It's amazing how little of that screen time I have memories of. It has all blurred together. My memories are all of physical, real-world experiences. I'm not sure how many of those movies that I watched that I could name at the moment, through some were excellent.

This weekend, I drove to a store to buy something for less than $10 that Amazon probably could have delivered in the same day because I couldn't stand looking at a screen any more. Going to Home Depot is no exciting feat, but I found myself looking forward to it, if for no other reason than it was a change of scenery. An experience (sort of), but not much more memorable than scrolling Netflix or Twitter. And when I had the product I needed, I had to check myself out. Ultimately, it was still me and a screen.

I wonder when this is all over what the collective drive to escape screen experiences is going to do to our lives and culture. There will certainly a burst of imaginative events and retail, and I wonder how much they'll end up being odd fads versus long-term trends shaped by this odd year we 'experienced' together.

This week, I have the fantastic James Gregson, digital creative director at LEGO, one of my favorite brands. I learned to love LEGO as a child, but continued loving it playing their video games and then assembling models with my own children. I followed James on (virtual) stage at a Brand Innovators event and was captivated by his point of view. He was kind enough to join me for this talk about combining the online and offline.

Read the transcript for this episode here:
http://adampierno.com/james-gregson-puts-it-together/

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Mar 02, 202135:52
Val Nguyen ventures into the unknown

Val Nguyen ventures into the unknown

In the month of January, I thought I reached the limit of my capacity. Again. I returned to work from a week away from the "office" to all that awaits when you are off for a week. Days of non-stop meetings, and non-moving deadlines kept me moving from item to item wondering when I would run out of steam. This was a combination of professional deadlines and personal commitments. I really had that thought. "This is the limit of my capacity."

But I didn't. I thought for sure I wouldn't get it all done. But I did. This is the third time since last March that I was sure I couldn't handle anything more. But I did. Somehow I got it all done. Again. Guess what? In February, it happened again, going on right now. I've reached the limit of my capacity.

Once I prided myself on efficiency and productivity, even before hustle culture and the quantified self. What I have learned over the last year is that in uncertain situations, people err on the side of action. They add to-do items and new initiatives because doing something feels better than doing nothing. I added things to my own plate. Personal projects, family activities. Work is busy, of course, but I'm contributing, too. Ultimately, it will all get done. I'll just find new ways to do it.

We won't have research to prove what I am about to write for another decade, if research into mental health is still a thing when (if?) we escape today's reality. This emotional and productivity rollercoaster cannot be good for us. Just because it is possible doesn't mean it is okay. When I think about cutting things like the podcast, like my fiction writing, this very thing I'm writing at the moment, I think - Should I be forced to choose between personal satisfaction and work? The answer is to be determined. One way or another it will all get done.

I had the opportunity to talk to someone who is learning new ways to push strategy forward, which is saying something because she has already worked in such a diverse collection of organizations it boggles the mind. Valerie Nguyen possesses an incredible strategy mind but maybe more importantly, an adaptable mind. Here we discuss her ability to shift gears and take on wholly new approaches in her role as CSO at Decoded Advertising.

Valerie Nguyen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valnguyen/Decoded Advertising: https://decodedadvertising.com/

Read this episode with your very own eyes in transcript form: http://adampierno.com/val-nguyen-ventures-into-the-unknown/

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Feb 18, 202141:41
Jeff Gomez expands on the story

Jeff Gomez expands on the story

How do you find the things you love? Films, music, products, people, food? More and more, we're turning to the internet to find pretty much anything. Or, we may not even be looking for things anymore. Amazon, Google, Spotify, Netflix are all recommending things, to varying degrees of success. Social apps recommend people we would like to follow. I presume that dating apps are showing you profiles based on a similar model, trying to connect you to people you would be more likely to choose.

Often, I scratch my head at recommendations, wondering what signals I provided that led to whatever the app has sent me. I am pleased when a song Spotify introduces me to a song that I never heard before and I love it. It's delightful the one-in-twenty times that iOS suggests I want to set an alarm clock and I actually do.

So far, I haven't experienced a recommendation so memorable, that I can recall it now. As with a lot of the brain power I've outsourced to software, these moments remain there, hovering in the code. No Spotify recommendation has replaced the sensation of a friend telling you that you should listen to X the moment they learned you loved Y, or the mythical record store clerk (sorry Millennials and younger, I am old. You missed this entirely.)

When Spotify does nail it, and recommends something I love, like
this, I'm at a loss. I would share it with my friends who love music if I could figure out exactly why Spotify chose it for me.

The context around the thing can make the thing itself more important. That's why I wanted to speak to Jeff Gomez of Starlight Runner Entertainment. He's been working on taking stories we know, and building on them. Adding context. Connecting them beyond their initial container.

You can read a transcript of this episode here at adampierno.com

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Feb 02, 202136:58
Don't worry, Amy Kean is working on the solution
Dec 16, 202039:45
Understanding aspiration with Nadia Tuma-Weldon

Understanding aspiration with Nadia Tuma-Weldon

I spoke with Global Luxury Practice Lead at McCann World Groupand Global Director of McCann Truth Central, Nadia Tuma-Weldon.  She's spent years researching and understanding luxury consumers and  brands. Nadia has a fantastic perspective on why we choose what we  choose, and how aspiration for luxury serves as the ultimate  distillation of aspiration that many brands can learn from. We discussed  some of what's changed and some of what is the same.

Transcript is available here: http://adampierno.com/?p=1677

Want  to read some fiction? I am testing a new novel, Negative Edge. You can  read it for free here:  https://www.wattpad.com/962487826-negative-edge-blinking-cursor

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait to hear from you. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Dec 02, 202041:42
Gunny Scarfo knows how you feel

Gunny Scarfo knows how you feel

Gunny Scarfo, co-founder of Nonfiction Research  (https://nonfiction.co/) joined me to talk about the findings and their  unique perspective on research. Nonfiction blends qualitative and  quantitative methods to reveal stories that might not be discovered  otherwise. Read the research here: https://nonfiction.co/americas-secret-playlists

Go ahead and exercise your peepers with this transcript: http://adampierno.com/gunny-scarfo-knows-how-you-feel/

Hey, you might be a listener and have no idea, but I’ve written some books. You can find Under Think It (a marketing strategy handbook) and Specific (a book about trying to build brands in a world that doesn’t want any more of them). You can read some fiction I’ve written here, for free.

The Strategy Inside Everything is the podcast for people who think  for a  living. If you have an idea, a question or you want to push back on something you hear in this episode, go to https://thatsnotaninsight.com and leave a message or a voicemail for me. The best and most interesting messages will be added to future episodes. And I can't wait to hear from you. Host Adam Pierno is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. Learn more at adampierno.com.

Nov 11, 202042:22