Rock n' Roll Research Podcast: Recent Episodes
Matt Valle
Brian Peterson is currently Digital Marketing Director at the top tier sample company, EMI Research Solutions, where he has been for the past 9 years. He’s also the long-time host of the Intellicast podcast.
We talk synthetic data, digital twins and training data. But we also discuss our respective experiences with the Yellow Pages, the Dallas Stars and what it’s like to be a Canadian raising a family in the US, eh?
Alisa Hamilton is the founder of Harvest Insights in Atlanta. She made waves recently by announcing that every proposal she delivers will now come with two prices: with and without AI. That’s the kind of transparency that is sorely lacking at the moment!
Alisa and I discuss her career trajectory, her passion for gardening, AI research applications and her dad’s band who charted a song in Buffalo, NY back in 1970!
“It’s my job to figure out what does the future of research look like and how do I help us get there as Eli Lilly.”
How does one get a really cool role like that?
Andrew Embry shares his unique journey at Eli Lilly and his thoughts on where insights is headed. But also his passion for the spoken word which has included slam poetry open mics, national competitions and corporate performances.
And in a first for this podcast, Andrew shares his art on-the-spot by performing his spoken word piece, “The Making of a Market Researcher.” Prepare to be inspired!
Arry Tanusondjaja is currently Sr. Marketing Scientist at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute where he’s been for the past 16 years.
As accomplished as he is in the field of marketing science, it is neither his first career nor the sole area of expertise for which he is currently known.
Arry shares his unique career journey and his take on the future of the Laws of Growth. He also explains his passion for baking and the music he’d choose if stranded on a deserted island.
From growing up on a West Texas farm to starting her career in the energy sector, April Bell has had a fascinating path to and through the world of insights.
With her company, Made with Empathy, April has helped spur innovation for a who’s-who of the world’s great consumer brands. Her approach, supported by both personal and client examples, can be found in her book, “Firestarter: Igniting Innovation with Empathy.”
April shares stories from her unique journey, discusses what’s next for her and picks the music she’d want to keep her company on a deserted island.
Chad Nicholson is the EVP of Strategic Intelligence at the independent advertising powerhouse, BarkleyOKRP. You’re familiar with their iconic work like the Burger King “You Rule” campaign. They also work with other great brands llke AMC Theatres, Winnebago, Frontier Airlines, Planet Fitness and many others.
I first met Chad while at Anheuser-Busch where he started his career as an intern and climbed the ranks as a Brand Manager on Budweiser and Director of Consumer Strategy & Insights.
And just in time for the World Cup Round of 16 . . . as a former D1 college soccer player, Chad is watching closely!
Chad shares his career path, his philosophy on insights and the lessons he’s applied from his college days as an athlete with the Marshall Thundering Herd.
From his home on the Spanish coast, Bernice Klaassen has been a leading thinker and contributor to the global dialogue on the future of insights and analytics. Once you know his journey, it is easy to understand why.
Bernice’s professional journey has taken him all over the world with companies like Kantar, Ipsos, Citibank and now RSB Insights, and it spans several disciplines including design, music, research and sustainability.
Bernice traces his unique path, shares his refreshingly optimistic view of the industry’s future and chooses some surprisingly awesome records to keep him company on a desert island.
Gabe McElwaine is currently a Sales Director at the super innovative insights firm, i-Genie, who is meeting the moment and addressing timeless business and marketing questions for brands in new and clever ways.
Gabe’s journey is a really cool one – from working at record labels as an underground DJ in NYC, to encountering Napster and discovering Nielsen Soundscan, he helped build and grow the media and entertainment business at NPD and has been in the insights industry ever since. Bonus points for his involvement in the Insights Career Network.
Gabe shares his unique story, his take on the future of insights and the music that lights his fire.
Big ups to InsightSutras for sponsoring this episode!
After a long run as a consulting and client leader at Ipsos by way of GfK, Tim Spenny is now at Conveo helping to chart the future of qualitative research at scale.
But once upon a time, Tim was fronting original and cover bands all around Chicago playing classic venues like the Double Door, the Subterranean, Big Horse and more.
Tim traces his journeys through both insights and music and shares his optimistic vision for the future of the insights practice.
Robert Pierson is currently the SVP North America at the UK-based insight firm, Rigour Research, and a member of the board of British American Business Council, Chicago.
Robert has had a fascinating journey from organizing techno raves to relocating to the US through acquisition at 451 Research to leading business development at Kantar Profiles and helping expand the sport of polo in Chicago.
Listen in as Robert traces his unique career path, discusses novel ways to address data quality and chooses three desert island discs that are firsts to the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast.
Fresh from winning the Expert Choice and Audience Favorite Awards at the 2026 Greenbook IIEX Insights Innovation Competition, I sit down with Angelique Taylor, founder of AddMaple, to discuss her fascinating back story.
Ange founded AddMaple to solve a long-standing set of challenges she faced as a consultant; specifically, how to connect the dots, see the full picture and share the insight story while collapsing the time spent on rote data transformation and process tasks. The result is a tremendously intuitive and powerful platform.
But somehow Ange finds time for her passion project as a singer/songwriter and an amazing one at that!
(Note: This interview was recorded just days before awards announcement.)
Celebrating episode #150 of the RRR Podcast with a guest who needs no introduction.
Katrina Noelle has long been a force in the insights industry. As the founder of KNow Research and co-founder of Scoot Insights, she has recently teamed up with the disruptive, technology-focused insights firm, Hootology. Check out what they’re up to!
You may also know Katrina from her tireless advocacy with the Insights Career Network, WiRE, The Insights Association, The QRCA and others. Katrina is also co-host of the TRIP Podcast, a member of the Market Research Council and a recipient of the Insights250.
But did you know that musical theater was her initial passion and the start of her professional career? We discuss Katrina’s unique journey, what she’s learned along the way and where she sees the industry is heading.
Bill Salokar is a long-time fixture in the insights community. After starting his career as a state lottery expert, Bill found his way to the agency side where he spent most of his career. He has just recently started at Gazelle Global, one of the most trusted research operations firms in the business.
Bill has also long volunteered his time with organizations like MRxPros, Insights Association and Intellus Worldwide.
What is really interesting about Bill is the collection of musical instruments for which he is proficient. It’s not every day you meet a crumhorn player!
We first spoke with Mark Loughney five years ago on Episode #16.
Since then, so many exciting things have happened in Mark’s world that it made sense to do an update. Enjoy!
Channel 83 Records was founded in 1987 in Minneapolis/St. Paul by Owen Polifka. With the scouting help of Brent Huberty, they signed several legendary Twin Cities metal bands including Disturbed, Impaler and Soilent Green and renowned goth rockers, Morticia.
They later partnered with Sci-Fi Western for several rockabilly released led by The Vibro Champs.
Owen and Brent share a verbal history of the label and some great stories along the way \m/
Socratic Technologies was founded in 1994 with a mission to bring pioneering technology to the research profession. Today they are an agile, full-service insights consultancy with blue chip clients across several industry verticals.
Chris Davis is currently EVP at Socratic and has been the driving force behind much of the company’s technological advancements.
Chris shares his journey from writing code at 6 years old to studying computer science at Northwestern University to what he’s learned in over 24 years on the technology side of insights. He also discusses the joys of rediscovering a childhood hobby, this time as a passion he shares with his son.
Andrea Rowden’s fascination with the human condition has led her to a career in insights. Currently, she is Senior Manager, Consumer and Product Insights at hims & hers which has grown to over $2Bn in revenues in just eight short years.
Outside of work, Andrea is a vocalist for a soul band in Chicago called S.O.U.L. (Spirit of Universal Love).
Andrea discusses how starting her career on the supplier-side prepared her well for her client-side role. She also shares thoughts on cultivating the right environment for music and research; the importance of authentic research voices; and the albums she’d want to keep her company if stranded on a desert island.
Paula Rosecky is both a true expert qualitative research practitioner and a tireless contributor to the insights industry through WiRE and her significant long-time involvement in the QRCA (a fantastic organization!).
Her journey through the world of research is one-of-a-kind, encompassing several opportunities for cultural immersion and broadening experiences. Paula and I discuss her unique path with stops in Prague, Milwaukee, Dallas and Seattle. She also shares the story of rediscovering her love for singing.
Paula provided me with a new microphone, so you have her to thank for bettering this podcast’s production. Thanks, Paula!
Jeff Grant has had an enviable career in insights, first on the client-side where he rose to SVP Insights and Analytics for Time Warner, where he supported the Cartoon Network among others for 20 years. He then transitioned to the supplier side and now the agency world as VP Audience Strategy at Razorfish.
But Jeff got bitten by the comic book bug as a wee lad and it turned into a lifelong passion. In this episode, Jeff shares his insights journey and then dives deep into his hobby including some of the notable, rare and favorite books in his collection. He also gives his fresh take on what the future of insights has in store.
Dr. Faith James and Stacy Graiko are founders of the insights-led marketing and strategy consultancy called The She Lab, where they apply their deep expertise to help clients win with women.
They are also just about to release their second book, “Decoding She: How to Drive Growth by Understanding Women Consumers,” packed with insight and evidence on understanding and marketing to women.
Faith and Stacy share their career foundations in advertising, personal brand consulting and insights and how their journeys have informed their work. We also discuss the book, their approach to The She Lab and the music they’d choose if stranded on a desert island (some stellar choices!).
After years of leading insights and analytics teams at great companies like Diageo, H&R Block, Supervalu and Best Buy, Dr. Ed Dobbles has recently joined the highly disruptive alcohol industry analytics start-up, Overproof, as Chief Analytics Officer.
But for the past several years, Ed has been volunteering his precious spare time as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
Ed shares some fun and hilarious stories about his career in analytics and as an EMT; the karma that accompanies the transition from research buyer to seller; and his regimen of powerful AI use cases that make him smarter and super-efficient.
Rachael Dimit is currently Sr. Manager of Global Consumer Insights at Foot Locker where she continuously uncovers fresh cultural trends that drive the business.
In her spare time, Rachael also has a successful Instagram business (@pomodorapomodora) slinging custom pizzas to a rabid customer base in Chicago. She has very cleverly adapted the famous Foot Locker “sneaker drop” model to spur enthusiastic demand for her pizzas.
Rachael discusses her journey through trend forecasting, flexing her culinary skills and her childhood summer camp where her camp counselor went on to launch a platinum-selling album and win a Grammy Award. Best campfire songs ever!
Chris Hayward is a colleague and fellow Lead Client Partner at Mintel, but that is not all we have in common. Chris is also a drummer and quite a successful one at that!
With his band The Samurai Seven, he released a full-length album, “Le Sport” in 2002. The band also recorded five “Peel Sessions” with legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ, John Peel, in the same studio where the Beatles recorded “Pop Goes the Beatles.” Chris has played gigs with members of Oasis, The Cult, The Alarm and more.
We discuss Chris’ dual careers in insights and music and how those two disciplines intersect. Chris also shares his optimistic view of AI’s role in driving meaningful product innovation.
Carley Hart has spent her career advising, mentoring and teaching customer discovery to entrepreneurs which she currently does as Director of Partnerships for Cornell Tech’s Runway Startups Program. Cool job!
But Carley has also applied everything she’s learned along the way in launching her own lifestyle company, Ahhhsome Kids, with a mission to “equip young children with essential life skills through fun, engaging and tech-light activities.”
We discuss Carley’s career journey, the initial insight and the process that led to Ahhhsome Kids and a little bit of rock n’ roll, too.
Doug Keith started his career in public broadcasting, both as a producer and an on-air host. A grad program in communications led him to transition his career to insights. Today, Doug is 18 years into his research consultancy, was co-chair for the 2025 QRCA speaker committee and is a co-founder of the Insights Career Network.
Doug shares his career journey and how qualitative research has become much more important to his practice over the years. He also dishes about his days as the bass player for modern rock band, The Dipsomaniacs, and why it’s so important to stay on the top of your research game.
We also touch on the upcoming Greenbook 2025 IIEX North America Conference in Washington DC where Doug will be attending and your host will be chairing a speaker track.
Austin Harrison is the CEO of Northbeam, a marketing intelligence platform helping clients maximize the profitability of their marketing spend. Austin knows more about this space than anyone I know, having been involved in digital audience measurement and attribution since he helped build NetRatings’ first audience panel.
In parallel, Austin has long been involved in the world of comics and animation. Through media and animation companies he’s led, Austin has developed award-winning graphic novels and launched projects with the likes of Kelsey Grammar and Common among others.
We discuss Austin’s journey along both paths including a new comedy subscription service he’s collaborating on from Titmouse called Churp announced this year at SXSW. Austin also blows my mind with a story about Slayer at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood that I was clearly not prepared for.
Sabrina Brastad is one of those audacious insights pros with the conviction and drive to transform consumer insight into successful, award-winning products.
After learning the ropes on the agency side with Ipsos, Hall & Partners and Vision Critical, Sabrina was hired by David Yin (episode 67) to help build out the initial insights function at Fitbit which was her first foray into new-to-the-world consumer technology.
From there, she joined Amazon working within the revolutionary category of Amazon Devices. Armed with deep consumer insight, Sabrina came up with a Big Idea that she pitched to the company through Amazon’s famous PR/FAQ process. The company embraced her idea which she then brought to life as Sr. Manager, Echo & Alexa Brand Marketing.
Sabrina tells her inspiring story which culminated in winning “Best Music Artist Partnership” by Music Ally’s 2021 Campaigns of the Year. She also shares her expert insight on researching and marketing new products and categories that have no precedent.
“If you have too much VC funding and it’s just like ‘Margins! Margins! Margins!,’ you can’t start a revolution. You can’t be a pirate.”
Adam Stephenson founded QuantifyAI last year after a successful business development career in the research sample space. He entirely self-funded the launch of his company, a DIY ethic that follows directly from his skate punk youth.
By bootstrapping, staying focused and creating compelling guerilla marketing, QuantifyAI is off to a great start and growing quickly.
We discuss Adam’s journey from halfpipes and videocams to becoming an entrepreneur to mitigating survey fraud. Adam also shares his strong take on synthetic data and the albums he’d want to keep him company on a deserted island.
Start with a UC Berkeley background in the hard sciences and some time working on the Valdez oil spill, take a turn toward data analytics, layer in some orchestral bassoon and tattoo artistry and then you start to understand what makes Bryson Cwick tick.
Bryson is currently Business Development Manager at the research consultancy, Orchard, where they help their clients understand authentic consumer behavior. But on the weekends, you may find Bryson tattooing at a festival or popping in as a guest artist at a friend’s shop somewhere in the US.
Bryson shares his fascinating journey from Berkeley and hard sciences to Orchard and consumer behavior with several fun diversions along the way.
Today’s episode is self-referential in the best of ways. We talk to Erik Peterson from Spotify who is currently the Director of Podcast Insights. An insights podcast with a podcast insights pro. Ha!
Erik is really into his work and even once took a gig economy job to get a better first-hand understanding of consumer supply/demand dynamics.
Erik shares his professional journey through insights, analytics and Spotify. Along the way, he offers a unique take on the future of research, his experience with Spotify Wrapped, some cool podcast features you may not know about and even a few of his favorite records which may surprise you.
Tara Bosenick is a pioneer in user experience testing and measurement within human-centered design. She is the Managing Director (MD) of a holding company, ReSight Global, and also the MD of UIntent, which she first founded as SirValUse in 2000 and was later purchased by GfK.
We discuss Tara’s journey through UX including her take on what the future of the space looks like. We also discuss her podcast (Beyond the Business), what she learned as the Head of Scouting in the city of Hamburg DE, and the freedom she has experience in recent years since making a big life change.
Scott Tilford built an excellent career within Procter & Gamble. Over 17 years, he had worked on several categories culminating in his role as Sr. Director Analytics and Insights for North America Grooming.
But after so many years in a corporate setting, Scott found another calling. The town of Morrow, Ohio and the city of Cincinnati are anxiously awaiting his launch of The Depot Brewing Company, opening this year in the town’s nearly 200-year-old train depot.
Scott shares his story from college athlete and musician to corporate life to starting a brewery. We also stumble upon the likes of OJ Simpson, The King of Kong and 90s music along the way.
Michael Nevski has a really cool job. He is the Director of Global Insights at Visa working with the company’s Chief Economist to add a consumer research and strategy lens to the economic insights and forecasts they provide to their clients. He is also on the TMRE Advisory Board which has long been the biggest annual conference event in the Insights industry.
What you may not know is that Michael is likely the best table tennis player in your network. He trained intensively in college and has been playing ever since.
We discuss Michael’s career, the lessons he’s learned from competitive table tennis and his outlook on the future of insights. I also get his take on pickleball and he shares the records he’d want to keep him company on a desert island.
How does one go from art museum management to market research to DEI and storytelling consulting? Just ask Mary Hunter from Data Larks.
Mary has always been one to question the status quo, and one of her core strengths is understanding context – history, society, culture, economy and more. It has helped her at every stage of her career which includes working for the Museum of Contemporary San Diego, Kantar, GfK and The Kaleidoscope Group before starting her own consultancy.
Mary shares her unique journey from studio artist to researcher to consultant. Along the way, she covers the importance of storytelling, inclusive insights and the indie music and artists that move her.
After considering careers in medicine and law, Suann Griffin took a statistics class and decided upon a career in market research.
She has built a great career with roles on the client- and supplier-side, most recently as Sr. Director of Insights at Serta Simmons. She is a frequent and highly engaging speaker at industry conferences and is a University of Georgia MMR alum.
Outside of work, Suann has long been a serious and competitive rower, starting the day early on the water with her crewmates and regularly traveling to competitions.
Suann shares her journey and perspective on research and takes me to school on what rowing is all about.
Experienced human researchers vs. AI. How does AI stand up right now, today? The results may surprise you like they did for me.
In this special “Open Mic” episode of the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast, our guests share the results research-on-research that address that very question.
Julie Leonard and Brennan Held (colleagues of mine at MarketVision Research) conducted a live, robust study to determine the relative quality and efficiency of human analysis vs. employing AI.
Is AI ready to replace human analysis? Is it complementary? Does it make the research process more efficient? What can we conclude today? What’s next?
Once fairly traditional, the market research industry is now teeming with fresh thinking and ways to discover insight. Someone needs to help make sense of it all. Graeme Ford is leading the charge by bringing a punk rock ethos to the game with his new consultancy, PunkMRX.
Prior to PunkMRX, Graeme had a ‘boomerang’ career at YouGov, returning as Global Head of Innovation after leaving to co-found a conversational tech company which YouGov later acquired.
We discuss Graeme’s journey from a young lad fascinated by culture and geography, to a graduate student researching punk culture to his professional career in insights. We talk plenty of punk rock along the way including who has the best punk rock tradition – the UK, the US East Coast or the US West Coast?
[I also continue my sponsorship of Magic Mind . . . if Green Day can sell Keurig machines, I can pitch performance enhancement shots – ha!]
Step aside Adam Levine, Joseph Wylie will take the mic now.
Joseph is a goal setter and a planner. He knew in undergrad that market research was his ticket, so he got his MSMRA from Michigan State, took a position at Precision Sample at got involved in the Insights Association (smart moves!). Today, he is Precision’s Global Director of Supply and President of the Insights Association South Central Chapter.
But, oh, what a voice! We talk research and we talk music where Joseph has been part of an a capella group, a solo artist and a band frontman for the past several years. In fact, his new EP, “Frontal Lobe Development” drops TODAY wherever you stream your music!
Jim Lake is President of Michael Walters Advertising where he has been for over 30 years. MWA boasts an impressive client list including Hunter Douglas, Paul Mitchell and the Chicago Cubs.
But Jim is also a fellow drummer who discovered his penchant for songwriting in his 50s and in 2023 was named a Songwriter to Watch by the Nashville Songwriters Association.
We discuss his career, the heartwarming inspiration for his first song and the enduring importance of making emotional connections with advertising. You can find Jim’s music here: lakecountrysongs.com.
Second time’s a charm.
After starting out in banking, Dr. Rachel Baghelai pivoted and has thrived in her career as Industrial/Organizational psychologist and business consultant focused on employee research. She is currently VP of Assessment and Analytics and The Kaleidoscope Group, a leading DEI consultancy based in Chicago.
We discuss Rachel’s career journey and her perspective on research, her passion for riding horses and dressage, and our shared love of punk rock.
Rob and his business partner / wife, Toni, are giving new meaning to the term ‘house band.’
After starting his insights career with classic firms like Market Strategies Int’l and Elrick & Lavidge, Rob has been running his own firm, Klein & Partners, for over 20 years focused exclusively on supporting healthcare clients.
Rob and Toni are partners in the business and may soon become bandmates with Rob on guitar and Toni holding it down on the drums.
We discuss Rob’s research journey and the lessons he’s learned from the greats. And, of course, we talk some rock n’ roll along the way.
Victoria Sakal is currently the Head of Growth for the on-demand research platform company called Wonder (askwonder.com), who is applying AI and a whole lot of innovation to secondary research. Really cool stuff!
But, if you would have told a young Victoria she would make a career in research, she most certainly would not have believed you. Much of her spare time as a kid was spent helping out in and around her mother’s bakery and becoming a highly competitive track athlete.
Victoria and I chat about her upbringing, how she initially made the leap to research with Kantar and the dynamics of owning/managing a vacation rental property on the side. She also shares the music she would want to keep her company if stranded on a desert island.
“Let’s not burn through technology again. Let’s not just rip a path through AI.”
Eddie Accomando is one of my favorite researchers to talk shop with. With his academic background in anthropology, moderator certification from RIVA and deep knowledge of quantitative methodologies, Eddie can cover it all from theory to practice to the political dynamics of making insights land.
His career spans roles at Verizon, Texas Instruments and Qualtrics among others. But he’s equally as well-versed when it comes to writing and performing original music.
We discuss Eddie’s thoughts on market research including the potential hazards of AI mismanagement. Eddie also shares his journey through music including his album, his radio show on KNON NOW in Dallas and the gig we played together earlier this month.
Fail we may, sail we must.
Ian Pierpoint is Founder and CEO of the intrepid human insights agency, Further and Further Strategies.
Ian’s unique perspective on understanding people and culture is an outgrowth of his journey, from the UK acid house scene, to corporate youth researcher, to documentary filmmaking, to CMO.
We discuss Ian’s improbable route to research, the lessons he’s learned along the way and his apprehensions about the potential future of insights.
Jeff Reesing, is SVP of Corporate Sales and Customer Experience at Dynata, the world’s largest first party data platform and a company that powers so much of what we do in research and insights.
He has built himself an impressive professional career, but music was his first love and it is easy to understand why. Back in high school, Jeff found himself in marching band, hanging out and playing in bands with none other than Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins, two founding members of the legendary band, Jane’s Addiction.
Jeff shares his journey from his early days in music to how he transitioned to build a career in business. We also discuss the current structure of the insights industry and how it might evolve before Jeff surprises me with what he’d like to be listening to if stranded on a desert island.
Do surveys make good bedtime stories for kids? It worked for Kai Fuentes!
Kai is a second-generation market researcher. While many of us were running around causing trouble as kids, Kai was helping her mom’s family business by stapling surveys and even intercepting respondents at the mall.
Kai followed in her mother’s footsteps by founding Ebony Marketing Systems over 20 years ago, and today she is one of our industry’s foremost experts in conducting multicultural research.
But she hasn’t stopped there. Kai has recently taken on the challenge of stand-up comedy. She shares her journey through insights, why stand-up is like qualitative research and the music she’d choose if stranded on a desert island.
Recorded live on the Purple Stage at the IIEX conference in Austin, TX on April 18!
Nicholas Jayanty, Principal User Experience Researcher at IBM’s Red Hat, traces his path from making sketch comedy pilots on MTV to producing award-winning films to researching and designing digital user experiences.
Nicholas contrasts the supply chains of the independent film industry and software design, discusses how UX can reduce its dependency on software engineering, the roadmap to a world without work and his love of the Austin music scene.
Wes Michael is the founder and CEO of Rare Patient Voice, a 10-year old firm who empowers patients and caregivers to share their voices with the companies working to better their lives with new products, devices, and treatments. [To date, RPV has paid out over $13M in incentives to patients and caregivers – wow!!]
Wes started RPV after a successful research and brand management career at General Mills and McCormick and later with Kantar Health.
He shares his novel approach to starting RPV and the mutual benefits of RPV to both patients and companies. He also discusses his quirky approach to marketing which has him singing customized lyrics set to familiar tunes like The Beverly Hillbillies theme and 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton.
Sue Collin is one of those rare people who has spent her entire career with one organization. Her first job was with a research company called Directions for Decisions which was later acquired by RTi Research where she has been ever since.
But while the company has remained the same, Sue’s career has done anything but. After years of applying her quantitative expertise, she expanded disciplines and is currently RTi’s SVP of Qualitative Research.
Sue shares her career journey along with her lifelong passion as an artist which went from doing life drawing in Soho to mixed media art in her home studio. Along the way, we discuss why AI is like a microwave, the importance of integration / collaboration and the music that moves her.
On Episode #34, Priscilla McKinney from Little Bird Marketing shared her story of growing up in a family singing troupe. In this episode, we invite her back to the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast to discuss her book, “Collaboration is the New Competition: Why the Future of Work Rewards a Cross-Pollinating Hive Mind & How Not to Get Left Behind.”
Priscilla and I dig deep into this highly useful guide on what collaboration really is, why it is so powerful and how to make it intentionally work for you - including several concrete examples from the market research industry. Of course, we finish with a little rock n’ roll, too.
You can find the book on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats where it currently enjoys a 4.9/5.0 rating. Enjoy!
Mark Earls, The HERDmeister, shares his story of how he went from European tour guide to being labeled the market research industry’s “public enemy #1.”
We have a wide-ranging conversation on how people really make decisions, the freedom to experiment in the insights world, predicting multiple futures, how brands grow, being clear in your terminology, making presentations into performances, how to do your own early research and the illusion of tradition.
Mark also shares the story of his ska/punk band – over 30 years and still going strong – and the three records he’d want to keep him company on a desert island.
Jeffrey Porter will graduate from the UT Arlington MSMR program in December of this year. In addition to his studies, he is keeping extremely busy with an internship in financial data analysis with Lockheed Martin.
But there’s more to Jeffrey than insights. He has maintained a nice side hustle of buying and selling vintage video games, timing the market perfectly by selling high during the pandemic. He’s also a shredding guitarist, crushing Jimi Hendrix and Red Hot Chili Peppers licks in his spare time.
We discuss Jeffrey’s passion for insights and the discipline required to grow in all his pursuits. We also delve into a possible sci-fi future for data and consumer insights.
Kevin Lang is a recently minted Senior Sales Representative at the mighty research media company Greenbook, home of the GRIT Report, the IIEX conference series and “The Exchange” podcast with Lenny Murphy and Karen Lynch.
While he got his start in the insights industry with Civicom, many people know Kevin from his involvement in the “MR Jam,” providing the backbeat for a who’s who of research industry musicians at Quirk’s conferences in New York and Chicago over the past few years.
Kevin shares his experiences in research and his journey through music, from beating on pots to pans to playing in band to the MR Jam. Along the way, he shares his take on AI in market research, the drummer who most inspired him and we swap stories about Green Day, Dave Matthews and the Rolling Stones.
Dave McCaughan has long been a leading light on all things brand strategy, research and insights in Asia, having spent nearly 30 years in strategic planning and executive roles at McCann Worldwide all over the region. He has also long given his time back to the research industry through associations like ESOMAR and Greenbook among others.
Dave shares his journey from children’s storyteller to advertising and from librarian to strategic planning leader in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand. With characteristic wit, Dave describes the groundbreaking work he led along the way and contrasts key findings with insights, the US with Asia, The Beatles with Taylor Swift, and generations with life stages.
And would you believe that AC/DC played at Dave’s high school back in the day?
Aryn O’Donnell is VP of Corporate Services at Fieldwork, known by many to be one of the most trustworthy and engaged qualitative research partners in the industry. But what many people don’t know about Aryn is that the first paycheck she ever drew was for a role she played in musical theater.
Aryn and I discuss her theater days, the value of backroom focus group interactions and how AI frees people up do what they do best. We also discuss her recent appreciation for the world of metal music \m/
Steve Portigal of Portigal Consulting has been doing User Research since the days our software all came in a box. He has written a seminal book on the topic, “Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights,” recently released in a 2nd edition available through Rosenfeld Media.
Steve shares his journey from the nascent years of user research through today and his take on where user research is headed. We discuss his book and how studying creative writing has informed his approach. Steve also tells the story of building a community of Rolling Stones enthusiasts – pre-World Wide Web! - that is still alive and kicking (just like Keith Richards).
[Visit rosenfeldmedia.com to find Steve’s book and use the code ‘rocknroll’ for a 20% discount \m/]
It was in college where Travis Miller first made an impact with research by helping the city of Thousand Oaks, CA design a new mall expansion. With an introduction like that, it is no wonder Travis pursued a career in market research.
Travis started his career with JD Power and today is VP, North America sales for PureSpectrum, a GRIT Top 50 insights innovator and member of the Deloitte Fast 500 since 2020.
But Travis also has a fascinating story of growing up amidst his father’s metal band which led him to pick up a pair of drumsticks at a young age. We talk drums, metal and harnessing technology to make insights easier, faster and more dependable.
Tune in to hear why market research is like an elephant and to hear a first on the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast that was music to my ears.
Brian Zimmerman is an expert at one of the toughest roles in the research industry: prospecting and business development for research suppliers. Companies in insights really struggle with this and Brian steps in and fills that gap.
The music bug bit Brian early when his grandfather introduced him to guitar at age 3. Music has been a constant passion throughout his life, and he keeps guitars throughout his house so he always has one ready for when inspiration strikes.
Brian shares his philosophy on sales, the importance of continuous learning and why he approaches it as a craft. We discuss the music commerce site Reverb and why guitarists accumulate so many guitars, and we also find deep common ground on a classic Kiss album.
Joe Emery started on the bottom rung of a political consulting firm when he was hired as a runner right out of school. He learned from some of the greats like Mark McKinnon, host of Showtime’s ‘The Circus,’ and famed political commentator, Paul Begala, before founding his own firm in 2020, Emery Research, where he focuses on insights supporting communication, branding and policy issues.
And while some know Joe the communications researcher, many others know Joe as the singer and lead guitarist for 60’s-style garage rock band, The Ugly Beats, based in Austin, TX. They have 5 albums out on Pittsburgh-based, Get Hip Records, and Spotify listenership numbers to which many of us can only aspire.
Joe shares his research and music journeys with characteristic modesty. We also discuss the studio vs. live performance and why the future of research is simultaneously awesome and terrifying.
You probably know Eric Hall from his career as an insights and category management expert, currently with Boehringer Ingelheim, the world’s largest privately held pharmaceutical firm, and previously with companies like Allergan, Coors, Kellogg’s and Nestle.
But do you know that Eric is an Instagram influencer with corporate sponsorships and a die-hard community of nearly 200K followers? Probably not!
Eric shares his journey through the research and the coffee house chat that became a hobby turned passion that launched his Instagram side gig.
For this special 100th Episode of the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast, I go mano-a-mano with Leigh Kessler, VP of Mercury Analytics, former professional comedian and current country singer.
Leigh and I each perform the classic, “Angel from Montgomery” by John Prine – who did it better? A quantitative gen pop audience of dial-testers renders their verdict! Leigh also applies Mercury Analytics’ cool AI tools to zero in on improvement opportunities.
Listen as we also cover some podcast highlights like listening stats, the top 5 most popular episodes so far and the music insights pros most covet.
Big ups for tuning in! Keep listening and we’ll keep sharing the super cool backstories and side gigs of the research and insights pros you trust \m/
Kory Grushka is the Founder of Stories Bureau, a really cool B2B creative agency that, among other things, helps insights teams make their data come to life and influence decision-making through effective storytelling.
You may be surprised to learn the profession that Kory came from and how it made him uniquely qualified to help researchers tell better stories. It all made sense to me after this conversation.
Kory shares his professional journey, some thought-provoking perspective on AI and why he’d want the Rocky IV soundtrack with him if he were stranded on a deserted island.
I’m BACK! Your humble host’s brief pause provided plenty of time to dig into Pepper Miller’s brilliant book on Black insights, “Let Me Explain Black Again,” from Paramount Market Publishing. I gained so much from this book that I had to reach out and learn more.
Pepper is a true pioneer when it comes to helping brands understand and connect with Black America. After starting her career in advertising, Pepper launched the market research and strategic planning firm, Hunter-Miller. Her passion has led her to write three seminal books on the topic, helping marketers everywhere understand and reach the Black audience with cultural intelligence, respect and authenticity.
We discuss her journey through research, the relevance of history, some key insights from her book and the music that gets her stepping. Join us for this fun and insightful conversation!
Angelo Pierro founded his consultancy, Strategy by Insight, in 2021 after 20 years at Research Dynamics acquired by GfK acquired by Ipsos. He is now using his deep experience in big company leadership, marketing and business development to advise his clients in sales effectiveness and strategy.
Angelo and I occasionally worked closely together while he was running GfK Canada around 2011-2016. We reconnected recently at Greenbook’s IIEX over a few sessions and a punk rock show in Austin, and I learned that Angelo has finished and is marketing a screenplay he’s had in his head for many years.
Angelo discusses the inspiring personal story behind his screenplay, and he shares the wisdom he’s gathered throughout his career in research.
Over the past 16 years, Annie McDannald has risen through the ranks at Civicom to her current role as Global VP of Marketing Research Services. Chances are you’ve used Civicom at some point for their myriad of useful technologies and services supporting the market research process.
What you might not know is Annie has been a performer since a young age - from supporting the family’s carnival puppet show business to being a professional runway model to singing. In fact, she is a vet of the Quirk’s MR Jam Session which she will reprise at Quirk’s NYC in July.
Annie and I discuss her journey through her research career, her carnie life growing up, how the pandemic changed the future of research and getting the Led out.
Rob Volpe left a successful career in promotional marketing, got a certification from RIVA and found his calling as a qualitative researcher. In 2011, he founded a thriving insights consultancy, Ignite 360, on the principles of curiosity and empathy.
Through his personal experiences, activism and engagement with people and customers, Rob learned how empathy can be a powerful force for good yet is, sadly, in short supply. He has helped fill the void by writing his award-winning book, “Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time.”
Rob shares his personal and professional journey, his philosophy on insights and some fun and heartfelt stories along the way.
Torsten Mueller-Klockmann is the Marketing Science Lead for the DACH region at Meta where he has been for the past 7 years. Before Meta, Torsten was an entrepreneur and pioneer in the user experience research tech space having founded SirValUse which was purchased and integrated into GfK.
That’s not all, though. Torsten was a shredding guitar player in a band called The Crunch who played their brand of pop punk/metal/funk-inspired jams around Hamburg, Germany.
Torsten shares his journey through analytics+music, his take on the future of research panels and the records he’d take with him if stranded on a desert island.
If you watched VH1's "Best Week Ever," The WB, Discovery or CNN in the aughts, you might know Leigh Kessler from his hilarious pop culture commentary.
Or you might know Leigh as the VP of Client Solutions for Mercury Analytics, an insights agency developing and employing cutting-edge research technology.
Leigh shares his improbable path from comedian to researcher, the necessity of human observation to both disciplines and the comics who do it best. He also discusses his recent foray into music.
Chris Connolly has one of those great stories of starting in research as a phone interviewer and steadily expanding his career over time. Today he is Vice President at the Logit Group, one of the very best research execution companies when it comes to cutting-edge, efficient and reliable operational support.
He also has a great story of becoming a lifelong jobbing musician (a REALLY good one, too!) which involves a riotous episode of lip-synching in a high school talent show.
Chris shares his journey in research, the challenges ahead for researchers and a tour through being a long-time musician in the Denver/Boulder area.
I recently saw Nancy Cox’s article in Quirk’s about Frankie Lipinski’s roller derby exploits and I just had to learn more!
Frankie (she/they) is an Insights Analyst at Escalent, one of the best data analytics/insight advisory firms in the business. She is also a proud grad of the prestigious MSMR program at Michigan State. On top of that, she skates for the Chicago-Style Roller Derby Team, a passion through which she has learned deep lessons about entrepreneurship, community, diversity and themselves.
Frankie discusses their fascinating journey from Girls Rock Chicago to roller derby to research. She also shares the good works she is contributing to with the Insights Association’s IDEA Council and the QRCA’s Emeritus group.
Guitarists know Marc Huzansky as the co-host of the YouTube show, Tone-Talk. With over 22K subscribers, a partner like David Friedman from Friedman Amplification and guests from bands like Pantera, Stone Temple Pilots, Jane’s Addiction, Ozzy Osbourne, Toto and many others, it has become quite successful in its own right.
Researchers know Marc as a long-time expert in healthcare research as VP at Cerner Enviza (formerly Kantar Health) for over 16 years. Cerner Enviza is a leader in data, insights and consulting for healthcare and the life sciences and is now part of Oracle via the 2022 acquisition of Cerner.
Marc discusses his insights career, the future of healthcare research and his improbable journey of becoming a YouTube personality, including his favorite and most infamous interviews.
You probably know Eric Dolan as the Director, Consumer Business & Intelligence for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health helping drive global strategy for iconic brands like Listerine, Neutrogena and Band-Aid. He’s also ex-P&G and a proud grad of the University of Wisconsin’s revered MBA program which has trained many a senior leader in marketing, insights and analytics.
You may not know that Eric spent years writing music and playing clubs in and around Boston (including the legendary Middle East!) with groovy and catchy rock/pop bands like Scram and The Union Jacks. The lessons learned from creating and performing music have served him well professionally.
We discuss Eric’s journeys through research and music, the importance of “resonance” and the future of insights.
Anh Tran is a grad student in the University of Texas at Arlington MSMR program graduating in May. Hers is one of the fresh voices of sharp, creative researchers who will steward the next chapter of the insights industry.
Anh has long cultivated her considerable skill as a photographer. Her penchant for careful observation, empathy and curiosity serve her well in both her research and creative endeavors.
We discuss ChatGPT’s potential applications, openness to unexpected outcomes and a little bit of jazz and Motown.
Growing up near NYC in Maplewood, New Jersey, Joel Primer initially eschewed the academic route of his parents and brother and decided to rock n’ roll. He was playing in bands from middle school onward, and he even played with Nick Clemons and his father, Clarence Clemons, from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
Seeking a more stable life in his early 30s, Joel found the world of market research. After living through the series of mergers that started with UK-based Research Now through to Dynata, Joel is now in a Strategic Operations role at the mighty Kantar, one of the world’s largest data, insights and consulting firms.
Joel recounts his journey and what he’s learned along the way. He also explains why we need to “bring something good” to the respondents that fuel the research industry.
Luke Kulik is Sr. Director of Sales at marketing and insights platform company, Prodege, who are particularly adept at fusing data sources in clever and powerful ways. Knowing that, it’s not hard to see how Luke found his way to the company.
Luke plays many instruments like piano, guitar, saxophone and drums. But also the sitar, the bansuri and the bouzouki among others. His current musical passion is melding electronic music with traditional acoustic forms like blues, soul and others where the mashup creates new and inspiring forms.
We discuss what makes insights appealing as a career, the advice that applies to both professional and artistic growth, and jam sessions in Chicago and at Quirk’s conferences.
We invite Emmanuel Probst from Ipsos back to the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast to discuss his latest book, Assemblage: The Art and Science of Brand Transformation.
Emmanuel and I go deep into a few concepts from the book and revisit his ‘desert island disc’ choices from Episode #55. This is the first episode of the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast with the “Open Mic” format. Enjoy! \m/ \m/
I first met Bohb Blair at an epic Motörhead show in Chicago in 2009. Fast forward and today Bohb is the CMO of the iconic Jones Soda and the Chief Brand Officer of its cannabis expansion, Mary Jones Cannabis.
Bohb’s first career was in music. After quitting his job as tour manager for Urge Overkill’s Nash Kato, he landed an ad agency gig supporting an on-premise branding program. He bounced up the ladder of the agency world until he became Global Chief Experience Officer at Starcom before joining Jones.
Bohb shares his career journey, his passion for helping pioneer CPG cannabis and his strategy as CMO for Jones. He also discusses why the cannabis market has a data advantage, the problem with bias in research, his love for Brian Eno and music as a hobby vs. a profession.
Angela Quinn is a visible and recognizable face in the world of market research. She is a regular at Insights Association conferences and ubiquitous on LinkedIn. She has also been a vocal and passionate advocate for ensuring diverse voices are heard and understood both within the research industry and in the context of the studies we conduct.
You may be surprised to know she is a relative newcomer to the research industry and to the US. Angela shares her fascinating story of how she came to research, how she cultivated a talent for leatherworking and her optimistic vision for the future of the research industry.
Jonathan Rudick, Director of Customer Insights for Financial Services at Walmart, grew up and was educated in South Africa. After a brief stint in London, he traveled to Los Angeles and never went back.
He got his start as a focus group facilitator and eventually found his way to HSBC, Capital One and finally Walmart. Jonathan’s mother was trained as a concert pianist. Sitting under the piano while she was playing sparked a passion for creating music that has carried him throughout his life.
He discusses his unique journey including growing up in small-town South Africa, the influence of local indigenous music and the punk movement, and the importance of experimentation in both music and research. He also shares an insightful perspective on how modern technology is changing consumer behavior and the field of research.
If you feel more like a rockstar on tour than a researcher traveling for qualitative research, then you’re probably working with Daniel Berkal of The Palmerston Group.
Daniel considered a career in music before pursuing advertising and eventually research. Qualitative research has been the perfect outlet for his creative mind, which persistently pumps out fresh ways to uncover insights and keep everyone engaged and having fun along the way.
Daniel shares what first drew him to research, tips on doing research in Las Vegas and how Tik Tok is changing how we discover and consume insights.
Rogerio Monteiro is Chief Client Officer for Worthix, a leader in using AI to measure what value truly means to customers. Rogerio is dynamic, sharp, energetic and uncommonly resilient. If you’re in need of a good mood and some inspiration, Rogerio is a great person to spend time with.
He started his research career in Brazil with General Motors and Kraft Foods before going all-in as an entrepreneur in concert promotion. Murphy’s Law struck his venture in every way possible, and Rogerio refreshed his successful research career armed with newfound perspective and hard-won wisdom.
Rogerio shares his journey, what he’s learned along the way and the techniques he’s employed to keep positive and moving forward. He also discusses his love for surfing, the power of samba and why the future of research is both conversational and real-time.
Right on time for the holidays! Elizabeth Saulsbury of Cox Enterprises, has just released her debut album, “Peppermint.” It is a wonderful, jazzy collection of holiday standards and original compositions, accompanied entirely by colleagues from Cox.
Elizabeth started her career at Cox as a research analyst and has navigated her way to her current role as Employment Brand Manager. She discusses why research provides a useful foundation in her current role, changing consumer attention spans and the value of good data.
She also shares her journey through the music, how she came to release "Peppermint" and what music shares in common with marketing.
Find Elizabeth’s album “Peppermint” on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music or wherever you get your jams. \m/
Adam Conley is the Regional Director of Insights for North America at Mars Wrigley who, let’s be honest, is home to all the best confectionary brands.
A torn ACL as a college basketball player got him focused and led the way to a career in insights. In this short conversation, he has sharpened my own understanding of what insights are and how to make them stick.
Adam draws deeply insightful parallels among data, creativity, consumer behavior, backyard oil and the development of movements like punk rock, hip hop and reggae. On the power of provocation in landing an insight: “NWA can come in and land an insight in any company better than I could, better than anybody I’ve ever seen.”
Adam’s relentless pursuit of understanding the origin of things makes his views of the future especially shrewd. Plus, he loves punk rock.
David Corsaro is a Client Director at MetrixLab and he fooled me on this podcast. I don’t feel so bad, though, because he also took the trophy on “Fool Us” by stumping Penn & Teller.
David has always had two careers, a magician and a market researcher. They are not one and the same, but he has distilled insightful lessons from each. In fact, he recently delivered a compelling presentation at the Insights Association South Central Chapter Annual Conference in Las Vegas where attendees, myself included, came away both with a new lens on research and wondering if magic is actually real.
As good a magician as David is, he’s an even better marketer and researcher. We discuss his journey through both careers, how they intersect and we share some mutual love for the Beastie Boys.
Before founding COMARKA Research in the US 16 years ago, Isabel Aneyba was a Category Manager and CMO in consumer goods and retail in Mexico. Her multi-country and multi-disciplinary background has laid the foundation for her unique expertise in cultural insights and strategy.
At COMARKA, Isabel employs innovative participatory methods for understanding consumers and culture. Stories are important in her professional life but perhaps even more important in her personal life. For the past 15 years, she has volunteered reading bedtime stories to kids in a transitional children’s home.
Isabel shares her career journey, her perspective on the future of insights and the music she would want to keep her company on a deserted island.
How does a leader of one of the top master’s programs in market research prepare the next generation of insights professionals? The short answer is start with Mr. Miyagi, Ted Lasso and Sonny from “A Bronx Tale” and sprinkle in some Bruce Lee and Bruce Springsteen. What does that mean? You have to listen to find out!
Scott Hanson is Director of the MSMR program at UT Arlington. He is deeply passionate about his responsibility and his commitment to his students. His personal journey, which has included years as a commercial research practitioner, has shaped his approach in powerful ways.
Scott discusses his path through research and his viewpoint on leading the MSMR program with healthy doses of storytelling, humor and pop culture references.
Andy Poe is the founder and CEO of TasteMakers Research Group, an insights firm creating innovative ways to test products with consumers.
Music was a consistent theme early in Andy’s career. She started out selling advertising for a radio station where she discovered the power of research to deliver relevant audiences. Later, in the heady days of the dot com boom, she was Research Manager for MP3.com when it became the largest tech IPO ever at the time.
We discuss Andy’s career journey, how MP3.com contributed to her work at TasteMakers and a whole lot of rock n’ roll along the way.
Jeffrey Henning was a ‘teenage market researcher’ and later introduced several now-ubiquitous technologies to the industry including online surveys, enterprise feedback management and the #mrx hashtag. Today, he is the founder and Chief Research Officer at Researchscape International.
But, in parallel, Jeffrey has also been a creator in the board gaming industry. He went from making his own rules for existing games to creating and publishing several of his own.
We discuss Jeffrey’s journey through research and gaming, and along the way we cover ‘competitive payphones,’ Duolingo, Twitter and Green Day.
According to Business Wire, the global cannabis market is expected to reach $176 Bn by 2030. New entrants into big markets require expert insight to take advantage of the opportunity.
Mike Luce co-founded High Yield Insights in 2018 to help companies make sense of this new market landscape. After a successful career in research with top firms like IRI, Mintel and Market Track (now Numerator), Mike sought to put his expertise to work as an entrepreneur in this new space. Today, he is helping leading brands and research firms make well-grounded strategic decisions through a deep understanding of the contemporary cannabis consumer.
Mike discusses his journey in research, what led him to cannabis entrepreneurship and where he sees the industry heading. He also shares the three records he’d want to keep him company if stranded on a desert island.
Donte Perry is currently Director of Client Development at Op4G (Opinions for Good), an insights company with a highly innovative model that uncovers unique, highly engaged research respondents for their clients while simultaneously benefiting the philanthropic community.
Donte landed in research after stints in early childhood education and R&D in the semiconductor industry, the consistent thread being his passion to do work that makes a difference.
While noble, that is not Donte’s only passion. He has been playing music for over 20 years - various instruments and diverse styles - and he and your host will surely be having a jam session soon in Dallas, TX. Look out world!
Don Simons is CEO, Insights of the advertising, technology and data firm, Big Village, a highly innovative Top 50 insights firm that you may know as Engine prior to their rebranding. With Big Village, Don is helping lead the industry charge toward linking insights to activation to produce meaningful, commercial results.
But did you know that, over 30 years ago, Don saw a relatively unknown band at the time, Pearl Jam, open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and he has been a super fan ever since?
In this episode, Don shares his vision for where the insights industry is headed and how Big Village is meeting the challenge. He also shares his origin story in research, what companies can learn from Pearl Jam about the customer experience and which media he turns to in his precious spare time.
Jon Giegengack knows entertainment as well as anyone. Ten years ago, he founded Hub Entertainment Research delivering expert consulting and insight on the world of TV, movies, gaming, music, sports and events. By night, he is the frontman for an outstanding, New England-based country rock cover band called Whiskey Horse (whiskeyhorse.com).
Jon shares his perspective on how to make sense of the complexities of entertainment’s digital transformation. He also discusses his decision to become an entrepreneur at 40, learning to play guitar from YouTube and why appreciation for the art of TV, movies and gaming is critical to effecting change through insights.
Katie Macdonald is an Enterprise Sales Director for Fuel Cycle, an innovative insights technology company that is part of the GRIT Top 50 Innovators and the Inc 5000. After starting her career in advertising, she found her way to GutCheck and was there through a period of tremendous growth. She has been in the research space ever since.
Her story starts in small town Iowa where, as a kid, she helped support her family’s myriad small enterprises from selling handmade art on QVC to a home-based tea room and gift shop to a restaurant downtown.
Katie shares her unique story, how it has informed her career in insights and her take on how democratization and generational shifts are impacting how research gets done.
David Yin is unquestionably driven by purpose. Today he leads the consumer business for LabCorp, a company focusing every day on making people healthier including playing a critical role in advancing COVID PCR testing.
David didn’t begin or end in insights, but his commitment to making ‘focusing on the customer’ the cornerstone of his expertise has led him to some of the best roles in insights and laid a solid foundation for greater responsibility.
As an intern at Merck, David worked on the HIV vaccine program. As a product developer with Clorox, he developed new and better products to make consumers’ lives better. His passion for consumers led him to research roles with Clorox and Avon where he honed his expertise, leading to unique opportunities creating new insights functions for EventBrite, FitBit and Ancestry.com.
In this podcast, David shares his thoughts on the problem with the ‘customer journey,’ what constitutes an ‘insight,’ and why credible research relies upon getting back to the fundamentals and rigor of the discipline. He also dishes on which 3 records he would want to keep him company on a desert island.
Hannah Taphorn is a Sr. Scientist, Information Research and Analysis at the great consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble. Her assignments require her to find, evaluate and make sense of global data sources to deliver credible, evidence-based answers to the myriad questions that come her way.
Hannah didn’t join P&G directly out of school. She took an unconventional path that perfectly prepared her for her role, spending seven years of increasing responsibility doing research and strategy in support of regional economic development with REDI Cincinnati. Dare I say she has played her own part in the recent renaissance of the city.
We discuss Hannah’s journey, including all the family photo albums she’s graced (likely my own!) as a face painter at the Cincinnati Zoo, and the central role she played organizing the legendary Cincinnati Northside parade.
Neil James is an accomplished Director of Research at Solve Advertising and Branding in Minneapolis, a two-time winner of AdAge’s Small Agency of the Year. With clients as varied as Porsche, Rust-Oleum and Goodwill Easter Seals, it is no surprise their team is just as intriguing.
Concurrent to taking a winding path that led to a career in market research, Neil has released 4+ albums and played countless shows in a shredding Twin Cities metal band called Cwn Annwn (look them up on Bandcamp!).
Neil traces his career path from philosophy grad to commissioned sales to strategy and research. He shares his lessons learned along the way, thoughts on research democratization and, of course, his journey through music and metal.
Expertise requires more than just putting in the time, it requires being very intentional about what you choose to practice and learn. That’s true whether learning an instrument or an intellectual discipline.
Leona Nadj is currently a Market Research Manager at Intel, inventor of the microprocessor and one of the world’s largest and most innovative tech companies. Leona has applied the same level of discipline in her research career as she did in becoming a successful, professional violinist playing at Carnegie Hall, in top Broadway shows and more.
Leona shares her journey from Croatia to New York City to Arizona, from music to microprocessors and research with some fun stories and hard-won lessons along the way.
By day, Mireya Arteaga is Lead Customer Researcher in CX Research and Strategy at GoDaddy (where this podcast is one of over 20 million happy customers). As a researcher she is thoughtful, measured, insightful and “professionally nosy.”
But as a self-described risk averse person, you might be surprised to learn Mireya’s story. From finishing her degree as a single parent at age 30, to becoming a trained amateur formula race car driver, to starting her own insights company (human-stories.com) to learning to play the drums, Mireya isn’t one to shy away from tackling new challenges.
Mireya discusses her journey in research, her long-time appreciation for Ringo Starr and how societal shifts towards inclusivity are fundamentally changing the practice of research.
When Tron Smith joined Suzy in 2020, she was stepping not just into a new company but a new industry. The market research learning curve can be steep and the esoterica daunting.
To meet the challenge, Tron found a mentor. She became involved in the Insights Association and joined the Board. She has embraced the insights industry and is helping to make it better. She has rapidly become a valued contributor to Suzy’s explosive growth as one of the most disruptive and buzzworthy companies in the industry.
Tron discusses her journey and dishes on her passion project, an LLC delivering staging services to AirBnB hosts. She also shares her fresh and honest observations of the insights industry, her love for Judge Judy and the music she’d choose if stranded on a deserted island.
Larry Cheng was a mechanical engineer working to design a new baby stroller when he nearly tipped his own child out of a stroller at the airport. It changed his conception of the problem from one rooted in a series of calculations to one much more human-centered.
Since that time, research has played a part in all of Larry’s roles from designer and project lead at IDEO, to experience design, strategy and innovation at Intuit and, currently, design research and insights within Intuit’s Small Business & Self-Employed Group.
Larry discusses his journey and the role that creativity and curiosity have played throughout, including his days as lead vocalist of a really cool punk rock band in college called The Skullmen. He shares how “Design for Delight” drew him to Intuit and offers his take on the dynamics of doing user experience research in the world of digital products.
As the founder of OdinAnswers and StoryHub, Tom Anderson has done much to advance the veracity and application of text analytics, AI and big data within the disciplines of customer experience, insights and business strategy.
But he also vaulted the market research industry into the modern world by creating Next Gen Market Research, enabling a network of tens of thousands of researchers to discuss important research topics with peers across the globe. He stimulated discussions, often passionate and contentious ones, and Tom has never been known to shy away from a good debate.
Tom discusses how he got interested in analytics, his experience with NGMR and where analytics is taking him now. He also shares his take on missed opportunities for corporate researchers and the persistent research problem yet to be solved.
I wish for nothing more than to be singing Karaoke at an industry conference with Tom, but a podcast is the next best thing!
Greg Park is in his third week as Director, Market Strategy and Understanding at Ipsos, the world’s foremost leader in understanding society, markets and people. Consumer Insights has been the focus of his entire career including 6+ years on the client side at Giant Food/Ahold.
But in parallel to developing his research chops, Greg spent several years guitar-shredding for an East Coast prog/hardcore/punk/metal band called Pandas, performing regularly and putting out an album. I know these genres well and I have never heard anything quite like Pandas!
Greg and I discuss the ins and outs of his research career and what he’s learned along the way. He also shares some great stories about his band and his (very metal!) music choices if stranded on a desert island.
Bianca Pryor is Vice President at BET leading their content optimization team and a Board Member of the Insights Association. Consumer Behavior is a long time passion but there is so much more to her than that. I am grateful to Bianca for bringing her whole self to the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast.
Bianca discusses her career, what she learned along the way from TNS Kantar and System 1/Brainjuicer and what the future of research and insights looks like. She generously shares her deeply personal story that has led to her taking action about black maternal health by co-founding Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project.
Finally, Bianca reveals the BET show she most recommends, the music that nurtures her soul and the record shop in the Bronx where she finds the best vinyl.
Ben Doepke never accepts the norms and standards of research as gospel. In his work as Principal of IX Strategy, he takes all the givens and the best practices, interrogates them and usually subverts them in the service of more meaningful, reverent, and human connections and insights. If you’ve worked closely with Ben, you’ve surely learned to see your work in ways you’ve never before thought of.
In this episode, Ben shares his unique perspective on insights, consumer brands and our deep responsibility to the humans who volunteer their experiences under the auspices of research. He traces his unconventional upbringing growing up on a goat farm without a television, to years on the road as a musician/songwriter with the band Homunculus, to the present day with fascinating and formative stories along the way.
It may sound like a leap to go from aerospace and operational physiology to overseeing user experience research for a major financial services company, but Jeff Scott explains just how much these worlds have in common.
Jeff shares his unique and fascinating journey from the US Air Force to Director of User Experience Research at Charles Schwab. He shows how each step along the way built upon the previous to make him perfectly suited for his role.
Along the way, Jeff discusses what call center work shares in common with flying a fighter jet, the military lessons he applies every day at Schwab and how good vs. bad data can literally save lives. He also throws me for a loop with his desert island music choices!
“I live alone in a forest of likes,” a telling Instagram quote about the media context for brands in Emmanuel Probst’s best-selling book, “Brand Hacks: How to Build Brands by Fulfilling the Consumer Quest for Meaning.”
Emmanuel is like a physician for brands. I couldn’t get enough of his ideas in our talk and we continued our conversation long after the podcast ended.
Emmanuel began his research career humbly and has become one of the most trusted advisors for growing brands. Today he is Global Lead: Brand Thought Leadership for Brand Tracking at Ipsos. He is also a contributor to Forbes and Media Post, a reviewer for the Journal of Advertising Research and adjunct faculty at UCLA Extension.
We dive deep into why and how brands must create meaning with consumers. We also discuss the power of nostalgia in branding and the appeal of Pink Floyd and Brittany Spears as a student learning English.
As a professor of Cognitive Psychology, Leib Litman was a pioneer in using the Internet for academic research. He met and tackled data quality challenges and has since become a trusted leader in ensuring online data quality at the firm he co-founded, Cloud Research.
Leib takes us on a journey into the world of survey participants, both genuine and bogus, identifying the scope and nature of the problems and how a blend of technology and cognitive psychology can help ensure high quality survey data.
Leib also shares the records (highly approved by the host!) that he would want to keep him company on a desert island.
Dyna Boen has spent most of her career helping lead start-ups to success, including her own. She has seen it all, done it all and inspired many along the way.
Yet, she has always made time to help others. Seven years ago, she and Heidi Dickert had an idea to create an offsite for executive women in research to share experiences and learn from each other. They saw it through and it became the WIRexec Leadership Summit which she has continued to help lead.
Dyna discusses the early days of ResTech with MarketTools, her journey in research and what she has learned and applied along the way.
As a huge hip-hop fan, how does an internship with legendary Def Jam Records lead you out of music and into advertising? Michael Schonfeld has a fascinating story about that!
Since joining the ad agency world, Michael has worked with meaningful brands like Mars, Sandy Hook Promise and Reebok. Today, he is Senior Strategist on Michelob Ultra in NYC at the iconic FCB, winners of the 2019 Cannes Lion North American Creative Agency of the Year, the 2020 Adweek Global Agency of the Year and countless other awards over the past 148 years.
In this podcast, Michael shares his journey, his take on the relationship of brands with consumers and how brands can better understand the people they serve.
Today Jennie Finerty has a very successful career in insights as VP, Qualitative Research for Magid’s Global Media & Entertainment practice.
But before her career in research, Jennie spent much of her life as a successful competitive athlete. She spent countless hours over many years with her twin sister in the pool training as an Artistic Swimmer (then known as Synchronized Swimming), where she excelled and eventually went on to make the US National Team and the US Training Squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Jennie shares her journey on today’s podcast, including how she got started, what she has learned from her experience in athletics, how qualitative research has changed and the “inspirational pressure” of representing her country in international competition.
For more really cool insights from Magid, go here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeuJSsivrUGht8ZimN7rLxA
Alfonso de la Nuez traces his fascinating journey from a childhood dream of playing point guard in the NBA to helping lead the revolution of user experience research as founder and CEO of UserZoom.
He shares the lessons he applied from basketball to the business world and how Google and others in the early days pushed his consulting business to do user experience research at scale. What started as a services business evolved into a SaaS business that became UserZoom.
Along the way, he discusses what’s next for the evolution of user experience research, the influence of people like Ricky Rubio and Pau Gasol on Spanish basketball and the music that means the most to him.
“Making Research Inspirational” is what Nikki Lavoie’s company, MindSpark, does on a professional level every day. Like me, many are personally inspired by Nikki, and grateful for the leadership, expertise and energy she contributes to the insights industry through organizations like ESOMAR, The AQR and more.
What I really wanted to know is the backstory of how she came to launch and lead a global qualitative research agency based in France after starting her career in the US.
Nikki shares this story and more, including the importance of respecting research participants, why she’s still a Belieber and why she suspects you are, too.
My good friend and Chief Architect at a major financial firm, Mike Boyer, had the idea to put the host on the hot seat in his aptly named "Turntable Episode."
Mike gets me to share how I got into the field of market research, a self-deprecating jog through my humbling side gigs in music and a way-too-long list of records I'd want on a desert island.
Jessica Gomez is one-of-a-kind in all the best ways. She is someone who takes initiative and makes the most of her opportunities. She turned an entry level position at a TV station in San Antonio into digital sales management positions in Dallas, New York City and now Houston at Audacy, Inc., the second largest radio company in the US.
But . . . she also mighta, coulda, shoulda, woulda been a Flamenco dancer (she is a great dancer, I can attest!). Jessica shares that story along with insights about digital marketing during the pandemic, the role of data in the marketing mix and the music that means the most to her.
Evan Dabbs made a bet that a deep background in music would translate well to a career in user experience design. I’m convinced he’s right.
I met Evan on LinkedIn after reading his Medium article, “The UX of Music.” The pandemic led him to explore new paths beyond his career as a band director (can you imagine conducting a school orchestra over Zoom?).
Evan shares keen insight into how similar the processes are for composing music and creating user-centered design. Have you ever thought about that brief moment of satisfaction between when a live performance ends and when the applause starts? Evan has and he is exploring what it could mean for designing satisfying experiences.
Evan’s second career in UX may just be getting started but it couldn’t have been built on a better foundation.
Alistair Vince traces his career path from Big Mac Constructor to CEO of Watch Me Think, an inventive ethnography and consumer empathy firm with offices in Australia, the UK and the US.
He shares how a washing machine inspired the launch of the company and how it is ever guided by culture, people, ideas, stories and innovation.
He also shares the lessons he’s learned from his passion project, 'The 100' newsletter, “A cheat-sheet way to stay on top of the world of market research,” which includes impartiality, “the rhythmic rule of 3” and the enduring appeal of PowerPoint.
I won’t give away his desert island discs, but let’s just say that Alastair is Straight Outta Cliddesden. \m/
You may know Orlando Wood as the Chief Innovation Officer at System1, a foremost thought leader on behavioral science and advertising, or the author of the acclaimed book on advertising, “Lemon: How the Advertising Brain Turned Sour.” For those who’ve enjoyed “Lemon,” he has another book due out this October.
You may not know that Orlando is a studious and talented watercolorist. He draws keen, common lessons among the disciplines of research, advertising, writing and art (“It’s important to respect spontaneity . . . and mistakes that you think are mistakes but might actually turn into something really interesting.”).
Orlando shares his insights on why advertising’s creative devices have changed in recent years, how art reflects broader societal trends and the authors, media and music that inspire him.
By day, Elena Erofeeva is an accomplished software engineer working with big data applications and many more. Her interest in computers was sparked early, at age 4, when her father built one of the first computers in her hometown region in Russia.
But before moving to the US in her teens, Elena also discovered metal (\m/). Now steeped in the arcane worlds of black metal, symphonic metal and myriad other taxonomic branches, she eventually found her way to the mic as an on-air radio DJ at KFAI Fresh Air Radio in Minneapolis.
Elena became a host of the Root of All Evil radio show, the longest continually running metal radio show on the planet founded by the Twin Cities metal godfather, Earl Root (RIP). She has since also launched and hosts the show, Shadow Planet, from 2am-4am on Saturday mornings.
You haven’t heard a story quite like Elena's! \m/ \m/
Where in the world is Samiyyah Williams today? She’s right here on the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast! Spend a few minutes living vicariously through Samiyyah as she shares how her 18-month sabbatical from Ipsos, backpacking and motorbiking throughout Asia, transformed her lifestyle and awakened her soul.
Follow Samiyyah’s continuing adventures on Instagram at @thewanderessadventure
Based in Chicago, Sarah Kotva has spent most of her career at Fieldwork, Inc. where she has risen to the role of EVP. She is a highly organized and meticulous leader who loves to collaborate and interact with people.
So perhaps it is not surprising that, inspired by Colin Cowie on Oprah, she originally set out to be a planner of fabulous parties. Fate eventually found her under the big tent of the market research industry where she discovered these two worlds are not so different as they may seem.
Sarah shares her journey on today's podcast and discusses the enduring value of face-to-face consumer interaction, which snacks are most popular at focus groups and which hair metal record she'd listen to for all of eternity.
Brian Baecker doesn’t need 6 strings to shred, he can do it with 4. As a go-to innovation expert, Brian leads the Innovation and Market Strategy service line for Ipsos North America on the West Coast. His combination of intuition and disciplined thinking has fueled his 13-year rise at Ipsos from entry-level to Senior Vice President.
As a cellist-turned-bass player, Brian has been composing, performing and recording music with family, friends, colleagues and even people he’s plucked off the sidewalk since he was a wee lad. He made the most of the pandemic by collaborating with other musicians to write and release a new album called, "Social Mixstancing.”
Brian discusses his parallel journeys in insights and music and the increasing importance of collaboration in research. He also offers some intriguing choices for the music he’d want if stranded on a desert island.
A basement poker game in Corona, Queens led to Josh Kamowitz’s first career as a professional poker player. What’s surprising is how well that experience translated to a career in insights with BrainJuicer (now System1) and in media with Roku.
Josh’s story was one of the foundational inspirations for this podcast. In this episode, he shares how he approached the game and managed through the stress, and what he learned about the importance of research in both poker and in business.
Diane Hessan is a successful entrepreneur, board member, researcher and best-selling author of two books, including the June 2021 release, “Our Common Ground: Insights from Four Years of Listening to American Voters.”
She is the founder and Chairman of C Space, formerly Communispace, which was the first company to build online communities for market research and was ultimately sold to Omnicom.
Many people are familiar with Diane’s career. Far fewer know her passion for music, and that she founded an a capella singing group, The Sound Bytes, which has done large-scale custom performances at corporate conferences.
Diane discusses her origin story with C Space, her upcoming book and why she’s “always found there’s so much room for music in business.”
Measuring shopper behavior by day and diving into hairpin turns by night, Sam Albert balances a life of research and racing motorcycles with precision and dedication.
Sam is the Chief Digital Office of Behaviorally, formerly PRS INVIVO, where he has grown his career from the entry-level to the c-suite.
Behaviorally are pioneering experts at defining and diagnosing the behaviors that drive shopper growth. Adding a product to the shopping cart is only the tip of the iceberg. So many factors influence which product is chosen, the key is to isolate and act upon what matters.
Sam applies the same discipline to racing. Success on the track depends on what you can learn and apply while off the track - data, knowledge, insight and, finally, implementing the right changes.
Smart, incremental improvements can be the difference between first and second place.
Isaac Rogers is the Chief Innovation Officer at Schlesinger Group, a global leader in data collection and research services and one of the industry's most respected firms.
Isaac originally came from outside the research industry. Inspired by Jim Bryson’s vision to disrupt the industry through new technology, Isaac joined 20/20 Research as a newly minted MBA with limited exposure to research. He worked his way to CEO in under 8 years and served in that capacity for 5 more when 20/20 was acquired by Schlesinger.
As comfortable as he has become in this industry as a sought after innovator and thought leader, he is just as comfortable at home tending to his bee colonies. Yes, Isaac is an avid beekeeper.
In this episode, Isaac shares insights on his career, the importance of speaking the language of business and what can be learned by studying the unheralded life of bees.
Who better to lead a conversational journey through the rich history of market research than Steve Cohen, co-founder of In4mation Insights? From Buck Weaver’s automobile surveys at General Motors in the 1930’s to Paul E. Green at Wharton to the modern day, Steve covers it all with distinctive insight and wit.
But Steve also opens the closet, so to speak, and shares his attachment to his shoe collection, including his favorite pair of Chelsea boots, too long sitting idle through the pandemic!
Steve has had a Hall of Fame career in market research with many firsts: first commercial MRer to do CBCA, first menu-based conjoint model, first paper for latent class CBCA and he introduced MaxDiff to the market.
He has been awarded several of the most prestigious awards in the field for innovation, lifetime achievement and courage, yet he remains on the vanguard delivering world-class, aspirational analytics to solve his clients’ business challenges.
Priscilla McKinney is the CEO and “Momma Bird” of Little Bird Marketing, helping clients soar by creating and executing highly effective marketing plans. She is also a tireless advocate for research industry collaboration and produces an outstanding podcast, Ponderings from the Perch.
If you know Priscilla, you know she is relentlessly positive, energetic and curious. But what you didn’t know is that her curiosity was seeded early while traveling throughout Spain in a childhood singing troupe with her four sisters (in matching dresses, no less!).
Priscilla shares her story and offers sage advice to research firms looking to tell their own stories.
You probably know Joel Rubinson as one of the great independent thinkers in marketing and market research. His ideas on digital data and attribution, in particular, helped shape my own thinking long before we met.
But do you know the Joel Rubinson who:
- Sings and plays harmonica and guitar in bands on the side?
- Threw a mean fastball as a pitcher for NYU?
- Ran his own sabermetric analyses long before Bill James and Moneyball?
With characteristic wit, Joel shares those experiences along with his take on the power of good marketing strategy+targeting and how he spent the pandemic hitting the books. Stick around to the end for his joke about economists!
While Joel has already contributed so much to the profession, the data say his best work is ahead of him.
Susan Griffin knows the intersection of marketing and research better than anyone. She was previously CMO at System1 (formerly BrainJuicer) and today puts her hard-won experience to work for her clients as Principal at Griffin + Skeggs Collaborative.
Susan shares her journey including why research firms should “think like a baker,” why she took a late-career internship and details of her side gig helping talented theater creatives with the business side of their craft. She also speaks with pride about her daughter, Emily Skeggs, who was part of the “Fun Home” cast on Broadway that won the Tony Award the year before “Hamilton.”
Equal parts informative and entertaining, make sure you tune in to the end where she gets me to turn in my metal salute for jazz hands!
Ivan Rocabado’s insights career started in Santiago, Chile with Nielsen. Five more cities later, he’s the SVP, North America for RepTrak, a world leader in corporate reputation management.
Ivan discusses the gutsy risks he took on himself and his convictions that led to launching a modern Nielsen HomeScan panel in Chile. His resourcefulness, determination and belief in innovation have served him well in his career, but they were cultivated as a young DJ with an armful of records in his native Santiago.
I have learned much from Ivan about telling data-supported stories that lead to winning business outcomes. He shares his fascinating journey and insights along the way on this podcast.
A trained chemist, Charlie Rader has spent over 26 years in Products Research at Procter & Gamble bringing new and improved products to consumers all over the world.
In recent years, Charlie has played a leading industry role uncovering and developing digital capabilities that increase the quality, efficiency and scalability of research.
But alongside corporate and industry roles, you can find Charlie in other roles like Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls or the Emcee in Cabaret.
Charlie shares his acting stories and discusses P&G’s Products Research function, the importance of teamwork and the work yet to be done in consumer research.
Alisa Ben has spent a lot of time in the driver’s seat - from a tour van back in the day to leading the analytics function at the world’s second largest independent media agency.
In college, she managed and mentored a band of ambitious high-schoolers, The All-American Rejects, who went on to write four top-20 hits and sell over 10 million records.
That experience launched a brilliant career in the music industry, and today she is SVP, Head of Analytics at Canvas Worldwide, named in 2020 as AdWeek’s Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year.
Alisa has carved a path that uniquely blends her passion and leadership in chart-topping music, media, branding and data analytics. In this podcast, she shares her journey, what connects her experiences and her view on where data and technology are taking us. May she inspire and entertain you as she did me.
As a Research Associate at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, Patrick Adler studies the geography and curation of the music festival economy - where festivals are staged, where the acts come from and what that means for regional economies and urbanization.
For example, just 4-5 cities account for 40% of the acts that play large festivals like Coachella, SXSW and Lollapalooza. What are the economic implications for the host city? For the cities the acts come from?
In this episode, Patrick shares fascinating highlights of his soon-to-be-published work and offers a geographer's perspective on what the post-pandemic future holds. \m/ \m/
“I’m essentially a historian and researcher.”
Whitney Dunlap-Fowler is the brilliant and indefatigable founder of Touch of Whit Creative, providing expert brand strategy consulting rooted in cultural insight.
In this episode, Whitney traces her circuitous route to a career in insights. From a child artist in South Carolina, to Chicago to pursue a career in advertising, to joining Kantar Added Value at the ground floor in New York City, to becoming an entrepreneur. She offers shrewd insight for anyone currently navigating their career.
Whitney also shares her fascinating take on how knowing the future of your category or brand starts with understanding the past. Along the way, we discuss the organization she founded called Insights in Color and her love of TV jingles, moody music and Game of Thrones.
Brian Hughes has spent most of his career at IPG amassing expertise in media research culminating in his current position as EVP, GM Audience Intelligence & Strategy at MAGNA.
In parallel, he has spent much of his spare time playing guitar, bass and drums in bands that have taken him from a gig at the iconic CBGB on the eve of 9/11 to the present day.
Brian shares how he found his way into research, the time he realized that the same rules don't apply to everyone and the importance of storytelling in research. Plus, wouldn't you have wanted to be on the inaugural Megadeth MegaCruise? He actually did that! Jealous.
Ukuleles and Canadian folk music!
Annie Pettit works tirelessly to make the market research industry better in so many ways but there is much more that makes her tick.
In today’s episode of the Rock n’ Roll Research podcast, Annie cuts to the chase about her market research origin story, her hopes for biometrics and neuroscience, her passion for the uke and the musicians that make her happy.
Paul Smith is a sought-after business storytelling coach and bestselling author of five books, including Lead With a Story.
Paul talks about his career at P&G and the journey from finance to insights; how he discovered and acted upon his passion; and what he learned from insights that helped make his business a success.
He also shares insightful tips on how to recognize and elicit stories in interviews and in everyday conversation.
Learn more about Paul's books and coaching at leadwithastory.com.
From his base in India, Winfred Samson went from playing keyboards at Diwali celebrations in front of thousands to building a distinguished career in the market research industry.
In this episode, Winfred shares the value of his upbringing, his experience in music, and the growth of his career from a young professional to an operations leader at MarketTools / MetrixLab and founder at InsightSutras.
He draws poignant connections from his experience in music to his career and what it means for the future of research.
Starting with a part-time job while at university in the UK, Charlene Adamah has built a very successful and rewarding career in the market research industry.
Along the way, she realized she had another talent . . . baking. In addition to her day job, nine years ago she founded Char's Cakery, making eye-popping confections of exquisite detail for a loyal and growing customer base.
If that weren't enough, in 2020 Charlene co-founded Colour of Research (CORe) in the UK, dedicated to attracting and supporting diversity within the market research industry. You can find more information here: colourofresearch.org.
Scott Aaron has had a fascinating journey through insights. Starting on the agency side helping P&G develop Swiffer, he spent years at Luxottica, P&G Gillette and now he heads up insights at the innovative furniture company, Lovesac.
What people don't know about Scott is that he has a passion for the guitar, and he even performed on two records for a band called Lazy Old Son.
A research psychologist, a jazz musician and a Zen monk walk into a bar and say, “Hi, I’m Dr. Douglas Gentile.”
As one of the most oft-cited researchers in the space, Doug shares fascinating insight into the links between violent video games and child aggression.
With his signature dry humor, Doug also tells the tale of how he ended up performing the bumper music for the Dee Snider radio show (accompanied by yours truly) and how the absurdity of life connects his passions and interests.
Jim Sharples really knows the business of healthcare where he is a noted expert on strategy, trends and stakeholder insights. His clients at KS&R benefit from his deep experience as a leader and practitioner in product development and marketing.
Beyond his expertise, Jim is known as an excellent storyteller. But it is no accident. Acting and the stage lit an early spark in Jim, and he has been performing in productions alongside his day job throughout his career.
Jim shares why acting has been good for his professional career, what COVID-19 portends for the future of healthcare (hint: there are silver linings) and what 3 records would keep him company on a desert island.
Dane Mitchell, also known as DJ Marvel, is someone of many talents. More than that, he has always mustered the courage to confront the obstacles that stand in the way of pursuing his passions.
Dane and I talk about the bumpy yet conquered road to becoming a mobile phone expert, the official DJ for a Power Rangers-themed convention called RangerStop and the investment he has made into his own mental health.
Shout out to the Highland Cafe in Cincinnati where we first met - barista Jay Noel who traveled the world playing keys for Burning Spear, Caleb Hughes who edits these podcasts, not to mention the many friends who make this coffee shop special including Julian, Dale, Karin, Doc, Rob, Celeste, Sean, Matt H, Erica, Marty, Kiel, Mike S, Kelly K, Michael (Wie geht's?), Kenna, Melissa B., Tim and countless others.
Bill Trovinger has a passion for consumer insights which he has put to good use at some of the world's greatest companies - P&G, General Mills, Microsoft and now Amazon.com.
He was part of the team that helped transform Old Spice from your dad's brand to your son's. He is now helping develop Amazon's private label strategy for their Amazon Fresh stores.
Yet, Bill's first love was and still is the game of Wiffle Ball. He and his team have been playing for around two decades and earned four world championships along the way.
Go here to find everything you ever wanted to know about the World Wiffle Ball Championship: https://worldwiffleball.org/.
\m/ \m/
Mark Loughney is a well-known name in media research circles. Mark has led world-class teams who have pioneered media and ad sales research since the earliest days of video streaming, notably with ABC TV and, most recently, WarnerMedia.
All the while, Mark has never missed a gig. He has played guitar in some 10 bands over the years, including his band, 3rd Gear, for almost 20 years now. The lockdown hasn't stopped him. Instead, he has cultivated his community of friends, family and fans through weekly live streaming performances.
Mark reflects here on his career thus far, the lessons he's learned from music and what it means to be a good leader.
Randy Hill has had three careers. First in the Air Force. Second as a professional drummer in LA, the center of the 80s music universe. Third as a market researcher, currently in a global role with Cargill.
Randy discusses his fascination with science that informed each step of the way and his unique perspective on insights and storytelling borne from his experiences. He also makes a compelling case for the importance of the drummer which I am only too quick to accept!
MIke has spent over 20 years at IPSOS in myriad senior management and client roles. But in college, Mike did much more than study. He was a goalie for the University of St. Thomas hockey team, and he spent his nights rockin' St. Paul in his band, Empty Attic, culminating in a highly anticipated 2019 reunion gig.
With humility and a dose of dry humor, Mike shares observations from his career in market research, his band days and why he hung up the six-string for a sample calculator.
AJ Keirans is a recognizable face in the market research industry. Beyond his role as VP, Client Development at DISQO and as President-Elect of the Insights Association of Greater NY, AJ was recently named to the Remesh Top 50 Research & Equitable Leadership List.
But before a career in research, AJ was a popular radio DJ in Connecticut and manager for the band, Scarecrow Collection, which led to a chance meeting with Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin.
Rene Huey-Lipton's career has taken her through advertising, planning, strategy, culture and insights. She has lived and witnessed the barriers that women and others face in the workplace and is tirelessly working to make change through her DAME Collective, speaking engagements and an upcoming book.
Rene is an incisive observer of people and culture. She is also fun, thoughtful, brutally honest and earnestly crass in all the best ways.
Bob Lederer is a Market Research industry institution. He began publishing the Research Business Report and related titles in 1995 and currently publishes a daily podcast, The Research Business Daily Report (RBDR).
Bob also published a very successful book, "Beyond Broadway Joe," profiling the players - beyond Joe Namath - who were part of the 1969 Super Bowl championship.
This interview is an enjoyable retrospective on the research industry and the glory days of the NFL.
To subscribe to RBDR: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-lederer-rfl/
To buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Broadway-Joe-Changed-Football/dp/0062798049/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2G6R8CANNP06T&dchild=1&keywords=beyond+broadway+joe&qid=1603831762&sprefix=beyond+broa%2Caps%2C265&sr=8-1
"Never be boring" is a mantra Rick Garlick takes to heart.
He puts that mantra to use as a highly sought-after consultant in the Travel & Tourism industry. Rick has made countless conference presentations and TV segment appearances in his career spanning Magid, JD Power, Maritz and Gallup.
He got his start as a wee lad doing his best to sound like The King, Elvis Presley, which turned into a full-blown years-long side gig as an Elvis impersonator.
A chance meeting with Nirvana's Krist Novoselic propelled Paul's band, Read Yellow, to a successful 5-year run of records, tours and movie soundtracks. His music career laid a strong foundation to a successful career in consumer insights at C Space.
Read Yellow, 'The Association:' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2iIqkok-JM
C Space 'Outside In' podcast: https://cspace.com/thinking/podcast/
C Space 'Better Why' conference: https://cspace.com/the-better-why/
Through the Arc of San Francisco, Jorge Reyes has been taking care of the Upwave (Survata) office for the past 3 years, making employees and guests feel welcome and comfortable.
Jorge recently received an award for Employee of Year. What many people don't know about Jorge is that he is a talented artist. He reveals a few pieces here destined to a few of his coworkers. Enjoy!
Ro is an accomplished strategy and insights pro, currently as Research Director at buzzback. She has a unique blend of creativity and a bias toward getting-it-done.
Ro dishes about her career and the work she has done for herself and others in the underground NYC arts scene, along with some insights into the importance of 'community' now and in the future. \m/
Accomplished psychologist by day, kickass metal musician by night and a former ballet dancer, Damion Smith has been carving his own path his entire life.
Sr. Director of Market Research and Competitive Intelligence at media powerhouse, Thomson Reuters, Chris Post, shares her story as a marching band drummer in the Big10 and what it taught her in her professional career.
Audra began her career at age 8 as the 'anchorkid' for Kid's Beat on TBS. That led to a career in broadcast television that eventually landed her in the field of market research and consumer insights. If that sounds strange, Audra details the path in this podcast. You can check out examples of her creative endeavors here:
Kid's Beat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrh7I9P5Bzo
Solo Music: https://www.reverbnation.com/audralee
Philip Noyed has pursued parallel paths his entire life. One as an artist, another as a branding and user-experience expert. His path has led him to living and exhibiting all over the world. For me, being a production designer on Prince's Purple Rain is all I need to know but that only scratches the surface of his experiences and what he's learned along the way.
Explore his incredible work here: http://www.philipnoyed.com/
An interview with Jordan Cusner on his path from rabbinical school to the Berklee College of Music to law school to uncovering spicy insights and playing in "Sage Against the Machine" at McCormick & Co. Enjoy! \m/
Thrilled to chat with Steve August in this inaugural episode from a closet in Dallas to a backyard in Portland!
In this episode, Steve shares his serendipitous entry into consumer insights, stories about opening for The Wallflowers in his band Falling August, and the lessons about performance and creativity relevant to anyone working in market research-related fields.
You can find links to his super catchy music here:
Fan page: http://www.erica-schultz.com/fallingaugust/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-489898143/sets/the-complete-falling-august
To rave about his tunes and learn more, find Steve August on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-august/