The Remarkable Project: Recent Episodes
Jay Tinkler
The Remarkable Project helps business owners, optimisers and curious marketers to push past the "same-same" world of marketing into a world of unexpected customer experiences, word-of-mouth and a more compounded approach to marketing. Each episode weaves the path that experts including scientists, entrepreneurs, creatives, innovators and more, have used to build businesses that people feel compelled to talk about. Come and join the journey if you have been asking:- How to improve word of mouth for a small business- How do I improve my customer experiences?- What tools should I use for building a community?- How do I write a marketing plan around word of mouth?- How do I change my sales to have greater impact?- How do I measure Word of Mouth in my business?
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Leigh Anderson, a seasoned paramedic as well as an author, broadcaster and thought-leader on the topic of thriving in high-stress, unpredictable situations. They unpack why the power of a pause can be so significant in any situation, how self-leadership is key to responding calmly and creatively, and what’s happening at a biological level during high-pressure happenings.
Leigh Anderson is an accomplished paramedic with 15 years of operational experience also an accomplished author, Podcaster and speaker on the subject of optimal performance.
Outside of an ambulance, Leigh has a keen desire to improve the human experience of stress to set people up to flourish. He has a Bachelor of Paramedic Science and a Graduate Certificate of Emergency Health and has lectured and tutored at university level, as well as being a peer reviewer of scientific journal articles.
His new book 'The Paramedic Mindset' attempts to answer the question of why some people flourish in high-stress situations, while others flounder, feeling overwhelmed or discouraged? How do some remain calm under pressure, where others succumb to stress? The difference, Leigh concludes, is in mindset.
Leigh is based in Queensland, Australia.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why the power of a pause can be so significant in any situation.
- How self-leadership is key to responding calmly and creatively
- What’s happening at a biological level during high-pressure happenings?
Connect with Leigh=
Find him on LinkedIn
Learn more about The Paramedic Mindset via his website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Faruk Heplevent, a celebrated creative force in the automotive marketing industry, about why cutting-edge technology can allow even industries steeped in tradition to be revolutionised, how creative minds adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving landscape, and the importance of focusing on one's strengths even when diversification comes calling.
Faruk Heplevent is a formidable force in the automotive marketing industry, and one who has been playing at the intersection of technology and creativity for over two decades.
In 1990, he began assisting professional photographers, first with still life before advancing to advertising and car photography. By 1999, Faruk was working for major car brands, creating stunning visuals to capture the public’s imagination.
In 2007, he founded The Scope - an innovative company that uses cutting-edge CGI technology to create incredible images for vehicle launches and advertisements. Not only did he coin the term CG photography (using computer software to take pictures), but in 2022 his team published Scope City, a fully computer-generated city-building tool intended to deliver top-notch work on time.
Working for brands like Audi, BMW, Tesla, Li Auto, Nio, Chrysler, Lincoln, Hyundai, Genesis, VW, Renault and Toyota – and earning awards like Cannes Lions along the way – Faruk is an undisputed leader in this field.
When he’s not busy bringing his incredible visions into reality, Faruk loves making memories together with his wife and four sons in Hamburg, Germany.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why cutting-edge technology is increasingly allowing even industries steeped in tradition to be revolutionised.
- How creative minds can plot a path towards success by adapting and thriving in an ever-evolving landscape.
- The importance of focusing on one's strengths even when diversification comes calling.
Connect with Faruk
Find him on LinkedIn
Learn more about The Scope Studio via their website and follow them on Instagram
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with force-of-nature facilitator, speaker and CEO of Impactful Presenters, Cat Matson, about why effective communication is rarely about the perfect words, how meeting an audience where they’re at can unlock untapped potential in conversations, and the importance of authentically personalised storytelling in building trust.
Cat Matson is the CEO and lead facilitator of Impactful Presenters, a business which empowers founders, owners and community leaders to speak with confidence, authority, authenticity and impact. A popular and accomplished speaker, MC and moderator, Cat is known for her straight-talking, 'realness' and extracting 'the juice' from her clients.
Describing herself as a 'Mistress-of-all-Trades', Cat has worked in both the private and public sectors, in small and large business and in virtually every industry. She has advised Mayors and CEOs; developed city-shaping strategies; interviewed extraordinary industry leaders from social enterprise to deep tech and everything in between; and helped small business owners understand how to capitalise on the trends of digital transformation and innovation.
She is the host of the Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson Podcast, likes to 'work out loud' so others can learn from her experiences, enjoys her coffees strong and black and her martinis stirred and dirty.
Remarkably Takeaways
- Why impactful communication isn’t about the perfect words, but about finding meaningful ways to connect.
- How taking the time to understand an audience and meeting them where they’re at can unlock untapped potential in conversations.
- The importance of building trust by baking authentic personal experience and storytelling into every interaction
Connect with Cat
Find her on LinkedIn
Follow her on Instagram
Learn more about Impactful Presenters via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with behavioural scientist, CEO, author and speaker Nuala Walsh, about why ego often hijacks decision-making, how to harness “decision friction”, and the key ways organisations can encourage and nurture customer loyalty.Nuala is an independent non-executive director, behavioural scientist, visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and author of Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions In a Noisy World.
Recognised among the 100 Most Influential Women in Finance, she spent three decades in global asset management with Blackrock, Merrill Lynch and Standard Life Aberdeen as Chief Marketing Officer. As MindEquity CEO, she advises blue-chip companies, human rights and sports organisations.
Holding multiple board roles, appointments include President of the Harvard Club of Ireland; Non-Executive Director at the British & Irish Lions; Chair of the Innocence Project London; Council Member at The Football Association; Advisor at World Athletics; Founding Director of the Global Association of Behavioural Scientists; and former Vice-Chair of UN Women (UK).
A TEDx speaker, Nuala publishes in Forbes, Inc, HBR and Psychology Today, with insights featured from the Financial Times to Fox Business.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Whyego can be such a derailer of effective decision-making.
- How strategic decisions require consciously slowing down and assessing biases in order to navigate “decision friction”.
- The four ways to give people a reason to not only do business with you but stay loyal over time.
Connect with Nuala
Find her on Linkedin
Follow her on X
Learn more about her work and other endeavours via her website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with author, speaker and founder Kristi Herold, who as CEO of JAM champions the culture and connections which can be built through play, about why welcoming a playful culture can be so powerful for adults as well as children, how meaningful guarantees can help build trust and team happiness drives great customer service, and ways to systemise the benefits of letting your guard down around colleagues and connections.
Kristi Herold helps people connect and companies unlock profit through play. Her vision is to get 1 million people playing annually. She is the founder and CEO of JAM, one of the world’s largest adult recreational sports league providers as well as a team of PLAYmakers who help corporate cultures thrive.
JAM has connected millions of people from all walks of life, through play since its inception in 1996, with its sports leagues operating in 12 different cities across Canada and the USA. The company has produced and delivered over 3,500 corporate events, connecting hundreds of thousands of people through play in over 30 different countries. Today JAM offers a wide range of virtual, hybrid and in-person play-based team building and learning experiences designed to help corporate cultures thrive.
In addition to her role at JAM, Kristi authored ‘It Pays to PLAY – How Play Improves Business Culture’, consults to businesses on creating thriving workplace cultures, and is a sought-after keynote speaker. She is also passionate about the power of play for all ages, as well as giving back to her community. In 2019, Kristi and her team founded national not-for-profit Keep Playing Kids, in order to help ensure children from lower economic communities have free access to organised sports regardless of gender, skill level or family income.
Kristi has been featured in Forbes and Fast Company, was named to the esteemed “Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women”, was a top three finalist in the Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, and is the proud recipient of the North American Sport & Social Industry Association’s Industry Impact Award. She was also awarded the Governor General’s “Queen’s Diamond Jubilee” in recognition of her contribution to giving back to community. JAM has been certified as a “Great Places to Work – Canada” as well as being named one of the “Best Remote Startups” to work for.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why welcoming a playful culture can be so powerful for adults as well as children – literally lifesaving in some instances.
- How meaningful guarantees can help build trust with your customers, and how true team happiness drives external service quality.
- The sometimes unexpected upsides of letting your guard down around colleagues and connections, and how to encourage this in a systemised manner.
Connect with Kristi
Purchase her book here
Find her on Linkedin
Learn more about her work and other endeavours via her website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Marketing Author and Cognitive Psychologist, Matt Johnson, about why the nuance of cultural codes is so relevant to how smaller brands grow, how alignment around core purpose helps unlock value for all stakeholders, and when to lead versus when to listen.
Matt Johnson, PhD is a speaker, writer, and researcher, specialising in the application of psychology and neuroscience to branding and marketing.
Following his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Princeton University, his work has probed the science of brand storytelling, experiential marketing, and consumer decision-making. He is the author of top-selling consumer psychology book, ‘Blindsight: The (Mostly) Hidden Ways Marketing Reshapes Our Brains’ (BenBella, 2020), and most recently, ‘Branding That Means Business’ (Economist Books, Fall 2022). In 2023, Matt was inducted into Thinkers50 Radar as one of 30 business thinkers with ideas most likely to shape the future.
As a contributor to major news outlets including Psychology Today, Forbes, and the BBC, he provides expert opinion and thought-leadership on a range of topics related to the human side of business. Matt is also passionate about helping brands harness insights from neuroscience to better understand, serve, and interact with their consumers. To this end, he consults with a wide array of organisations, including as an expert in residence for Nike.
Matt currently resides in Boston, MA, where he is a Professor of Psychology and Marketing at Hult International Business School, and an instructor at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education. He grew up in The Bay Area, California, and has lived and worked in San Diego, New Jersey, Berlin and Shanghai.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why leaning into the nuance of cultural codes makes perfect sense for smaller brands, as they seek to differentiate themselves.
- How an actively integrated core purpose leads to the kind of shared brand reality which creates real value for all stakeholders.
- When to lead from the front and when to listen deeply from a brand perspective, and the influence of generative AI on this decision.
Connect with Matt
Explore his new book Branding That Means Business here
Find him on Linkedin
Explore his work via his blog/website
Follow him on Twitter
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Author and Customer Experience Expert, John Sills about how overall customer satisfaction has improved even though the functional experience hasn’t, what it looks like to build a culture that truly build a that satisfaction and how to get super clear on what really matters to your customers through acknowledging that your organisation is a small part of their overall life.
John Sills is Managing Partner at the customer-led growth company, The Foundation, and author of The Human Experience.
25 years ago, he started his career on a market stall in Essex, and since then has worked in and with companies around the world to make things better for customers. He’s been in front-line teams delivering the experience, innovation teams designing the propositions, and global HQ teams creating the strategy. He's been a bank manager during the financial crisis (not fun), launched a mobile app to millions of people (very fun), and regularly visits strangers’ houses to ask very personal questions (incredible fun).
He now works with companies across industries and around the world, and before joining The Foundation spent twelve years at HSBC, latterly as Head of Customer Innovation. His first book on the topic - The Human Experience - was published by Bloomsbury in February 2023, and his writing has been featured in The Guardian, The FT, and Management Today.
Remarkable Takeaways
Functionally the customer experience has improved but the customer satisfaction hasn’t.
How can an organisation build a culture that encourages and promotes a more human experience?
How to get super clear on what really matters to your customers through acknowledging that your organisation is a small part of their overall life.
Connect with John
Find out more about John and his new book at https://johnjsills.com/
Find him on LinkedIn: johnjsills
Find him on Instagram: cx_stories
Find him on Substack: CX Stories
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Alison Shamir, an International Imposter Syndrome Expert, about how prevalent imposter syndrome is, how a better understanding of it can empower change and the three-step process she recommends for moving through Imposter Syndrome and capturing the untapped opportunity that sits on the other side.
Alison Shamir is an International Speaker, Certified Coach and Media Contributor. As a founder herself and someone who has experience imposter syndrome firsthand, Alison has dedicated her own career to empower global organisations, teams & individuals with the knowledge, tools and methods they need to overcome Imposter Syndrome and present and perform as their most confident selves.
Alison is also a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and has held Leadership roles across the Technology and Media sectors. She combines both lived experience and professional expertise to help her clients make transformative change.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Defining what Imposter Syndrome is and, more importantly, what it is not. And how to recognise the symptoms early.
- The opportunities that begin to present themselves once you understand and begin to move through Imposter Syndrome.
- The three-step process that Alison uses with her clients to help work through Imposter Syndrome and achieve your true authentic potential.
Connect with Alison
Find her on LinkedIn
Learn more about Alison and her work via her website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Chris Wallace, President of Innerview Group, about the importance of creating collaborative conversation with your frontline team about business improvement, how to recognise and deal with the disconnect that sometimes happens between those teams and management and how to get your staff to believe in (and care about) your brand.
As a marketing and customer experience strategist, Chris’ expertise centre’s on how organizations can improve alignment, between their go-to-market strategies and their frontline channels (sales, customer service, support, etc.). As President of InnerView, Chris and team have developed the breakthrough InFront platform, which applies market research processes to collect and analyse employee and partner, perceptions of customer needs and company value proposition.
Apart from his client work, Chris is also an adjunct marketing professor at Villanova University (MBA) and is regularly published in outlets including, Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Ad Age.
Three Remarkable Quotes
"Your frontline staff are a channel. Treat them as a channel that needs to be convinced not one that can be taken for granted that they will deliver your message in the right way. "
"How many times do organisations stop to ask its people “What do you love about what we do?”
"It is one of the most basic, fundamental aspects of human relationships; Listening for needs and responding in a way that says “ I heard you and I’m here to support you. "
Connect with Chris
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more InnerView Group via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Carla Johnson, one of the world’s leading Innovation Architects, about some of the biggest misconceptions about how successful ideas are born, the building blocks and process for true innovative thinking, and the power of putting observation practices into your daily schedule.
Carla Johnson helps leaders paralysed by traditional thinking and teams that lack purpose and progress. Carla’s spent 20 years helping leaders shatter limits and discover undiscovered possibilities. Through years of research, she’s developed frameworks and processes that teach people how to consistently produce inspired ideas that lead to uncommon outcomes.
In this episode, we delve into the core themes of Carla's acclaimed book, Re:Think Innovation, where she challenges conventional thinking and invites readers to embrace creativity as a driving force for change. Through real-life examples and thought-provoking exercises, Carla reveals the secrets to fostering a culture of innovation and unlocking hidden opportunities within organisations.
As a trusted advisor to numerous companies across diverse industries, Carla brings a wealth of knowledge and practical wisdom to the table. Her unique blend of strategic thinking, storytelling, and deep understanding of human behaviour allows her to guide organizations towards impactful innovation that drives growth and success.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why the idea that there are people that are naturally better with great ideas is missing an essential part.
- How “middle of the night” ideas are born through a very clear process whether you know it or not.
- The low resource practices you can put in place today that can create consistently better ideas more often.
Connect with Carla
Find her on Linkedin
Learn more about Carla and her book via her website
Are you feeling a little nervous? Nervous about the economy. Nervous about your business? Or just a sense of unease when it comes to what the next 12 months might look like in this new world of business.
Well today we wanted to do something a little different. Here at Remarkably, we have the privilege of having what many would call quite intimate conversations with business owners about how they are feeling in not only a post-covid business environment but also in the financial climate that many think we have yet to feel properly.
The other unique position we are in is that we get to speak to experts regularly about what business owners should be doing right now to ensure they protect themselves for what is to come – whatever that may be. Overwhelmingly, the feedback is just two things.
Make sure you solidify the relationships you have around you.
And
Lean into experience as an asset.
So today, we are going to replay an episode from Season One with, who many describe, as the Godfather of Experience Marketing – Mr Joseph Pine.
Mr. Pine is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor who has dedicated his career to exploring the changing landscape of business and the role of experience in creating value for customers. He has authored several best-selling books, including "The Experience Economy" and "Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want".
In this episode, we will delve into Mr. Pine's insights on the Experience Economy, a concept he co-created with his partner James Gilmore. The Experience Economy describes the shift from a service-based economy to an economy where experiences are the key driver of growth and differentiation.
We will explore how businesses can create memorable and authentic experiences for their customers and why this is crucial in today's hyper-competitive marketplace. Mr. Pine will share his thoughts on the impact of technology on the Experience Economy, and how companies can leverage it to enhance the customer experience.
Join us as we uncover the insights and wisdom of Mr. B. Joseph Pine II on the Experience Economy and the power of customer experience in creating value for businesses and customers alike.
Get connected with Joseph Pine at
www.strategichorizons.com
Twitter: @joepine
LinkedIn: /joepine
Recommended Books:
- The Experience Economy by Joseph Pines II
https://www.amazon.com.au/Experience-Economy-Competing-Customer-Attention/dp/1633697975/
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay reconnects with one of the Podcast’s first guests, high-impact scientist, author and public speaker Paul Zak, to talk about why simple explanations often signal deep understanding, how community-building bolsters brand love in the brain, and what S.I.R.T.A. means to extraordinary experiences.
Dr. Paul J. Zak, PhD, has been on a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. His academic lab and companies he has started develop and deploy neuroscience technologies to solve real problems faced by real people.
Paul was one of the first scientists to integrate neuroscience and economics into a new discipline: neuroeconomics. His research has identified the brain processes that support such behaviours as trustworthiness, generosity, and sacrifice.
His work has been ground breaking in the academic, public, and now in business and healthcare settings. Fascinated by how to reduce the amount of wasted energy in creating experiences that are of no actual value to the end user, Paul looks at ways to harness brain imaging to understand what truly delights our customers. In his new book, Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness, he discusses the transition to an experience economy, as people increasingly crave the extraordinary, with his research showing that there’s a scientific formula to consistently create remarkable experiences.
A professor of economics, psychology, and management at Claremont Graduate University, he is the author of two other ground-breaking books – Trust Factor and The Moral Molecule – and also a regular TED speaker, four-time tech entrepreneur, and corporate consultant.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why being able to slow down and explain a concept or subject in simple terms often signals deep understanding.
- How building a community around those who love your brand actually helps reinforce and enhance the brain basis for that love.
- The five key stages of creating an extraordinary experience – S.I.R.T.A.
Connect with Paul
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about Paul’s work at his website
Purchase the book on Amazon here
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Mark Carpenter, a master storyteller, educator and author, about why listening to yourself as well as others plays into powerful stories, how clarity, simplicity and impact affect story shareability, and what it is about great storytelling that builds credibility.
Mark Carpenter is a serial storyteller. Even as a child, he loved to tell stories (mainly to get attention). He leveraged that ability into a career in marketing communications and public relations, then as a college professor and corporate facilitator.
These days, Mark teaches people how to more intentionally tell stories that teach, lead, sell, and inspire to accomplish business and personal goals. He is the co-author of the best-selling book “Master Storytelling: How to Turn Your Experiences Into Stories that Teach, Lead, and Inspire” and co-creator of the Master Storytelling Workshop.
Leveraging a 20-year career in corporate communication, 10 years working as an adjunct professor of communication, and 15 years facilitating training, Mark couples a lively, engaging style with purposeful, impactful learning.
When he’s not training, speaking, coaching, or creating new content, Mark is likely hiking or snowshoeing in the mountains near his home in Utah in the United States, playing the piano, bragging about his grandchildren, or writing children's books.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why listening not only to other people and their experiences, but also your own emotional responses, provides the foundations for great stories.
- How clear intent, simplicity and just the right amount of impact positively affect the shareability of a story.
- The chemical connections which mean finding information through a well-told story often makes it more credible to the recipient than presenting pure facts and data.
Connect with Mark
Learn more about his words and work at the Master Storyteller website
Check out some of his content on YouTube
Read his book: Master Storytelling: How to Turn Your Experiences Into Stories That Teach, Lead, and Inspire.
Find him on Linkedin
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Account-Based Marketing (ABM) expert Shahin Hoda, about why client lifetime value is a crucial consideration when shaping an ABM strategy, how ABM addresses three main areas in driving growth, and the importance of being able to clearly identify target markets when assessing ABM options.
Shahin Hoda is the Founder of xGrowth, a B2B growth agency helping organisations close more mid-market and large enterprise deals. He’s making that happen by popularising Account-Based Marketing (ABM) in Australia, working alongside B2B leaders to implement ABM strategies and build predictable revenue engines.
When he’s not busy building ABM campaigns, he’s either playing a game of Tennis in Richmond (which he usually loses) or looking up smoothie recipes (because let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a nice smoothie).
Remarkable Quotes
"If your budget is tight and your client's budgets are tight, you want to be laser focused on the ones that are very suitable for what you're trying to offer."
"Lifetime value, however you measure it, needs to be large enough to justify the investments you want to put in."
"You have to tell them that “I want you to do business with me”.
Connect with Shahin
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about the work Shahin does with xGrowth via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with keynote speaker, futurist, educator and author Mark Schaefer, about why personal trust is more critical in community building than ever, how the pandemic highlighted customers’ need to belong, and the importance of preserving community culture
Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognised keynote speaker, educator, business consultant, futurist, and author who writes for {grow} – one of the world’s top marketing blogs. Mark has worked in global sales, PR, and marketing positions for more than 30 years, and now provides consulting services as Executive Director of US-based Schaefer Marketing Solutions. He specialises in marketing strategy and social media workshops, with his clients include both start-ups and global brands such as Adidas, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Pfizer, The US Air Force, and the UK government.
Mark has advanced degrees in marketing and organisational development, and is a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
He is the bestselling author of 10 books including ‘The Tao of Twitter’ (the world’s top-selling book on Twitter), ‘The Content Code’, named by INC magazine as one of the Top Five marketing books of the year, and ‘KNOWN’, the all-time bestselling book on personal branding. Mark’s new book ‘Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy’ describes an essential new path to connect to customers in the modern digital world. His written works are used as textbooks at more than 50 universities, have been translated into 15 languages, and can be found in more than 750 libraries worldwide.
He is a regular contributing columnist to The Harvard Business Review, and continues to be a popular guest on many national television shows and periodicals including the Wall Street Journal, Wired, The New York Times, CNN, National Public Radio, CNBC, the BBC and the CBS NEWS.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why personal trust is becoming increasingly critical in community building, as people seek more meaningful experiences and less standard value exchanges with brands.
- How the recent pandemic highlighted the unchanging and permanent need of customers for community and belonging, cementing its status as a crucial marketing strategy for businesses.
- The importance of protecting the culture of a community, to ensure it remains safe, nurturing and validating for likeminded people to step into and collaborate, co-create, and advocate for something they want to change or achieve.
Connect with Mark
Find him on LinkedIn
Follow him on Twitter
Learn more about Mark’s work, books and beyond via his website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with business strategist, speaker and author Bryan Kramer, about why authenticity is a personal perception, how important simplicity is in brand building, and the power of creating community intimacy.
Once described as the “Zen Master to Digital Marketers” by Forbes, Bryan Kramer is a renowned business strategist, global keynote speaker, executive trainer and coach, investor, two-time bestselling author including a TOP 150 USA best-selling book, and Forbes contributor.
Bryan also created a global movement and is known for his keynotes, book, and talks on the H2H concept, stating “There is no B2B or B2C, it’s Human-to-Human, H2H.”
He is the CEO of H2H Companies, an executive coaching company, and co-owner of PureMatter, a Silicon Valley marketing agency founded in 2001, which earned a spot as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies” three years in a row by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Becoming a global leader in Digital and Influencer Marketing space, PureMatter works with some of the world’s most notable brands and helps modern businesses speak “human”
Even with 33 years of business experience under his belt, Bryan still calls himself a “relentless entrepreneur” and an optimist.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why authenticity means something different to everybody, and what to do with that knowledge when it comes to business.
- How important it is to lean into simplicity and avoid inward-facing jargon as you look to scale and strengthen brand love.
- The power of creating intimacy and truly committing to what’s in it for “them” rather than you when building out communities.
Connect with Bryan
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about him and his businesses at his website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with the co-founder of immersive hospitality company Viral Ventures, Aden Levin, about why reiteration of ideas is so key to ensuring a conversation-worthy customer experience over time, how strong data, customer insights and trusted partners provide commercial and creative validation, and the importance of fine details when it comes to both products and organisations.
Aden Levin is the co-founder of Viral Ventures, a leading immersive hospitality company that uses data and technology to drive global experiences. They operate 18 venues globally, offering uniquely different experiences which range from the “rude dining” of Karen’s Diner through to creative cocktails at The Alice.
Every aspect of Viral Ventures’ business is focused on creating unusual, unexpected and remarkable experiences that provide customers with something which steps beyond the typical.
Aden’s expertise and experience draws from over 15 years of work in the events industry, stemming from the UK where he co-founded Mainstage Festivals, an outfit who run well-known music festivals in Europe and were featured on hit TV show Dragon’s Den.
These days, via Viral Ventures, he helps pioneer and bring to market quality (and quirky) hospitality entertainment. In 2021 Aden and his business partner James were voted ‘Hospitality Young Entrepreneurs Of The Year’ in the Business News Australia Awards, and Viral Ventures has received multiple other awards and recognition for its ongoing global success.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why listening and reiteration of ideas is so key to ensuring a conversation-worthy customer experience over time.
- How strong data, customer insights and trusted partners provide crucial commercial and creative validation, even after success.
- The importance of the small touches and fine details when it comes to not only products, but also how businesses and teams are run.
Connect with Aden
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about Viral Ventures and their venues via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Entrepreneur, Author and Master Presenter, Paul Dunn, about why an abundant mindset benefits both sides of the impact exchange, how collective knowledge contributes to competitive advantage, and the idea that sharing your giving improves its cumulative impact on the world.
Paul Dunn is a four-time TEDx speaker, entrepreneur, author and much more besides.
He is a Senior Fellow in one of the World’s Leading Think Tanks, consulting to and leading-edge businesses around the world, and was honoured as a Social Innovation Fellow in his new home of Singapore, something he shares with film-star and philanthropist Jet Li and former Walmart Chairman, Rob Walton.
Paul was one of the first 10 people in Hewlett Packard in Australia, before going on to create one of the country’s first computer companies and The Results Corporation, where he helped develop and grow 23,000 small and medium scale business enterprises.
His programs are estimated to be used by almost a quarter-of-a-million companies around the world, but he continues to push boundaries, featuring in Forbes Magazine alongside Sir Richard Branson in a global piece on ‘disrupters’ in business.
Paul's books, ‘The Firm of the Future’ and ‘Time’s UP’, co-written with Ron Baker, are best sellers. He is the co-founder of B1G1: Business for Good, the history-making Global Giving Initiative that’s already enabled businesses to create over 312 Million giving impacts globally.
He speaks passionately to audiences around the world about Purpose and how we now can (and almost certainly need to) move beyond being Purpose-Driven to becoming Impact-Driven.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why adopting an abundant mindset in business from the get-go benefits both sides of the impact exchange.
- How collective knowledge contributes to competitive advantage.
- The idea that sharing your giving improves its cumulative impact on the world.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Michael Croaker, a long-standing leader in the world of theme park entertainment and experiences, about why learning how to be truly memorable can have profound business benefits, how storytelling and “predictable irrationality” contribute to the creative process, and the fine balance between messaging and memorable moments.
Michael Croaker is an award winning 30-year theme park veteran.
At 18 he was the youngest Live Show Announcer in the history of Sea World, and by his mid-20s he’d become Head of Show Production, writing and developing live park content and providing creative oversight broadly across the business.
Going on to assume the role of Entertainment Manager for Wonderland Sydney, Michael successfully introduced powerhouse entertainment properties Marvel, Dreamworks and Hasbro into the park during his tenure. He was then Appointed to the role of Head of Entertainment for Village Roadshow Theme Parks in 2005, where he not only led diverse creative teams through compelling day trade content within Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World and Paradise Country, but, together with his creative team, produce an annual series of large-scale park events including Fright Nights, Hooray For Hollywood, Carnivale and White Christmas.
Today, he also manages to find time to work as a Communication Coach with his business, Stand & Deliver, and is host of the Park Life Podcast, a celebration of people and stories from within the theme park and attractions industry
Whenever asked about what business he’s in, Michael’s answer is always the same, “the business of hardwiring memories for life”.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why learning how to be truly memorable can have such profound human and commercial influence on business.
- How understanding the irrationality of individuals and the power of story helps creators harness their own quirks and biases to craft compelling outcomes for customers.
- The way business owners and leaders should be thinking about weaving key messages into memorable moments, without diluting their impact.
Connect with Michael
Find him on Linkedin
Check out his Instagram
Learn more about his business Stand & Deliver via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Stacey Brown Randall, an expert, coach and keynote speaker on the subject of referrals, about why it’s crucial to understand what’s REALLY happening when a referral takes place, how to define referrals and why it’s important to distinguish them from other forms of word-of-mouth, and the biggest misconceptions about why someone will or won’t refer your business.
Stacey Brown Randall is a referrals expert and coach, author, keynote speaker, and Podcast host.
She believes the easiest way to grow a business is through referrals, but knows that going after them can feel awkward. Even desperate. So, Stacey teaches business owners how to generate referrals naturally – without asking, manipulating or incentivising – to ensure that they don’t have to compromise their values or their relationships as they go about it.
Her focus areas are business owners in the legal, financial, professional services, real estate and design industries, and she’s the multiple award-winning author of ‘Generating Business Referrals Without Asking’.
Stacey also hosts the ‘Roadmap to Grow Your Business’ Podcast and speaks nationally on the topic of building long term success through quality referral generation.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why it’s crucial to understand what’s REALLY happening when a referral takes place.
- How to define referrals and why it’s important to distinguish them from other forms of word-of-mouth.
- The biggest misconceptions about why someone will or won’t refer your business.
Connect with Stacey
Find her on Linkedin and Instagram
Learn more about her work and book with a visit to her website
A short episode to give our listeners an update as why we paused on the podcast and what our plans are moving forward with The Remarkable Project.
- What have we been working on?
- When are we coming back?
- How can you help?
If you have ANY feedback for us on what content you would like to hear or how we could better serve you, please email us at podcast@remarkably.com.au.
Learn more about Convoy Collective here.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with operations software and outsourcing company PartnerHero’s founder and CEO, Shervin Talieh, about why businesses should be thinking of themselves as a conduit to serve employees along their journey, how trust can transcend physical and cultural borders, and the benefits of approaching sales as a process of mutual discovery.
Shervin Talieh is the founder and CEO of PartnerHero, an operations software and outsourcing company focused on new economy businesses. After seeing how outsourcing was essentially “a race to the bottom” during his time at technology startups and large consultancies, Shervin set out to build something different and focus on the humans at the centre of operations and outsourcing. His approach of “culture leads, success follows” allows PartnerHero to hire exceptional talent from around the world, and attract companies who are looking for more than inexpensive labour.
Prior to PartnerHero, Shervin was the co-founder of Drumbi, a technology startup focused on orchestrating voice and data for new and innovative customer experience applications, and before that was a Partner at Accenture’s Los Angeles office. At Accenture, his responsibilities included developing and implementing the regional go-to-market plans for the Strategy Consulting, Technology, and Outsourcing service lines, and he also acted as a personal advisor to a select number of CXOs.
Shervin is married with four children and two dogs. He volunteers at Life’s Kitchen, where he gets to work with young people who are eager to learn skills that will help them with life.
REMARKABLE TAKEAWAYS
- Why businesses should be thinking of themselves as a conduit to serve employees along their journey, not the other way around.
- How trust can transcend physical and cultural borders, and what that means for how humans interact, both physically and digitally.
- The benefits of approaching sales as a process of mutual discovery, when it comes to successfully matching both capabilities and core values.
CONNECT WITH SHERVIN
Find him on LinkedIn
Learn more about PartnerHero via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Rob Chesnut, Airbnb’s former General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer, about why self-awareness is so important to professional and personal progress, how influential organisations are primed to pick up the slack of governments in areas where action matters to their customers, and the data that shows companies with intentional integrity outperform the market.
Rob Chesnut retired in 2021 after over five years as Airbnb’s General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer.
A graduate of Harvard Law School and the University of Virginia, Rob worked with the U.S. Justice Department for 14 years, where he prosecuted bank robberies, kidnappings, murder, and espionage cases, including the prosecution of CIA employees Aldrich Ames and Harold Nicholson.
He joined eBay in 1999 as its third lawyer, and went on to lead their North American legal team before later founding the business’ Trust and Safety team. The following 6 years saw him in the role of the General Counsel at digital education leader Chegg, where he helped take the company public in 2013.
Rob joined Airbnb in early 2016, growing their in-house legal function from 30 to over 150 professionals in 20 offices around the world. His team led initiatives to promote home sharing and address regulatory issues with local governments and landlords around the world. He also developed a popular interactive employee program, Integrity Belongs Here, to help drive ethics throughout the culture at the company.
His book Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution was published by St Martin’s Press in July 2020, and acts as an extension of his work helping companies develop strategies to drive integrity into their culture. He lives in San Francisco, CA.
Three Remarkable Takeaways
* Why self-awareness and owning your mistakes is so important in enabling you to keep moving forward, in business and life in general.
* How the concept of “Kinder Capitalism” feeds into thinking around what an ideal world looks like, and how organisations can help get us closer to it when governments can’t or won’t.
* The data that shows companies with deeper
Connect with Rob
Find him on LinkedIn
Learn more about Rob’s work at the Intentional Integrity website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Rob Sinclair, co-MD of Australian kitchen, bathroom and laundry appliance kings, e&s, about why a willingness to go ‘human first’ can prove a core pillar of competitive advantage, how doing whatever it takes to put the customer in a winning position pays off, and the importance of being close to the customer coal-face when it comes to making effective decisions.
Rob Sinclair is the joint Managing Director of e&s, a family-owned business started by his father Bob Sinclair and his two brothers in 1962.
From a small discount store in the Melbourne suburb of Ashburton, that sold everything from travel goods to furniture and even guns, e&s has grown and transformed, eventually becoming what it is today – a name synonymous with selling kitchen, bathroom, and laundry appliances across nine Melbourne metropolitan stores.
Having grown up around the business, Rob’s experience with suppliers, brands and products have made him an expert in the field of kitchen, bathroom, and laundry appliances. While still at school he worked on weekends and during school holidays in the e&s warehouse and, as he got older, in the Ashburton store, meeting and helping customers with their purchases.
Rob always had a passion to work with his father and to build up the e&s business, so 30 years ago joined it full time with a staff of 12. Over the years many things have changed, including growth to nine stores and over 300 people across the company.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why even in today’s highly digitised marketplaces, the ability to build real human relationships with real human beings can prove a core pillar of competitive advantage.
- How the flow on effect of always doing whatever it takes to put the customer in a winning position, is what not just more referrals but an empowered company culture.
- The importance of being really in touch with what’s happening on the customer coal face when it comes to making decisions which are both quick and deeply informed.
Connect with Rob
Email him on rob@eands.com.au or even text him on 0409 700805!
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about e&s and what they do different via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Jack DeLosa, Founder of Australia’s Largest Business Coaching and Training Company – The Entourage about the experience of the modern day entrepreneur and how their role shouldn’t be to market, sell and deliver a product or service, it should be to build a business that can do all those things without being dependent on your operational involvement. We also discuss how COVID has forced us to pay more attention to our inner state of being and fulfilment and focus on the areas that matter.
Jack Delosa builds businesses. He is the founder of Australia's largest business coaching and training provider, The Entourage, which has a community of over 550,000 members. Since 2010, The Entourage has helped their members add over $2 billion in value to their businesses. Under his leadership, The Entourage has been awarded the 4th Best Place To Work In Australia, and Top 50 Australiasia, by AFR's Best Places To Work.
Prior to The Entourage, Jack co-founded MBE Group, which helped small to medium sized businesses raise money from investors. MBE enabled their clients to raise over $300 million from investors and would go on to become one of Australia's fastest growing companies.
Along the way, Jack became an investor, investing into companies spanning biotechnology, luxury real estate, finance, ecommerce, food retail, recruitment and even aviation, including one company that become what's known in Silicon Valley as a "unicorn" – a business that goes from $0 to $1 billion within ten years.
In recognition of being one of the country's top entrepreneurs and investors, Jack has been listed in the AFR Young Rich List five times
Jack's first book, UnProfessional, was highly acclaimed, reaching best-seller status within three weeks of launching. His latest book, Unwritten, outlines the unconventional wisdom he's become known for, to living a life on purpose and making the world a better place. Unwritten became Australia's best-selling business book in one week.
Remarkable Takeaways
- The role of an entrepreneur shouldn’t be to market, sell and deliver a product or service, it should be to build a business that can do all those things without being dependent on your operational involvement
- Pay more attention to your inner state of being and fulfilment and operate from that place.
- Being driven by negatives and trauma means the process is empty even when you reach your goal – if you can make the journey driven by joy, purpose and inspiration, your time is better spent and you do a better job.
- Empathy map – how does your customer feel at every touchpoint of your customer journey. Address the emotions they’re feeling with relevant examples.
Connect with Jack
Follow him on Instagram
Explore and join The Entourage
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Sendle chief James Chin Moody, about why asking customers how disappointed they’d be if your product or service disappeared can be so telling, how partnerships are where stakeholder capitalism can really come into its own, and Sendle’s five virtues-based H’s and their impact on the business.
James Chin Moody is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sendle, Australia's first 100% carbon neutral courier service, specifically designed for small businesses in the eCommerce space and the country’s first technology B Corp.
Sendle has levelled the playing field for small businesses by offering affordable, flat-rate shipping for less than standard parcel post with no hidden fees, lock-in contracts, or minimums required. They pick up parcels from front doors Australia-wide, with the benefits of free tracking, affordable international rates, and sustainable shipping.
James has previously held roles as Executive Director, Development at the CSIRO, Australian National Commissioner for UNESCO, member of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Advisory Board and Trustee for the Australian Museum.
He is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software and Society, holds a PhD in innovation theory from the Australian National University, and was Chief Systems Engineer for the Australian Satellite FedSat – the first Australian satellite to be launched in 30 years.
The book ‘The Sixth Wave: How to Succeed in a Resource-Limited World’ saw him take on the role of co-author.
Three Remarkable Takeaways
Why you’ll know if you’re solving a painful problem successfully by asking how disappointed customers would be if your product or service disappeared.
How common value created through partnerships is where stakeholder capitalism can really come into its own.
The five virtues-based H’s of Sendle and how they show up an within the business as part of a journey, not a destination.
Connect with James
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about Sendle and their story on their website
Purchase The Sixth Wave here
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with customer care and support expert, Sarah Hatter, about why the best communities give members a voice, how listening, caring and acting are key to driving repeat business, and the reason replicating the CX of a brand you admire may well miss the mark for your organisation.
Sarah Hatter is the founder of CoSupport, a customer experience coaching and consulting firm founded in 2011. She wrote ‘The Customer Support Handbook’ back in 2014, and has since travelled the world training CX teams for startups and legacy brands like Disney, Dropbox, and Atlassian.
CoSupport’s mission is to bring excellence in customer care and support to every startup, software company, and web dev team in the world. So far, they’ve reached over 300 of those companies and are still going strong. Sarah leads the team in helping businesses become more efficient, have a better understanding of their metrics, and wow customers with every engagement.
She also produces ElevateCX, an event series focused on growing the next generation of customer experience leaders. Through ElevateCX, Sarah has built up an engaged community of over 1,800 CX professionals, and produced over 30 ElevateCX events in 14 cities and three countries around the globe so far.
Three Remarkable Takeaways
- Why the best communities, those that thrive long term, are the ones that have great engagement because they give the people involved a voice.
- How to turn real warmth, authentic outreach and proactive problem resolution for our customers into special outcomes, online and off.
- The reason you can’t just replicate the customer experience of your favourite brand and expect it’ll work in the same way for your business.
Connect with Sarah
Find her on Linkedin
Learn more about CoSupport and ElevateCX via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with UGURUS founder, entrepreneur and author, Brent Weaver, about why minor tweaks to your niche can have major business impacts, how a killer community is the safety net you need as you scale, and the benefits of building out your own interactions engine.
Brent Weaver leads the vision for UGURUS, a platform and set of educational programs which help digital agencies get more leads, win higher-value clients, and delight customers in a way which allows founders and owners to scale their businesses, whilst creating freedom in their professional and personal lives.
He built his first website at 15 and created his debut web-design business just two years later. That company grew into a successful 14-person web agency that was acquired in 2012, with Brent since going on to help thousands of other web professionals master business skills and make more than $10m as an entrepreneur himself.
Written during one of the most disruptive times in history, with people floundering around where to focus their buying power, his 2020 book ‘Get Rich in the Deep End’ looked at how to commit to a niche, own a market and “audaciously” scale an agency. Equally targeted at digital marketing agency owners concerned about how to stay essential and anyone else running a client based business, the book drives home a solution based on becoming a specialist in everything you do, but at the same time knowing what not to do, and why.
Married with two sons, Brent enjoys his road bike and swimming laps, and as for his favourite program…Google Chrome.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why making even minor changes to your niche can have a major impact the downstream elements of your business as well as your marketing position.
- How finding your core community of comrades and confidants offers a valuable safety net of expertise and emotional support as you scale.
- The benefits of creating and fuelling an engine which increases ongoing interactions with customers or clients.
Connect with Brent
Email him here!
Learn more about UGURUS via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with brand architect and author, Kate DiLeo, about why finding your sweet spot as a business or brand is what attracts the ‘right’ customers for you, how conversations trump stories when it comes to compelling buyers, and the value of identifying where your ideal customers already hang out.
Kate DiLeo is a brand architect and #1 international bestselling author, whose approach is rooted in the belief that brand is the path of least resistance to revenue. She advocates for the elimination of complex and ineffective storytelling, by delivering simple yet provocative messages that tell prospects what you do, how you solve their problem, and how you differ from the competition. Brand conversations that convert being the outcome.
‘Muting The Megaphone’ is the title of Kate’s book on this topic, which discusses why, as far as she’s concerned, we need to stop telling stories and start having conversations in order to bring in new work and better serve our customers and clients.
The term “accidental” is one Kate herself has used to describe her own journey as a brand strategist. She originally intended to pursue a PhD in Anthropology, yet discovered the power of branding during her first sales job. In the pursuit of making quota, she realised that cutting through the noise with a message that would compel prospects to want to have a conversation was crucial. In that case, it was learn fast or be out of a job.
After honing her craft, Kate went on to successfully manage millions in pipeline by throwing out long monologue sales scripts and unsubscribing leads from complex story-based marketing campaigns. Instead, she focused on delivering simple pitches (centred on what she calls “The Brand Trifecta”) that invite prospects to engage in compelling conversation.
Having pursued her branding side hustle throughout much of her agency and corporate, Kate turned it into a full-time business in 2019. She has now partnered with more than 200 organsations across 20 sectors, helping them craft brands that bring more prospects to the table, more users who click, and more customers who buy.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why finding your sweet spot as a brand attracts customers who are easier to work with, make faster decisions and trust what you’re doing.
- How conversations, more than stories, compel people to buy, and the three things they'll need to know about you before engaging in one.
- The importance of identifying which rooms, physical and digital, your ideal customers are in already, and how to join them there.
Remarkable Quotes
“When you’re serving your customers, your clients, they can smell a mile away if you hate it.”
“Smack them between the eyes to say “I get you”, I understand the pain you’re going through and here’s how I solve that pain.”
“If you’re a red pen, don’t go write in a blue pen – number one, your brand has to sound and feel like you.”
Connect with Kate
Find her on Linkedin
Learn more about how she helps businesses grow via her website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Sam Tatam, author and behavioural science guru at global ad, marketing and PR giant Ogilvy, about why the question “where has this been solved before?” is so powerful in developing solutions, how businesses can enhance client trust by better understanding behavioural science, and the value of moments which communicate investment in customers.
Sam Tatam is the Global Principal and Head of Behavioural Science at Ogilvy Growth & Innovation. An awarded strategist and recognised pioneer of applied behavioural science, his experience stems from a background in Organisational / Industrial Psychology and advertising strategy, and a passion for understanding consumer behaviour at both a macro and micro scale.
Australian born but now UK-based, Sam leads a global team of talented psychologists and behavioural economists to bring this thinking to key Ogilvy and WPP clients, developing interventions and shaping the communications of some of the world’s most influential brands and organisations.
From New York to Nairobi, Sam has led behaviour change projects across virtually every category and continent, including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Facebook, Walmart, British Gas, American Express, Ford, WRAP, Kimberly Clark and Costa Coffee. Before joining Ogilvy in London, Sam was Head of Behavioural Science for Ogilvy, Australia, and previously worked in Organisational Development for Macquarie Group in Sydney.
He is also a published author, with his recently released book ‘Evolutionary Ideas: Unlocking Ancient Innovation to Solve Tomorrow’s Challenges’ exploring how behavioural science and evolutionary psychology can help us solve tomorrow’s challenges, not by divining something the world has never seen, but by borrowing from yesterday’s solutions – often in the most unexpected ways.
It discusses why, when faced with fresh challenges, it’s easy to feel our solutions need to be equally unprecedented, before asking whether this mindset is actually a big mistake. Just as millions of years of evolution have helped craft the wing and dorsal fin, thousands of engineers, designers, marketers and advertisers have toiled to solve many of the problems we face today.
Over time, through intent, design, social learning and sheer luck, we have found what works, and so, armed with an enhanced ability to see these patterns in human innovation, we can now systematically approach the creative process to develop more effective ideas more readily and rapidly.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why giving yourself permission to ask the question “where has this been solved before?” can be so powerful to solution development.
- How the broader business community could enhance client trust exponentially through deeper understanding of Behavioural Science.
- The value of creating moments which communicate investment in the customer, to their overall experience with your business.
Connect with Sam
Find him on LinkedIn
Follow him on Twitter
Learn more about ‘Evolutionary Ideas’ here
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay and his Remarkably Co-Founder, Neil Terry, reflect on recent conversations with clients, collaborators and each other, around the idea that actively committing to a truly customer-first approach is not merely an opportunity to refine, but also a vehicle for sustainable and strategic growth.
From a look at why “it’s not all about you” seems to be a neglected perspective in many organisations, through to the implications of deep listening and the choice of language within customer communications, the pair muse on why the understanding the internal narratives of those you’re aiming to serve is ground zero for impact, co-creation and community.
The conversation reflects on recent Podcast episodes featuring Steven M.R. Covey and Michael Rosemann on the subject of trust, as Jay and Neil consider why psychographics are so crucial to infusing longevity into customer relationships.
The Not-For-Profit space, Nike, Red Bull, and a couple of local telco providers are also on the agenda.
Remarkably helps build businesses and brands that people feel compelled to talk about, by leaning into more human ways of marketing. By bringing like-minded people closer to the core transformation organisations are seeking for their customers and clients – their intent – Remarkably work to create meaningful and memorable customer experiences, and develop communal marketing strategies which actually compound in value over time through collaboration and advocacy.Remarkable Takeaways
- Why prioritising customer listening, and putting in place systems to support it, is something every business should be focused on.
- The relevance of psychographics and qualitative data to better understanding the stories of those we serve, particularly when paired with ‘hard’ data.
- How asking for advice rather than feedback from your customers removes hierarchy, makes them feel more valued, and improves insight.
Connect with Neil & Jay
Find them on LinkedIn – Jay / Neil
Learn more about Remarkably via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with the incredible Dr Michael Rosemann, Professor, author and thought-leader, as well as the Director of the Centre for Future Enterprise at the Business School of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia. The conversation touched on how trust continues to climb the business problem solving agenda, why trust design could soon become critical to competitive advantage, and the particular nuance native to core trust and extreme trust.
Dr Michael Rosemann is the Director of the Centre for Future Enterprise and a Professor for Information Systems at the Business School, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia. The Centre for Future Enterprise aims to identify, understand and professionalise those attributes that matter most to future enterprises, and their leaders.
Dr Rosemann has a comprehensive higher education teaching portfolio, which currently includes delivering units on ‘Future Enterprise’, ‘Business Process Design’ and ‘Smart Decision Making’ as part of QUT’s Bachelor of Business and MBA programs.
Michael’s main areas of research are corporate innovation, revenue resilience, process management and trust management. His work is focused on creating compelling future worlds with today’s possibilities that make current practices obsolete. As a researcher and advisor to board rooms and senior executives he is committed to advancing research-informed knowledge and confidence in order to appreciate the emerging design space and to create an increased ‘sense of ambition’ and innovation appetite. He has been Chair of and a Keynote Speaker at leading business conferences the world over for many years and is currently the Vice President for Strategic Partnership of the global Association for Information Systems.
Dr Rosemann is the author/editor of nine books, more than 350 refereed papers in outlets such as MIS Quarterly, European Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Information Systems and Journal of the Association of Information Systems, Editorial Board member of nine international journals and co-inventor of US and European patents.
Previously, he has been QUT’s Executive Director, Corporate Engagement and Head of both QUT’s Information Systems Discipline their Information Systems School. Under his leadership as a Head of School, he established three industry-funded Chairs in the Information Systems School, i.e. the Woolworths Chair in Retail Innovation, the Brisbane Airport Corporation Chair in Airport Innovation and the PwC Chair in Digital Economy. More recently, as Director of the Centre for Future Enterprise, he established the Cisco Chair in Trusted Retail.
Remarkable Takeaways
How the big question of business problem solving has evolved from “what’s broken?” and “what more’s possible?” to “why will they trust us?”.
Why trust design could soon become fundamental to competitive advantage, just like visionary leadership, ingenious engineering and amazing marketing.
The differences between core and extreme trust, and how to identify the moments where they really matter during the customer journey.
Connect with Michael
Find him on LinkedIn
Learn more about Michael and his work via his website
Download the Trusted Retail Innovation White Paper
Explore QUT’s Centre for Future Enterprise
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Hayley Phillips, a dynamic marketeer recently kicking goals in the automative space with Volkswagen, about why customer ‘life stages’ are key to looking beyond features and benefits, how data is transforming personalisation in the auto industry, and the importance of nurturing a creative culture internally and externally.
Hayley Phillips has had an extensive career spanning many industries, including music, events, television and real estate, however the last decade has seen her active as a national marketer in the automotive industry.
She embodies “outside the box” thinking, thanks to an innovative and progressive attitude towards marketing, strategy and creative. Over the past five years at Volkswagen Group Australia, Hayley has led forward-thinking VW campaigns such as the award-winning Polo ‘Unfail’, the Effie award-winning ‘World’s Smallest Dealership’, and most recently, the ground-breaking ‘Golf GTI Ad Break Championship’.
Hayley believes the key to success is developing strong relationships with agencies, partners and collaborators that embody trust, collaboration, and a dash of risk-taking. All supported, of course, with cracking insights. In an automotive marketing “sea of sameness”, she committed to standing out at every turn, and never forgot to have fun while she did it.
With a recent move into the finance industry, Hayley is hoping to apply the same gusto, passion and determination to create connection through her marketing with a whole new set of customers.
Check out some of her recent work here: https://vimeo.com/576570169
Remarkable Quotes
In many ways it’s not about the car itself, it’s about how it affects the person driving it.
Rather than just talking at them, it’s always about starting conversations.
Don’t be scared to not focus on the features.
Remarkable Takeaways
Why looking at customer ‘life stages’ rather than just doubling down on features and benefits can really refresh marketing thinking.
How the amazing use of data in the auto industry is providing much more personalised opportunities for new products and communications.
The importance of nurturing a truly creative culture across both internal and external teams.
Connect with Hayley
Find her on Linkedin
Follow her on Instagram
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with the legendary author of ‘Trust and Inspire’, Stephen M. R. Covey, about leadership in this “new world”. Stephen shows us how trust, as an economic driver, is key to the success of any team and also adds that learning how to connect your purpose to the people you lead allows the mobilisation of creativity, innovation and growth you need to excel.
Stephen M. R. Covey is the New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, which has been translated into 22 languages and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. He is also the author of the newly released Wall Street Journal bestseller, Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others.
Stephen brings to his writings the perspective of a practitioner, as he is the former President & CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, where he increased shareholder value by 67 times and grew the company to become the largest leadership development firm in the world.
A Harvard MBA, Stephen co-founded and currently leads FranklinCovey’s Global Speed of Trust Practice. He serves on numerous boards, including the Government Leadership Advisory Council, and he has been recognised with the lifetime Achievement Award for “Top Thought Leaders in Trust” from the advocacy group, Trust Across America/Trust Around the World.
Stephen is a highly sought-after international speaker who has taught trust and leadership in 55 countries to business, government, military, education, healthcare, and NGO entities.
Stephen's newest book, the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, was released in April. The book was written off the back of a single premise: While the world has changed, our style of leadership has not. Most leaders and organisations—faced with ever new and disrupting challenges—continue to operate from a base model of “Command & Control;” they’ve just become more advanced and sophisticated at it, what Stephen calls “Enlightened Command & Control.
In contrast to Command & Control, Trust & Inspire is all about unleashing greatness in others. Leading in a way that both inspires and empowers people to become the best version of themselves—tapping into a sense of purpose, meaning, contribution and inclusion. The result is a level of belonging, collaboration, and ultimately innovation that Command & Control is simply not capable of producing.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why extending “smart trust”, which allows creativity and innovation to flourish, can help you feel more in control of your business.
- How an organisational merger allowed Stephen to see first-hand the high cost of low trust.
- The true test of a trusted relationship and what to do once the results are in.
Remarkable Quotes
Trust is learnable. It’s moveable. It’s something you can create, you can grow, you can establish, expand, extend and, in some cases, even restore.
It’s not enough to be trustworthy. It’s necessary but insufficient. To create trust we need to be trustworthy and trusting.
You can’t command and control your way to collaboration and innovation.
To trust is to take a risk. Not to trust is also a risk.
Connect with Stephen
Learn about and order Stephen’s new book at: www.trustandinspire.com
Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Gwyn Krueger, Senior Director of Customer Experience at social gathering platform, Meetup, about why 9/11 was the seed from which Meetup.com grew, how having options around showing up contributes to sustained engagement, and the importance of understanding the psychology of getting together in delivering valuable community experiences.
For nearly six years, Gwyn Dylan Krueger has been a uniquely qualified leader at Meetup, a global online destination where people head to meet, make friends, find support, grow businesses, and explore interests. The network has been helping facilitate events for 20 years, with thousands now happening each and every day.
Having started in the Community Support Team, Gwyn is now the Senior Director of Customer Experience. The role sees him showing teams they’re capable of uncovering data insights and capturing customer anecdotes that can favourably influence product and design decisions, as well as delighting users. Working with them to create content and programming that helps Meetup Organizers unlock the value of their growing communities, Gwyn has been instrumental in elevating the customer voice within product releases and marketing efforts via these teams.
His career history is testament to his loyalty and commitment to improved connection. Highlights prior to Meetup include years in customer care with Apple Retail, supporting the busiest Genius Bars in the world, an experience which has enabled Gwyn to lead Meetup’s creation of a scaled and streamlined operational approach to support their vast member base.
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why 9/11 was the seed from which Meetup.com grew.
- How having options around showing up contributes to sustained engagement.
- The importance of understanding the psychology of getting together in delivering valuable community experiences.
Connect with Gwyn
Find Gwyn on Linkedin
Experience Meetup and how see it’s celebrating 20 years of real connections via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with the CEO and Co-Founder of customer review enhancement platform Cloutly, Lachlan Fea, about why having a balance between negative and positive feedback is actually a good thing, how not-so-great reviews are key to driving amazing ones, and the importance of customer-friendliness when it comes to owning your online review process.
A technical marketer by trade, Lachlan Fea is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cloutly, a venture-backed reputation management platform on a mission to humanise the way businesses drive reviews and build trust with their customers.
He’s always been passionate about bringing teams of brilliant people together and letting them do their thing. So, when Cloutly took on a life of its own in late 2019, having started out as an internal tool of his digital marketing agency which delivered repeated success stories, he saw an opportunity to make that passion a reality.
Born out of Australia’s Gold Coast, the company has recently scored half-a-million dollars in funding to turbocharge efforts to help small businesses bolster their reputations by streamlining and centralising control over the review process.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with People of Influence’s Shaun Kenny, an expert in leadership and team development, about why power differentials impact customer dynamics so strongly, how to identify when leadership needs work, and the value of maintaining the simple things when it comes to how teams interact
Shaun Kenny is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of People of Influence, a leadership and team development company based in Sydney that helps the world’s leading brands get the best out of people.
As an individual, Shaun is one of Asia Pacific’s most in-demand speakers and educators, having delivered over 1,000 sessions to over 150,000 people for over a decade with companies like Microsoft, Uber, Pepsi and American Express.
In his role as mentor and advisor, Shaun has an up close and personal perspective of the challenges executives and leaders are grappling with in this rapidly changing world of work.
An economist by training, Shaun translates the latest insights of behavioural economics and neuro-economics into practical tools that professionals can use for immediate impact.
In our conversation, Shaun and I also go through what it takes to become a leader that people are compelled to follow. We look at how these traits connect to not only building a high performing team but also building a culture of teamwork that can translate through to your product and customer.
Remarkable Takeaways
Why understanding the influence of power differentials can fundamentally change how you show up in conversations with customers.
How to effectively identify symptoms within teams that point to leadership which needs work.
The value of creating an environment rich in simple courtesies and conversational equality, and why losing these can signify a team in decay.
Connect with Shaun
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about the work People of Influence do via their website
Watch the entertaining and educational videos from the People of Influence team via their YouTube channel.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Florencia Aimo, a Senior Director of Marketing & Communications for the world’s biggest hotel chain, Marriott International, about why owned ecosystems are the future of fully-integrated customer service, how character can define a brand from its closest competitors, and the value of mixing in-person perspective with data when it comes to better understanding customers.
Over the past 18 years Florencia Aimo has built a successful career taking on numerous marketing roles on and above property with different hotel brands. Globally-minded and passionate about travel and hospitality, her journey has steered her to work in multiple cities including Buenos Aires, Miami, Cancun, Orlando and Sydney.
Florencia joined Marriott International in 2015 as the Director of Digital Marketing for Marriott Australia, where she led the execution of digital strategies for the business’ hotel brand portfolio. With the acquisition of Starwood Hotels, she became part of the company’s inaugural Area Team in the region, implementing brand, digital and communication programs across a portfolio of 40 hotels and 14 brands.
Today she’s responsible for leading marketing strategies and brand localisation, raising brand awareness and driving hotel performance. As well as securing significant global and local market partnerships including the Australia Grand Prix, Mardi Gras, and the Australian Open, Florencia has also driven change and innovation across hotel marketing over the past decade. This includes restructuring the organisation and developing Marriott’s local paid placement advertising and digital marketing programs.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a Marketing Major from Florida International University, USA, and currently resides in Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her partner.
Remarkable TakeawaysWhy creating your own ecosystem can have such a positive impact on growing both lifetime value and long-lasting customer love.
How to separate brands or offerings by defining their true character, even if they were purposely built to compete with each other.
The value of bringing together first-hand observation and deep listening with data, to ensure you know your customers intimately, today and tomorrow.
Connect with Florencia
Find her on Linkedin
Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy program here
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with psychology scholar, identity expert and esteemed author, Jay Van Bavel, about why great businesses don’t need to micromanage their people, how our need to belong and to be distinct can co-exist within groups, and the power of identity symbols in aligning people with your brand.
Jay Van Bavel is an Associate Professor of Psychology & Neural Science at New York University, an affiliate at the Stern School of Business in Management and Organizations, Director of the Social Identity & Morality Lab, and co-author of ‘The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony’. Prior to joining NYU, Jay completed his PhD at the University of Toronto and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Ohio State University.
From neurons to social networks, Jay’s award-winning research examines how collective concerns – group identities, moral values, and political beliefs – shape the mind, brain, and behaviour. His work addresses issues of group identity, social motivation, cooperation, implicit bias, moral judgment, decision-making, and social media. He studies these issues using neuroimaging, lesion patients, social cognitive tasks, economic tasks, cross-cultural surveys, and computational social science.
Jay has published over 100 academic publications and co-authors a mentoring column, called Letters to Young Scientists, for Science Magazine. He has written about his research for the New York Times, BBC, Scientific American, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, and the Washington Post, and his work has appeared in academic papers as well as in the US Supreme Court and Senate. His research was also featured in TEDx and TED-Ed videos and he has consulted with the White House, United Nations, European Union, and World Health Organization on issues related to his research.
Jay has given talks at dozens of the Psychology Departments and Business Schools, as well as academic conferences, professional events, and non-academic organisations (including the World Science Festival, TEDx, New York Times).
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why creating a virtuous cycle, driven by evangelists, means great businesses don’t need to micromanage or spy on their people.
- How groups not only scratch the human itch to belong, but can also serve our desire to differentiate when they’re optimally distinct.
- The power of identity symbols in aligning people with your brand.
Connect with Jay
Learn more about his book ‘The Power of Us’ here
Find him on Linkedin
This episode of The Remarkable Project is a bit different. We’re taking a look back over the last month of the Podcast and using some of the key insights from those episodes as the jump off point for a series of actionable tips you can employ in your business today to help grow impact and profit.
We’ll also touch on whether our most recent run of conversations have got us any closer to answering the question of “how do you build a business that people feel compelled to talk about?”
We look at the following episodes and discuss three main insights that were very evident in these four businesses that have a strong track record in sustainable organic growth.
AARON TREVIS
Founder and CEO of wave riding innovators Surf Lakes
TED MOLTER
Seasoned marketing and PR pro formerly CMO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
MATT BARNETT
Founder, CEO and self-styled ‘Papa Bear’ of customer relationship video platform, Bonjoro
DAVID WACHS
Self-confessed digital entrepreneur and Handwrytten founderKey Takeaways:
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How to surround yourself with people that will help you deliver on the impact you promise for your customers.
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A strong model for creating remarkable moments for your customers that contribute to a strong overall lifetime value.
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Why identifying your business intent can be the main pillar to your future growth.
Got Questions?
https://www.remarkably.com.au
**Referenced episodes:
Aaron Trevis: https://www.remarkably.com.au/the_remarkable_project/aaron_trevis/ Ted Molter: https://www.remarkably.com.au/the_remarkable_project/ted_molter/ Matt Barnett: https://www.remarkably.com.au/the_remarkable_project/matt_barnett/**
David Wachs: https://www.remarkably.com.au/the_remarkable_project/david_wachs/
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with self-confessed entrepreneur and Handwrytten founder David Wachs, about why a communication that people keep and display remains special, how a ‘full stop thank you’ works, and the value of shining a light on ‘time spent’.
A serial entrepreneur, David Wachs’ latest venture, Handwrytten, is bringing back the lost art of letter writing through scalable, robot-based solutions that write notes in pen to help brands and people connect. Developed as a platform and used by major meal boxes, eCommerce giants, non-profits and professionals, Handwrytten lets customers send notes from CRM systems such as Salesforce, websites, apps, or through custom integration.
Prior to his current initiatives, David founded Cellit, a mobile marketing platform and mobile agency. Under his leadership, the business became a leading player in the mobile marketing space and invented the concept of mobile customer relationship management (Mobile CRM). Before being sold in 2012, Cellit developed one of the most robust and widely used mobile marketing platforms in the world, delivering millions of SMS and MMS messages to consumers daily.
David is also a frequent speaker on marketing technology and has presented for the Direct Marketing Association, South By Southwest, Advertising Research Foundation, and the National Restaurant Association. He’s been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Variety, Washington Post and many more.
Both Handwrytten and Cellit were on Inc. Magazine’s Inc 500 list of fastest growing companies, and David now writes for Inc. Magazine with his column “Stepping Away from the Day to Day”.
Three Remarkable Quotes
Whether you’re sitting in front of a video camera sending a video message or writing out a card, it’s that replication of ‘time spent’ that makes it so unique.
That’s the nature of the ‘full stop thank you’, of just thanking you for your purchase and understanding that in today’s day and age, there’s always an alternative for where people go to buy something.
If you want to get out to the most consumers, with the lowest risk of being considered annoying, while being highly personal and highly surprising, handwritten notes are the best option.
Connect with David
Learn more about Handwrytten via their website
Check out the latest news and content from the platform on their Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages
Find David on Linkedin
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay meets Matt Barnett, founder, CEO and self-styled ‘Papa Bear’ of customer relationship video platform, Bonjoro, to discuss the concept of ‘dogfooding’, how video `1
Matt Barnett is the brains behind Bonjoro, a business which helps its clients show their customers they care, via personalised but automated videos delivered direct to their email inbox as soon as they sign up, subscribe, or make a purchase.
A British designer by trade, Bonjoro is Matt’s second company. What started as a sales hack for an agency he was running in Sydney, Australia, the concept went from hack to side hustle to global business in the space of 18 months. It now has a team spanning five continents.
Matt’s love of building great products is only surpassed by that of building great culture, and he’s open about his goal for Bonjoro to become the next Zappos – one of the most loved brands in the world.
When not heads down in product, Matt spends his time rescuing wildlife, teaching his daughter about beekeeping and running one of Sydney’s largest tech founder networks.
Remarkable Quotes
The customer is the authority, and you’re there to help. You want to dress like the customer but one level down.
We think that loyalty is points, referrals, and discounts. That’s not loyalty. That’s called buying customers.
Loyalty is a customer’s propensity to do two things: stay with you for a longer term and become your best channel for new leads.
Connect with Matt
Find him on Linkedin
Follow Bonjoro on Twitter
Learn more about the business and products via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Ted Molter, a seasoned marketing and PR pro formerly CMO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, about why taking a strategic approach to authenticity is something more businesses should consider, how online experience can help contend with changes in offline behaviour, and the positive worth-of-mouth effects of intentional complaint handling.
Ted Molter has been deploying marketing and PR skills in the attractions industry to advance the mission of zoos, aquariums, and family-oriented experiences for over 30 years. With a deep love for animals, Ted has enjoyed a long career that included key leadership roles at SeaWorld Ohio and the CMO position for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, where he led a rebranding program that drove revenues, donations and awareness.
Now, as a marketing consultant and collaborator, he advocates the practical skills of using and understanding data, media training to communicate key messages, and effective marketing strategy to engage audiences in mission and brand devotion. Ted describes himself as a “return on mission” specialist, and considers it his responsibility to find the intersection of passion and ration, ensuring that revenue growth provides a maximum benefit to mission, people and the organizations he works with and supports.
He is an active member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; past education and marketing committee chair, board member and the founding foundation board chair for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions; past chair of San Diego Tourism Authority; and board member and past chairman of the California Travel Association. With the opportunity to reach families around the world with the mission of conservation, education and family fun, Ted has continued to find ways to combine his passion for animals with an endless desire to share the wonders of nature through innovative marketing and communications programs in Southern California and beyond.
Three Remarkable Quotes
"Really, what we were trying to capture was hearts and minds, not wallets."
"I’m hoping for the collaboration economy quite honestly. If we’re as connected as we all are, imagine how powerful things could be if we were more collaborative with the tools that are there."
"Just make people feel valid. If you do that, you get the other things. It’s when you treat them like numbers…they know it, they feel it and it effects their experience with you.
Connect with Ted
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via their website
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Aaron Trevis, Founder and CEO of wave riding innovators Surf Lakes, about why truly big ideas demand equally oversized belief, how to turn roadblocks into speed bumps, and the power of surrounding yourself with the right people.
As the Founder and driving force behind the Surf Lakes project, Aaron Trevis has been instrumental in stewarding the journey of this technology concept from ideation to start-up and on to the global entity that is evolving today.
Surf Lakes as an idea was born in 2013 from what Aaron would later describe as ‘a ripple’ – he was throwing rocks into water with his kids when it hit him, and a lot of research into how nature makes waves and how one swell interacts with multiple reefs and beaches. As a keen surfer himself, he has a well-stated mission to take waves to the masses so that the thrill of surfing can be shared and enjoyed by anyone regardless of ability or location.
Beyond surfing, Aaron boasts a diverse leadership, management and consulting background, covering underground coal mining, executive search and national leadership of a large not-for-profit organisation. He is a qualified Mining Engineer and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and also an accomplished public speaker.
Remarkable Quotes
Be courageous enough to step out and say “no, actually we want to build an incredible experience, not just technology, and we want you as the guest to come out of it better than you came in.”
I think the reality for me was realising early the need to share. That if you’re going to tackle something that’s going to go beyond yourself then, at some point, you have to let others in. It’s then just choosing who that is.
If you’re going to build a business, it’s not a half-hearted thing. To me it has to be something that’s very exciting, that I’m passionate about, that has such a wow factor that I’ll work every Saturday for the rest of my life because I want to.
Connect with Aaron
Find him on Linkedin
Learn more about the Surf Lakes project via their website and follow them on Instagram
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with entrepreneur, community leader, and the acting Mayor of Eurobodalla on the NSW South Coast, Mat Hatcher, about why passion sets business up for success, how to immerse customers in your storytelling, and the power of language when delivering experiences.
Mat Hatcher was born in the US state of Alabama, but left when he was 19 and discovered Australia. Today, he definitely qualifies as an honorary Aussie thanks to his status as the youngest ever Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire on the south coast of New South Wales, a region which is home to visitor favourite Batemans Bay.
Prior to his appointment at the end of 2021, Mat was well known in and around the area for being an active presence in community affairs and support, jointly receiving Eurobodalla’s 2020 Local Hero Award for his bushfire recovery work.
Since 2003 he has been involved in managing bars and restaurants in the UK, USA and down under, racking up travel to over 75 countries in the process. One of these trips, to East Timor, fuelled the creation of Moruya-based boutique coffee brand Guerrilla Roasters in 2018, with business partner Lewis McKenzie. A strong ethical focus and hunger to go against the flow has defined the operation to date.
Remarkable TakeawaysWhy understanding local culture is vital to competitive advantage in experience-first businesses such as hospitality.
How building your business around a passion-point sets up a story that customers and partners can really connect with.
The power of creating ambassadors rather than consumers, and the communal outlook you need to unlock it.
Remarkable Quotes
“If you think about what your customer goes through from the moment they arrive to the moment they pull away. And you really try to tick all those boxes. In the end you no longer have customers, you have family and you have ambassadors.”
“Some of our customers want to hear this amazing story about this amazing farm in Columbia. That we do so much with the family. Some people just want a bloody flat white.”
“Australians overall don’t like franchises in my opinion. They like that story and they want to connect with the local business, or with any business. They want to know that story and feel like they’re part of it.”
Connect with Mat
Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
Learn more about his story and skillset via Linkedin
Thomas Kolster has been described as a ‘post-purpose preacher’, thanks to his writing and speaking on the collision of marketing and sustainability, and advisory work for global businesses such as Facebook, Proctor & Gamble and IKEA around the topic. In this episode of The Remarkable Project, Jay speaks with Thomas about the distraction of virtue signalling, the intrinsic link between customer transformation and trust, and how brands and causal investment are converging.
Thomas Kolster is a frontrunner and one of the most recognised thinkers globally where marketing, business and sustainability meet. He continuously challenges the status-quo with his vocal, and often provocative, views on values, purpose, and leadership. He proposes that in an over-crowded, do-good market, people don’t buy your values or your “why”, but rather who you can help them become.
Thomas has written two books, ‘Goodvertising’ and ‘The Hero Trap’, delivered keynotes and workshops in over 70 markets for some of the world’s biggest and most influential companies, as well as at conferences such as TEDx and SXSW. He’s judged top-awards such as Jury President at D&AD and Jury at Cannes Lions, and contributed to extended training programs in collaboration with universities and the likes of Cannes Lions and D&AD.
Remarkable Quotes
“Ask yourself the question: Who can you help people become?”
“Really try and live that “backseat” role. Be comfortable with it. Be okay.”
“I don’t like companies to talk about “consumers”, because it needs to be paying respect to people’s creativity, to their capabilities, so there’s a fundamental respect part in that.”
Relevant References
‘Goodvertising: Creative Advertising that Cares’ by Thomas Kolster [2012]
‘The Hero Trap: How to Win in a Post-Purpose Market by Putting People in Charge’ by Thomas Kolster [2020]
Connect with Thomas
Learn more about him and his work at his website
Learn more about Goodvertising here
Follow him on Twitter
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with customer experience coach, international keynote speaker and author Dan Gingiss, about the power of finding your remarkable, why listening is central to a successful company culture, and how to make a memorable moment out of an apology.
Dan Gingiss believes that a remarkable customer experience is your best marketing strategy. Prior to his current gig coaching, consulting, speaking and writing about exactly this subject, his 20-year professional career spanned multiple disciplines including customer experience, marketing, social media and customer service. He held leadership positions at McDonald’s, Discover and Humana.
Dan is the author of two books, last year’s ‘The Experience Maker: How To Create Remarkable Experiences That Your Customers Can’t Wait To Share’ and 2017’s ‘Winning at Social Customer Care: How Top Brands Create Engaging Experiences on Social Media’. He also hosts the Experience This! Show podcast and The Experience Maker Show.
He earned a B.A. in psychology and communications from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Not only does Dan moonlight as licensed bartender and pinball wizard, but he once delivered a pizza to Michael Jordan, no less.
Three Remarkable Quotes
“When you collect customer feedback, the end result should not be a report.”
“What if we had our customers talking about us without having to ask? Well that's what happens when you create a naturally shareable experience.”
“There are so many opportunities to just spend a little bit more and do something that has a much further reach than the investment.”
Relevant References
‘The Experience Maker: How To Create Remarkable Experiences That Your Customers Can’t Wait To Share’ Dan Gingiss [2021]
‘Winning at Social Customer Care: How Top Brands Create Engaging Experiences on Social Media’ by Dan Gingiss [2017]
Connect with Dan
Buy "The Experience Maker" by Dan Gingiss HERE
Follow him on Twitter or Instagram
Reach out via Linkedin
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Sydney-based entrepreneur and writer Ian Whitworth, about how much is too much hustle, what constitutes the ultimate form of marketing, and why it pays to actually use your own product.
Ian Whitworth’s book ‘Undisruptable: Timeless Business Truths For Thriving In A World Of Non-Stop Change’, released in mid-2021 and the depths of a global pandemic, has been described by some as an instant Australian business classic. It has remained Booktopia’s #1 business book by customer review since its release.
Ian is testament to the fact that any fool can do it. His career followed a unconventional arc, starting at vet student and stopping in at amusement ride operator, restaurant cook and audio-visual technician, before arriving at advertising creative director.
He started events business Scene Change as a side-project to his ad industry gig, and it grew into a successful national concern with several hundred staff and a simple set of rules including Year 6 maths, basic decency and zero jargon.
His weekly Undisruptable blog is a humorous, realistic view into the real life of business owners, and Ian's writing also appears in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Smart Company.
Remarkable Quotes
“If you focus on the important numbers – and in each business there’s probably only going to be two or three of those – your business will run well.”
“If you strip away the ego, and go my buzz is not exercising power over people, my buzz is creating a successful, growing and profitable business, then you have to step back and just go, how can we help?
“Your brand is not your logo, it’s the theatre of it.”
Connect with Ian
Reach out on LinkedIn
Follow @ianwhitworth on Twitter
Subscribe to the Undisruptable blog or listen to it via all the usual Podcast providers
Buy His Book: https://www.booktopia.com.au/undisruptable-ian-whitworth/book/9781761042195.html
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with Sara Ang, Director of Sales and Marketing for Australian Wildlife Parks, about the value of ‘what if?’ moments, the role of community figureheads, and it’s the most testing of times that typically offer the most meaningful perspective.
Sara Ang is a passionate and highly connected marketing professional with extensive international experience across the tourism and leisure industry.
She was named Western Sydney Executive Woman of the Year in 2021 and since 2017 has headed up the sales and marketing function for Australian Wildlife Parks, a group which operates and manages parks and brands including Featherdale Sydney, Mogo Wildlife Park and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park.
Prior to this post, Sara worked for Village Roadshow Theme Parks for almost a decade, developing deft skills in relationship management, customer service, leadership, and all areas of brand management and experience marketing.
An expert communicator and negotiator, she speaks Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese and Indonesian, and is an accredited Japanese to English translator to boot.
Three Remarkable Quotes
“Your staff are your greatest advocates, so you want them to have a great day at work.”
“They have actually proven to themselves what they can achieve by just purely surviving, and now they’re going to use that potential that they see in themselves.”
“We really can’t forget the gratitude that we have for our customers, and that applies to every business.”
Connect with Sara
Reach out on LinkedIn
Follow Featherdale Wildlife Park on Instagram and Facebook
Learn more about and support Australian Wildlife Parks
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with marketing and communications expert, and current customer and data lead for Australia’s BOM (AKA Bureau of Meteorology) Keith Day, about the importance of impactful thinking, why strategy should always lead tactics, and what deep listening actually means in a business context.
Keith Day boasts over 35 years’ experience in marketing and communications, predominantly within consumer marketing, digital and social, and government environments. His expertise spans consumer behaviour and the decision making process, social media marketing, communication and marketing strategies, digital marketing, social media operations, web analytics and predictive behavioural analysis.
Following a retail background, Keith switched to the digital media industry, working on email marketing, web design and builds, loyalty programs, social media and data analysis. The past 13 years, including his latest post for the BOM, have been spent in a government marketing role, where he continues to contribute to a wide variety of projects, including customer contact centre management, market research, brand positioning, digital marketing and mobile apps, and, of course, data analytics.
He also works guiding and tutoring digital marketing as part of RMIT’s undergraduate program, and plans to take on some research projects in the near future around how brands can build engagement with their audiences in brand indifferent environments.
Remarkable Takeaways
Focus wholeheartedly on your strategy first, then worry about the tactics later.
There’s a big difference between gathering data or information, and actually using that effectively.
Create customer feedback loops to refine your value proposition, then keep listening intently to stay responsive to new needs.
Remarkable Quotes
“We see a lot of times within businesses that they do these sort of one-off, almost campaign based approaches to collecting customer data, which gives them a snapshot of a period of time, which really isn't reflective of the customer journey.”
“Just stop talking, just listen to what your customers are telling you, because you'll be surprised how MUCH your customers are actually telling you.”
“Go find out who the customers are first and then work out what the business is, rather than the other way round.”
Connect with Keith
Reach out on LinkedIn
Learn more about the work of Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology
Stay up to date with the BOM Blog - https://media.bom.gov.au/social/
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay chews the fat with business partner Neil Terry, as they tackle the topic of how to stand out in the sales process. Via a collaborative roundtable format featuring a handful of colleagues and listeners from all over, the pair touch on three powerful pillars which you can start using to support your selling and set you apart from the competition.Our guests share their stories, approaches and experiences as we discuss how important an intentional approach to curating the sales experience for customers really is to business success.
Key questions which inform the conversation include:
*Are you prepared to talk to the value of what you're selling in a way that doesn't just focus on functional benefits?
Beyond their purchase history, what do you really know about your clients that would help you engage more meaningfully?
What qualifies as truly memorable about your sales process, and what makes your approach hard to ignore?*Keen to join us for the next Remarkable Roundtable? Share your insight on how to build a business that people feel compelled to talk about by registering your interest here. We’d love to welcome you.
Connect with Us and Our Guests
Jay Tinkler and Neil Terry - Remarkably
From intentional impact to unexpected moments and compounding communities, Remarkably are about marketing done different, where making yourself memorable becomes your bottom line.https://www.remarkably.com.au
Jay's LinkedIn
Neil's LinkedIn
Kate Visconti – Five to Flow
Go below the surface. Five to Flow is a global consulting collective that builds integrative organizational wellness solutions designed to achieve and sustain peak business performance.https://www.fivetoflow.com
Kate's LinkedIn
Michelle O'Hara – Oh! Marketing
Oh! Marketing believe great marketing is about creating great relationships, so they’re committed to facilitating as many of those as possible, across branding, marketing and sales.http://ohmarketing.com.au
Michelle's LinkedIn
Ben Johnston – Evocative
Brand design that inspires. Evocative inspire forward progression through creative brand design so that their purpose-centred clients can think and act deliberately to perform better.https://www.evocative.cc
Ben's LinkedIn
Brendan Forwood – SBB People
SBB People are passionate about linking the value between leadership, culture and outcomes. They offer outsourced HR services, compliance and workforce planning that help businesses build strength through their human capital.https://www.sbbpartners.com.au/people
Brendan's LinkedIn
Louis Bartle – Bartle Real Estate
The ultimate goal of Bartle Real Estate is to de-stress one of life’s biggest decision making processes – buying a home or property. Keeping everyone informed and treating each client as unique allows their expertise to shine through.https://bartlerealestate.com.au
Louis' LinkedIn
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay talks to one of the most vibrant voices in the business of podcasting, Adam Schaeuble, about why patience is a virtue when growing an engaged audience, how every piece of content is an opportunity to bolster customer value, and what cutting the clutter can bring to your work-life balance.
Adam Schaeuble is a full-time podcaster and podcasting business coach, as well as the host of top ranked listens on the craft of the cast, Podcasting Business School and Podcast Launch Tips. He helps podcasters of all shapes, sizes and specialities launch and grow their shows, so they can mobilise, monetise and increase the impact of their personal or professional brand and any associated business interests.
As well as being a prolific podcaster and mentor, Adam is also a community leader and has made it his mission to bring likeminded people together around a shared love of the format. His goal is to teach his students and Pod Pals how they can love their show like a hobby AND build it like a business. He’s twice been named an Icon of Influence and speaker at the New Media Summit and he speaks regularly at prominent podcasting events and online summits including Podfest, The Flyover Podcast Festival and PodQuest Live.
Remarkable Quotes
“I appreciate you, I'm here for you, I'm here to interact. I'm not a bot, let me know what I can do for you.”
“We need the right people We don't need millions of people, we don't need tens of thousands of people. It's a thousand true fans thing.”
“Make it about them and not so much about you. It’s about your passion, but it’s about their impact.”
Connect with Adam
Check out his website: https://www.podcastingbusiness.school
Follow Adam and his Podcasting Business School on Instagram
Interact on Clubhouse
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay talks to well-travelled chef and local food delivery business owner Kelly Eastwood about being resourceful in the face of adversity, why personal connection is the ground zero of community and organisational culture, and how care is key to making customers feel crucial.
After 14 years of working as a Private Chef to Royalty, Russian Oligarchs and many more on the Forbes list, Kelly Eastwood left the high seas and transferred her skills to Television. Working as a Home Economist and TV Food Producer for shows such as Masterchef, MKR, Better Homes and Gardens and The Great Australian Bake Off. The River Cottage Australia first brought Kelly to the Far South Coast of NSW, and it was there that she started her own business, Eastwood's Deli and Cooking School in picturesque Bermagui, hosting cooking lessons, pop-up dinners and coastal private catering events.
During the 2020 bushfires Eastwood's was converted into a Disaster Relief Kitchen for a not-for-profit organisation called World Central Kitchen, where Kelly and a team of 270 volunteers output almost 50,000 meals over a seven week period, feeding firefighters, evacuees and displaced locals in surrounding communities. Soon after the fires were done along came COVID-19 restrictions, forcing Eastwood’s to rethink their business model. Now their focus is on catering, cooking lessons and a much loved and ever growing take-home meal delivery service, which operates weekly from Pambula to Batemans Bay.
Remarkable Quotes
“We've all made lots of friends through our customers, which is just lovely.”
“Even if it's just one person and it's 15 kilometres down the track, return trip, we still will deliver to that person because it's a service that we want to offer.”
“For me, it's keeping a quality consistent, making sure that our customers are always happy with what we're delivering.”
Connect with Kelly
Explore the Eastwood’s website
Follow their Instagram
Thank youCredit David Rogers for the photography
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay talks to author Bo Burlingham about what it takes to be a company that that has chosen to be great over big. We look at the principles of the highly successful companies that Bo researched, the communities they serve and the relationships and stories that define them.
Bo Burlingham has been writing about entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship for 40 years, mostly for Inc. magazine, where he served as executive editor and then editor at large. Along the way, he has authored five books, the most recent being Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top.
On this episode we dive into Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, which was a finalist for the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award. That book inspired the Small Giants Community, which he co-founded with Paul Spiegelman. He has written three other books with co-authors, including two with Jack Stack, CEO of Springfield Holdings Corp. and the pioneer of open-book management—The Great Game of Business and A Stake in the Outcome— and one with serial entrepreneur Norm Brodsky entitled Street Smarts.
Remarkable Quotes
"This is all about love right?! You have to love the community and the community has to know that you love the community.”
"If the employees don't have the same passion for the company as the founder and owner, the experience they are going to have with the customer is not going to be the same”
"A company need to have viable gross margins and protect those gross margins. It can't just reduce its prices.”
Relevant References
‘Small Giants: Companies that Choose to be Great Instead of Big’ by Bo Burlingham [2005]
'Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top' by Bo Burlingham [2014]
'The Great Game of Business: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company' by Bo Burlingham and Jack Stack [1992]
Connect with Bo
Learn about Bo's books and business
Reach out via LinkedIn
Bo also kindly gives his email address in this episode.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay talks to sales expert and author Brent Keltner about why traditional funnels are failing, how to build buyer journeys that matter, which tools can help businesses ensure they are a true fit for their customers, and what fierce loyalty means for shareability.
Brent Keltner, Ph.D. is founder and President of Winalytics LLC, a go-to-market and revenue acceleration consultancy. He is also author of the forthcoming book ‘The Revenue Acceleration Playbook’. Winalytics helps clients achieve optimum growth potential by shifting from product-driven speeches to authentic conversations anchored in buyer-defined value.
Before starting the business, Brent spent more than a decade as a revenue leader in enterprise to early stage companies, and he began his career as a Ph.D. social scientist, spending a decade conducting qualitative research interviews at Stanford University and the RAND Corporation.
Remarkable Quotes from the Episode
“Your product doesn’t matter, it sounds like blah blah blah to your customers, what they want to know is how can your product make them more successful, so start there.”
“You’ve got to go from thinking about selling to thinking about being a buyer guide.”
“Harness the maverick behaviour for the benefit of the team.”
Relevant References
‘The Revenue Acceleration Playbook’ by Brent Keltner [2022]
Connect with Brent
Learn about Brent’s business and book
Reach out via LinkedIn
We have spoken a lot about the physical experience that you give to your customers but what about the online experience? How often are you helping your customers feel connected to your business and community online?
On the Remarkable Project this week, we have Jing Reilly. Jing is a CyberPsychologist and a Human-Centric Consultant who works with clients to unlock the potential of their customers through a deep understanding of how they think, act and react online. She has worked for multinationals like Facebook & IBM, and has also helped grow a number of start-up companies to a total of €200m in acquisitions. Jing lives and works in Ireland with with her husband and two children.
During the episode Jing touches on why it’s important to understand the power of technology in the context of the human condition, she shows us how having a strong understanding of how the human brain works is crucial to not only improving our bottom line but also making the world a better place. She also talks to us about the ingredients needed for a successful community and how it all starts from inside your business.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding the impact of technology on humans is super-important for generations to come.
- The psychological impact of algorithms and AI
- How Pepsi used identity psychology to talk to a whole generation of potential customers.
- The pillars needed to create and grow a successful physical community.
- How confirmation bias gets used in mainstream marketing to influence our buying decisions.
- The importance of listening deeply to your customers.
Remarkable Quotes
“It’s never about technology, it’s always about people”
“Community is just a by-product of your attention”
“Businesses need to accept that the power has shifted – from companies to customers. Companies are not controlling their marketing strategy anymore, it’s the customers that do. The customer has the power..”
“For businesses to drive a certain action from their customers, we need to understand their motivations”
Relevant References
The Century of the Self - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnPmg0R1M04
Influence – Robert Cialdini – https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X
Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman - https://www.amazon.com.au/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0141033576
Connect with Jing
Visit Jing’s website here: http://www.jingreilly.com/
Reach out and chat with Jing via LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jingreilly/
Follow Jing on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jingreillycyber/
People are understandably selfish when it comes to spending their time and money, but what does this mean when it comes to how we should engage with them?
Darcy Smyth is a co-founder and director of the Why Bravo. Why Bravo helps project-centric sales teams celebrate new company records globally by developing and deploying strategic thinking, deliberate sales and marketing plans, and unrivalled leverage within their industries to create significant growth.
As a psychology specialist, he’s obsessive about human behaviour. This official background in the discipline means Darcy has been able to articulate the sales playbook clearly and comprehensively. He’s an author and podcast host, and the creator of The Sales Game and The Champions League programs, which have been responsible for giving thousands the hidden power of reading between the lines and growing their pipeline.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Darcy touches on why it’s important to acknowledge how the buyer’s brain work, what value really means, and how we can make customers feel noticed and significant, quickly and cost-effectively.
Remarkable Takeaways
Understanding why and how buyers’ make decisions is crucial to developing the ability to push the buttons that make them feel significant and say yes more often than no.
Focusing on the pain points a potential customer is experiencing, not the size of the thing you’re giving them, puts you in a position of power competitively, as they see you solving their problems, not just your own.
The pitfalls of trying to make raving fans out of those who were never going to be that – real fans don’t need convincing so seek them out and facilitate them becoming front-line advocates for what you do and why.
Just like individuals, companies’ internal values expose themselves on the outside, so if a potential client hasn’t prioritised growth for the last ten years there’s little to suggest it’s a core value that you can engage and enhance successfully.
The power of relatability as a strategy – why personalised content is a great way to bring clients and customers closer and create enduring, profitable relationships.
Remarkable Quotes
“Value is derived from the size of the problem someone is experiencing, not the size of the thing that you’re giving them.”
“You should never spend a single dollar on marketing that is trying to convince someone of something that they don’t already think.”
“Business is a reflection of humans, humans are not a reflection of business.”
Relevant References
Greg Head – https://greghead.com
‘It’s Not About You: A Little Story About What Matters Most in Business’ by Bob Burg and John David Mann [2011]
Connect with Darcy
Check out what Why Bravo do by visiting their website
Reach out and chat with Darcy via LinkedIn
Do you use the power of storytelling to bring your business to life for your clients and customers?Gabrielle Dolan is considered a global expert in business storytelling and real communication.
She is a highly sought after international keynote speaker and best-selling author of seven books. Her latest – Magnetic Stories – was a finalist in two categories at the 2021 Australian Business Book Awards, as well as three in the recent International Book Awards.
Her client list is extensive, including the likes of Visa, Amazon, EY, Accenture, Telstra and Australia Post. The highlight of her career so far is meeting Barack Obama while delivering storytelling training for the Obama Foundation.
Gabrielle is the founder of Jargon Free Fridays and her dedication to the industry was recognised when she was awarded Communicator of the Year for 2020 by the International Association of Business Communicators.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Gabrielle discusses why stories matter, what to consider when developing narratives of your own, and how real and relatable storytelling can be used by businesses to bring their customers closer
Remarkable Takeaways
- Why some stories are stickier than others, and how their highlights can become shorthand for a particular point or position.
- How enhancing emotional connections and forging lasting memories through stories can add value to experiences, products and services alike, especially when human relationships are more precious than ever.
- The benefits of making an organisation’s passions, purpose and values more than just words on a wall.
- Short, succinct, relatable and believable – the essentials of setting up a story for shareability.
- What leaders actively leaning into softer skills such as vulnerability and authenticity means for the way modern businesses communicate.
Remarkable Quotes
"Be really clear on your message, really succinct, and make your stories relatable…then they will be shared.”
"You don't want to share a story and then act in the opposite way…that is where the authentic congruence comes in – you have to really believe in what you’re saying."
“Heal before you reveal…if it’s something really recent and really raw, you probably don’t want to be sharing it because you’re probably too emotionally engaged in it for it to it to be effective.”
Relevant References
‘The Leader’s guide to STORYTELLING: Mastering the Art & Discipline of Business Narrative’ by Steve Denning [2005]
‘The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and persuasion through the Art of Storytelling’ by Annette Simmons [2000]
Connect with GabrielleFree storytelling starter kit
Check out her work website
Explore more on her books
Follow her on Instagram and Twitter
Reach out via LinkedIn
How do we harness the power of human connection to create stronger and more valuable relationships with our customers and clients?
David Meerman Scott spotted the real-time marketing revolution in its infancy and wrote five books about it, including ‘The New Rules of Marketing and PR’, which is now in its 7th edition and has sold over 400,000 copies sold in English (having been translated into 29 languages).
Now David says the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of superficial online communications, with tech-weary and bot-wary people hungry for true human connection. Successful organisations have learned to win by developing what he calls a “Fanocracy”, tapping into the mindset that relationships with customers are more important than the products they sell to them.
His Wall Street Journal bestselling book of the same name, which was written in collaboration with his 27 year old daughter Reiko, focuses upon Fandom culture and how any business can turn fans into customers and vice-versa.
David has authored a total of eleven books to date, has a popular blog and provides advisory services for fast-growing companies. All this plus his speaking engagements around the world give him a singular perspective on how businesses are implementing new strategies to reach buyers directly and in real time.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project David discusses the relevance of tribes, how putting passion on display can attract likeminded people and why trying to tightly control fan behaviour can prove counter-productive.
Key Takeaways
· Humans are craving a return to personal connection, to humanity, because we’re hard-wired to want to be part of a tribe of likeminded people.
· When you find a group of people who love something that you do too (music, sport, books etc.) you have an opportunity to join a tribe. If you act upon this, then over time the safety and acceptance you feel from the group becomes part of what you love about the ‘thing’, bolstering the emotional connection.
· Any business can find and nurture a tribe of fans, regardless of what industry they operate in. By actively fostering Fandom you can mobilise tribes to create new knowledge and attract new people via warmth of intention and shared understanding.
· We’re all fans of something, so when we share what we’re truly passionate about in a genuine manner we attract people to us.
· Close proximity to other people brings with it more pronounced emotional reactions – it’s biological.
Remarkable Quotes
“...big companies, small companies, it doesn’t matter…if they understand how and why somebody becomes a fan of something they can do business in a different way than the nastiness that’s going on right now in social media.”
“...once you create something and put it in the world, it no longer belongs to you, it belongs to the fans.”
“…you can try to aggregate a group of fans, but keep in mind that the ultimate is when they self-aggregate.”
Relevant References
‘The New Rules of Marketing and PR’ by David Meerman Scott [2017 – Updated Edition]
‘Fanocracy’ by David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott [2020]
‘Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead’ by Brian Halligan and David Meerman Scott [2010]
‘Beyond Culture’ Edward T. Hall [1976]
Connect with David
Learn more about David here and Fanocracy here
Follow David on Twitter (@dmscott)
Connect with David on LinkedIn
How do we ensure our businesses stays relevant and profitable? By building them from the outside-in, with customer experience at the epicentre of everything we do.
Phillip Di Bella is an entrepreneur, business owner, marketeer and mentor. His unique ability to visualise and commercialise what many others may never see has been on display through establishment of Di Bella Coffee, which became Australia’s largest speciality coffee company, as well as third-party businesses such as International Coffee Traders and Abbotsford Road Specialty Coffee in New York. His latest venture, Brisbane-based The Coffee Commune, is dedicated to the long term development, sustainability and success of the broader coffee industry for all participants.
Phillip is a champion of strategic business and personal growth wherever he goes. As well as driving forward the Di Bella Group of Companies where he is a Director, he also regularly lends his strategic thinking to businesses such as BDO Consulting, helping their clients overcome challenges, see new opportunities, and then supporting the commercialisation of these solutions.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Phillip discusses the right questions to ask to unlock the true intent of a business, what makes understanding people so important to forging memorable experiences, how to encourage creativity and why it pays to avoid confusing ability with ambition.
Key Takeaways
- A simple three question framework can be a great way to establish the direction of a business and make sure it holds itself accountable to the values it holds dear. What problem are we solving? How are we going to stay relevant? What is our purpose?
- Narrowing your target audience and segmenting efficiently can help focus thinking and doing. Then turning this into competitive advantage relies upon identifying fresh opportunities not only to satisfy customers but to delight them, to such an extent that if you weren’t there those same customers would struggle to know how to replace your impact and influence.
- Adopt a mindset that a sustainable business is best build from the outside in, with customer transformation at the heart. In doing so, size, power and profitability shift to outputs of people seeing your brand positively and understanding its intent, rather than inputs which will guarantee that they care. If you choose people, they’ll choose you.
- Exceeding customer expectations needs to be a strategic and creative endeavour. Life is about memorable moments, so making time to observe, listen to and, crucially, think about how customers interact with what you do to, and having a clear process to act upon what you learn, is how to maintain real relevance over time.
Remarkable Quotes
[03:28] “...If you can say “our client-base would struggle” if we closed our doors tomorrow, because no one can replicate what we do, then you have a rock-solid business.”
[41:48] “…The secret ingredient is emotional engagement…when people leave the room and they’re telling other people, that’s your brand.”
Relevant References
‘Entrepreneurial Intelligence’ by Allan Bonsall [2014]
‘The Dash’ by Linda Ellis / Robert Browning [poem]
Harvard Business Review [publication
Connect with Phillip
Learn more about The Coffee Commune
Listen to the FlashCast by PDB on all Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more
Connect with Phillip on LinkedIn
In this weeks Remarkable Conversation we speak with Ben Johnston from Evocative. Ben and I look at the importance of doing a yearly performance review on your brand to ensure it is still telling the right story.
Evocative is a brand design company based in Brisbane, Australia that work organisations to invent or reinvent brands to not only allow their clients to think and act more deliberately but also inspire a sense of forward progression that can drive growth and attract more of the right type of clients.
In this episode we cover:- Why it is important to complete a performance review on your brand yearly.
- The three questions you should ask of your business.
- How consistency is key to the delivery of your brand and how that can wane over time.
- How brand is about the graphics as well as behaviours of the company and how they connect.
Get in touch with Ben & Evocative:www.evocative.cc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/inbenjohnston/
How do you use creativity and storytelling to design client and customer experiences which will connect and make memories?
Theron Skees is a master story-teller and former Imagineering creative executive for the Walt Disney Company, where he oversaw design of their soon to be unveiled private island, a fleet of ships and new theme park lands and attractions around the world.
Growing up in a family of builders, Theron quickly came to appreciate the joy of stepping back and seeing what you’ve created. Fast forward to today and although he has a 30 year career in Themed Entertainment under his belt, where managing complex projects with multi-million dollar budgets concurrently has become his normal, he still loves seeing his creative vision come to life in physical and experiential form above all else.
The Designer’s Creative Studio is Theron’s latest venture, a company focused on using storytelling solutions and experience design to drive business uplift and brand equity for clients, as well as on providing big thinking consultancy and mentoring.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Theron discusses how we can draw upon some of the approaches used to successfully plan, design and deliver physical environments, to help our brand or business build experiences which will be memorable, regardless of the form they take. He also makes a case for getting under the skin of clients, talks shareable storytelling and explains the importance of making ‘why’ central to a narrative.
Five Key Takeaways
- Innovation should be part of company culture, not an external input Seeing things from a different perspective pushes refinement of ideas, especially when considered risk taking across teams and ‘fast failing’ is encouraged.
- The concept of ‘narrative experience design’ involves understanding a client’s brand, their audience and their business objectives.
- “Swimming upstream” when collaborating with clients or vendors is the process of questioning assumptions and validating asks at the outset, so that briefs and programs can proceed safe in the knowledge that there is a shared understanding between all parties.
- People relate to authentic, real and actionable stories that they can place themselves within – it pays to take control of and champion why you do things, because it adds a layer of believability to the what you do.
- Studies have shown that humans are wired to catalogue memories in a story format and that all five senses can contribute to the richness of this process. Impactful stories bring together insight and escapism to trigger an emotional response which makes them memorable.
Remarkable Quotes
[09:51] “...[innovation should be] less a service that should be purchased and more a culture that should be instituted.“
[14:47] “…good design should deliver on brand, it should grow your audience and it should deliver your business goals.”
[17:15] “…if you’re in a rocket ship and you’re aiming for Mars, but you only get to the Moon, you’ve still gone farther than most people on Earth…I believe in idealism because it sets the bar high and allows you to prepare to do impossible things.”
[39:11] “…no element is too small to represent your brand…doesn’t mean it has to be expensive, but everything should be looked at through that lens.”
Relevant References
‘Start With Why’ by Simon Sinek [2009]
‘The Experience Economy’ by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore [1999]
Connect with Theron
Reach out via LinkedIn or follow him on Instagram
Learn more about Theron’s company The Designers Creative Studio here
In this weeks Remarkable Conversation we speak with Peter McKeon from Salesmasters International. Peter and I unpack what it takes to create a truly remarkable sales presentation.
Salesmasters International takes a client-by-client approach to designing innovative sales training programs that help businesses grow their revenue and in turn their business. Peter's years of experience both in sales training, sales. strategy and also business give him to craft the requisite strategic vision to ensure that all organisational sales objectives are realised.
In this episode we cover:- The importance of planning, research and clarity before starting the presentation.
- How to begin to cultivate a trusted relationship in your presentation
- Permission-based questioning.
- Using story (and story cards) in your sales presentation instead of PowerPoint.
- How to close off a sales presentation to ensure the outcome you are looking for.
Get in touch with Peter:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermckeon1/
www.salesmasters.com.au
How can you effectively and efficiently scale quality engagement with your brand or business at pace, whilst ensuring that the essence of what you’re trying to achieve and why doesn’t get lost along the way?
Brendan Kane has been described as an outside the box thinker who empowers brands to scale, expand and accelerate their business and influence. He has acted as an innovation strategist for Fortune 500 corporations, brands, and celebrities including Taylor Swift, Rhianna, MTV and Yahoo!, helping them to unlock value and transform their businesses via his strategic approach and global network.
Through a deep understanding of client needs and goals, Brendan tailors strategies, tools and intelligence to help them capture opportunities and add value. He has shared some of his most powerful insights within a pair of books – One Million Followers and Hook Point. The former focuses on how to grow an entity at pace, and its follow-up talks about how to stand out and create a compelling brand in today’s micro-attention world.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Brendan discusses the foundations of successful social media scaling, how to encourage content shareability and why understanding what keeps clients and consumers up at night is key to crafting solutions that they will truly value and talk about.
Five Key Takeaways
Without understanding the underlying business goal for using a platform, it can be difficult to benchmark success and hold ourselves and our partners accountable for their efforts and outcomes.
With nearly four billion content creators active globally, it’s fundamental to realise that we’re not just competing against direct industry competitors, we’re competing for attention against everyone else who is also sharing content, full stop.
Not only do we need to be creative in how we get audiences to stop and take notice within the first three seconds, but we need to act authentically, so that we encourage on-sharing but avoid becoming click-bait.
Taking time to understand who we’re talking to is crucial, but so is figuring out who it is talking to them – who are we, or who do we want to be in this intimate interaction?
We’re more emotionally connected to what we ‘want’ than what we ‘need’, so it makes sense to create a hook which talks to the former first. Once we’ve grabbed attention by cutting through the clutter, we can proceed to engage the ‘thinking brain’ by laying out how to fulfil the needs that will unlock the want.
Remarkable Quotes
[09:51] “...if you’re not stopping the scroll when people are going through their social feeds, they’re never going to get to your story.“
[14:47] “…one of the biggest mistakes people make on social media is that they’re designing their content as though it’s a one-to-many platform, but in reality it’s a one-to-one platform.”
[17:21] “…people will get on and they’ll say “hey everybody, how’s everybody doing?” – and it’s like “I’m on my phone, who is everybody, who are you talking to?!””
[23:45] “…the businesses that thrive and survive are the ones who can constantly adapt and innovate."
[25:25] “…all the attention in the world doesn’t mean anything without any substance to it.”
Relevant References
‘Hook Point’ by Brendan Kane [2021]
‘One Million Followers’ by Brendan Kane [2018]
Connect with Brendan
Understand what he and his team do to help create Hook Points and how to talk to them here
Learn more about his books Hook Point and One Million Followers
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendankane/
In this weeks Remarkable Conversation we speak with Glenn Fawcett from Insight Social Media. I ask Glenn to give us 3 ways in which we can improve the amount of engagement on our next social media post.
Insight Social are a digital marketing agency based in Noosa QLD that work with national and international clients to leverage the power of social media to not only grow their business but to also think about business differently. Insight Social Media specialise in social media strategy and management. Facebook advertising, content creation and community management.
In this episode we cover:- The importance of understanding your customer.
- Tone of voice and how both the speaker and listener needs to be considered.
- What platforms perform well for different types of content.
- How to think about social media and its place in business.
Sorry about the audio - we had a bit of interference in some parts
Get in touch with Glenn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenndfawcett/
www.insightsocialmedia.com.au
How do you get your team to feel as passionately about your business as you do? So they become the front-line in spreading the word?
Today on the Remarkable Project, I am honoured to bring you a conversation with the CEO of Pacific National - Paul Scurrah. Paul was the CEO of Virgin Australia when the pandemic hit and before that was CEO at Queensland Rail and also had Non-executive Director roles at the Queensland Suns, AWH and Australia Post.
Paul Scurrah is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific National, a role he was appointed to earlier this year. As Australia’s largest private rail freight company, Pacific National are integral in keeping Australia’s economy moving, and have been supporting the country’s supply chain since 1855.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Paul talks about why acting authentically in line with your values, and communicating on a personal, human level, are both key to mobilising people towards positive sentiment and a shared purpose. He also shines a light on why the way an organisation deals with complications or crises can be even more important than how it behaves when all is well and good.
Takeaway points:
- When people feel heard, appreciated, rewarded and secure, they are able to grow. As a leader, be generous with time, be respectful on a human level and offer support on an individual basis, not just a group one.
- By communicating with people with transparency, timeliness and real leadership, a sense of trust can bring calmness and consideration to even the most critical of situations. Uncertainty is a massive anxiety driver, and it’s well known that an uninformed wait feels longer than an informed one, even if you don’t have much to share.
- As a leader you have to be the living, breathing embodiment of your purpose and intent, so that your people can believe in it, and you.
- The closer you can be to the frontline of people delivering the customer experience, to hear them, to empower them, the more likely you are to make decisions that will be embraced by those staff and customers themselves.
- Effectively articulating value, and personalising it at every turn, means a race to the bottom in terms of cost doesn’t have to be inevitable. There are intangible elements that people are willing to pay more for, including human touch, quality of service, consistency and “feel-good” factor.
- The optimum way to build deep trust is how you respond to problems or issues and make them ‘right’. Because customers are more engaged with you through that process than when everything goes to plan, there is a real chance to show them that you have their back.
Remarkable Quotes:
[05:09] “…the way I like to run companies is to be very clear about the culture statement, about the direction, the vision, the purpose, the priorities and the values and behaviours, and they should be designed to work in the best of times and the worst of times.”
[06:15] “…I want to be the boss that I wish I had…would I work for me?”
[15:10] “…people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Resources Mentioned
The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore [1999] More Information Here >>
Get connected with Paul:
Learn more about Paul and connect with him via LinkedIn
Take a closer look at Pacific National here
In our first Remarkable Conversation I speak with Neil Terry about how to improve your word of mouth this Christmas.
Since moving on from a position as VP of Marketing Services for a leading global brand experiences and partnerships agency (who play primarily in the popular culture, entertainment space), Neil has been working with organisations in the areas of strategic consultancy, concept, campaign and creative development projects. In the last couple of years he's collaborated directly or via agencies with clients as diverse as Jack Daniel’s, Citibank, Marriott Hotels, The University of Melbourne, ALDI Supermarkets, Single O Coffee, Google and the UFC, plus other big thinking small businesses, with the aim of helping them maximise impact and value in unique ways.
In this episode we cover:
- The importance of identifying your intention
- How to identify a starting advocate list
- The importance of creating a process around listening to those advocates
- BJ Fogg Behavioural Model - Behaviour = Motivation + Ability + Prompt
- Why not to send Christmas Cards this Christmas
- How to create an experience for your customers
How can you turn the impact you hope to have into an actionable strategy that truly influences your customers in a valuable way?
Tim Duggan is a Sydney based author and new media entrepreneur, as well as a firm believer in using the power of business for good. Tim Duggan is a new media entrepreneur who has co-founded several digital media ventures, most notably Junkee Media, the leading digital publisher for young Australians. Tim has created many award-winning media titles including Junkee, Punkee, Same Same and AWOL and is currently Editor-at-Large after selling the company to oOh!media in 2016.
Tim has recently returned to his writing roots with the release of a highly-acclaimed book. Cult Status is an investigation into how to build businesses people adore, filled with insight from years spent at the coalface of his own companies and experience of working closely with leading global brands like Netflix, American Express and Qantas. A follow up, Killer Thinking, is set for release in 2022.
In this episode of The Remarkable Project Tim talks about the importance of identifying impact that, although likely born of the boardroom, can consistently unlock real benefit for customers. He goes on to explain why getting the intent of that impact just right, and working hard to stay accountable to it, are both great ways to build strong, connected communities in and around a brand or business.
Takeaway points:
- Well-crafted impact statements which put consumer ahead of company can provide motivation, clarity, fulfilment and direction across all levels of an organisation. However, unless you have people at the top who recognise the positive value their actions can have on real people’s lives, the potential for true change may go unrealised.
- In a society that values success by how much you sell a company for or how big your salary is, it’s clear we need a mindset shift – the end goal should be to maximise the number of people we can positively impact. Really purposeful companies who are also increasingly profitable and powerful, such as Airbnb, Who Gives a Crap and Allbirds, prove the days of thinking it’s either profit OR purpose are clearly over – it can be both.
- Businesses and individuals all have a set of values that when shared have the capacity to start and sustain communities. There are many mediums, online and off, that can act as tools to help nurture these connected groups, including Slack channels, Instagram comment threads, Zoom groups, email comms and real-world events. However, the key is understanding that their role is to amplify the energy of a community’s core reason for being, not to offer an alternative alter.
- One of the ultimate ways to mobilise a strong community is to provide them with the opportunity to invest in the business. By putting their own hard-earned money, time or expertise into actively supporting ongoing success, they are confirming exceptional belief in what’s being done and why. Identifying hyper-engaged advocates through this process can make it easier to move forward with the confidence that comes from knowing where your ongoing interactions, incentives and inspiration will be most deserved, and yield the most business benefit to boot.
Resources Mentioned:
Cult Status by Tim Duggan: www.cultstatus.com
Get connected with Tim:
Learn about his books and read his blog at: https://cultstatus.com
Check out The Impact Statement Masterclass: https://impactstatementmasterclass.thinkific.com
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/timduggan
Well today on the Remarkable Project, I, Jay Tinkler review the past 9 episodes!
As we finish off Season One of The Remarkable Project I wanted to have a look at where we are at with answering the question how you build a business that people feel compelled to talk about.
In this episode I am going to do my best to summarise some of the key takeaways into path of how you can look at improving your word of mouth and customer advocacy generally.
There we five main pillars spoken about in Season One:
Pillar One - Be Super crystal clear about why you exist from your customers point of view. Find your intent or the transformation for you customer.
Pillar Two - Create a process for deep listening.
Pillar Three - Build remarkable moments / experiences for your customer. Be playful with it.
Pillar Four - Search for the pain or friction that your customer might be going through.
Pillar Five - Build a community of advocates and facilitate the connection between your community.
We also talked about what is happening in Season Two:
- We are interviewing some amazing people in the first few episodes.
- We are also introducing a second episode a week that focuses on the tactical side of building a business that people feel compelled to talk about.
Lastly, I asked a couple of favours. I want this podcast to get into the ears of as many people as possible so if you don't mind could you:
- Leave a review on the podcast - it helps get this podcast out to more people and
- Could you share it with one friend who would benefit in the same way you may have.
Thanks a million :)
How can we turn a creative concept into an authentic product that thousands of people are hungry to invest their hard earned money into, months before they get to experience it, and which relies on relatively limited marketing?
Jess Ducrou is co-CEO of Secret Sounds, a Live Nation partner, and producer of Australia’s premier festivals including Splendour In The Grass and Falls Music and Arts Festival along with its portfolio of companies including Secret Sounds Touring, Secret Service Artist Management, Village Sounds (promotions), Dew Process (record label), Dew Process Publishing and Secret Sounds Connect (brand agency).
Here Jess talks passion, perseverance and presenting ideas, as she pulls back the curtain on how remarkable experiences are everything when it comes to engaging audiences and nurturing a truly valuable community year after year.
Takeaway points:
- With live experiences especially, energy, aspiration and the unexpected are important traits that can help a consumer transcend functional product benefits and move them towards advocacy and heightened lifetime value.
- Even with large audiences, the relevance of sub communities shouldn’t be overlooked – the more individuals and groups that feel their unique interests are understood and acted upon, the more value they extract from their interactions, compelling them to share positive stories.
- If customers can be afforded a space to comfortably and confidently contribute, fertile ground for inspiration can be found, which can birth a suite of ideas to distill into new angles which will maintain relevance and interest over extended cycles.
- Exposing customers to new things involves some degree of risk, but the potential rewards of uncovering something that really cuts through can outweigh these, especially when innovation is a core component of why customers trust a company.
- In the partnerships and sponsorship space, brands are becoming increasingly savvy about the need to craft meaningful experiences which go deeper than mass awareness branding in highly stimulating, activity abundant environments.
- New ways of connecting and communicating fast-tracked by the COVID-19 pandemic will stay with us, both in terms of internal processes and external consumer touchpoints. However, without foresight as to how these can be honed to enhance what went before, rather than implemented ‘just because’, they could prove a distraction in some cases.
Remarkable Quotes:
[06:15] “I was very aware that to be successful in what you do the books need to balance, you need to be able to make financial sense of what you’re doing. So passion, for sure, as your driver, but having a good understanding of financials…was incredibly important, to understand how money worked, how deals worked, how to cut things in a way that everyone feels good about what the outcome is, bringing people to the table.”
[33:31] “Even though we’re now feeling positive and certainly working to have a very busy year next year, it’s going to be a long tail to recovery for us. I think probably psychologically, when your job, your industry suddenly disappears, it’s pretty confronting…we couldn’t have been in a worse industry for a pandemic.”
[47:08] “Create an experience where they’re going to be engaged, where they’re going to get into a space and have the time of their lives. Think about what you want to experience when you go out and try and create that for other people. Create the ultimate festival for ourselves and invite everyone along with us.”
Get connected with Jess and her team:
Visit their website: www.secretsounds.com.au
Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsounds
How does psychology relate to business? What insights can we use from behavioural science to improve customer experience and even boost sales?
Roger Dooley, international keynote speaker, writer, author, and founder of Dooley Directs consultancy, shares his expert knowledge about the intriguing relationship between science and business. He highlights research-backed tactics that any marketers or business owner can use to grow their business and connect with consumers.
Roger became fascinated with the convergence in neuroscience and marketing, then began writing about the buzzworthy concept of using behavioural science in your marketing strategy.
Since 2006, his work in persuasion, friction, and influence has created a powerful ripple of impact in the digital marketing community.
Listen in to learn how Robert and other marketing professionals in companies of all sizes are optimizing their marketing strategies and reducing friction by researching and implementing behavioural science principles.
Key Takeaways
- Savvy brands with large marketing budgets are focusing on leveraging behavioural science principles, like scarcity, social proof, and authority to increase marketing efficacy and sales.
- In the last 10-20 years, many more brands have adopted behavioural science tactics to create better HR outcomes within the company, improve conversion on their website, improve sales and distribution channels, and much more.
- Whether you’re a large company or a small business, it’s very important to test these behavioural science concepts.
- Roger’s one message to marketing professionals and business owners is that consumers and customers are non-consciously influenced to a degree that many businesses don’t understand.
- There are great benefits to eliminating friction, or any unnecessary effort to perform a task, in your business. Doing this will result in a more highly-rated customer experience, but it needs to be a business decision which you get buy-in on.
- To identify friction in your small business, ask customers to rate/review your processes and the effort spent in those processes.
- Empathy, care, and connectedness are essential parts of building trust with customers. Demonstrating empathy at scale, even in chat bots, has become a crucial tactic for online businesses.
- Focus on building a team that is invested in improving customer experience and creating an effortless experience for customers. In addition to that, work to reduce friction for your employees, so it’s easier for them to provide great service to your customers.
Resources Mentioned:
Brainfluence by Roger Dooley: www.rogerdooley.com/books/brainfluence
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: https://amzn.to/3Ce85rW
Influence by Robert Cialdini: https://amzn.to/3GidBMF
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely: https://amzn.to/2XKL5Sn
Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug: https://amzn.to/2XInIsr
Small DATA by Martin Lindstrom: https://amzn.to/2XIslTl
Most Recent Forbes Article - Here
Get connected with Roger:
Visit his website: www.rogerdooley.com
Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dooley
Follow him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rogerdooley
How do you make an idea come to life? How do you create something that compels people to talk about it and keep coming back for more?
Joe Brumm, film director and writer of the popular children’s TV show, Bluey, speaks on what it takes to make great kids’ movies and shows while creating remarkable experiences for both children and their parents. Joe shares his candid thoughts on the experience of creating and filming Bluey, the difference between an audience and a community, and how Bluey has inspired cultural change. He also sheds light on the benefits of integrating playfulness in the development of business ideas and offers tips for being playful in your creative process.
As a parent and a creative, Joe Brumm finds great joy in providing comedic entertainment and escapism to kids and families, especially those that are going through the lowest of lows in life.
Kids’ shows always surprise us with bits of wisdom and humour and Bluey is no exception to that! If there’s one thing Bluey can remind you of it’s that life is crazy, but the craziness won’t last forever.
Listen in to learn why people are compelled to talk about Bluey and how Joe keeps refining his creative endeavours.
Key Takeaways
· To make kids’ entertainment relatable and engaging, Joe finds great value in being realistic about how kids play, talk, and use their imagination in real life, while also incorporating different aspects of parenting.
· 95% of Joe’s writing is art imitating life, inspired from real experiences from his own life, many of which happen to be super relatable to other families.
· If you’re going to create anything, you have to understand the negative and positive feedback and not become too attached to either. Audience feedback is important, but don’t let every negative opinion discourage you.
· Play with your ideas! Explore different directions they can go in without judgement and forced structure. Eventually, you’ll develop a thread or a story around your idea.
· Joe relies on meditation and trust to keep fuelling his creative drive.
· Connecting with the people on your team is very important for a project’s success. When the people, place, and project come together, it really shows in the final product.
Remarkable Quotes:
[18:08] Just having an escape from reality is just needed sometimes… It’s only seven minutes, but that’s been a real privilege and I’m quite proud that it’s like, you know what, sometimes our audience might just need seven minutes to mind the kids so they can get something done or just to put on hold the daily barrage of everything that can go wrong when you have kids.
[30:26] I definitely think what we learn as kids, to play and to imagine and to create and to build these blocks without this rigid sense of purpose and always a goal attached to it, we’re still using in the workplace… There’s definitely a playful element to… coming up with ideas and refining a piece of artwork or whatever.
[45:12] You’ve got to trust your own taste.
Resources Mentioned:
The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore: https://amzn.to/3FAvzcU
Listen to the episode with Jesse Cole: www.jaytinkler.com.au/the_remarkable_project/jesse_cole
Have you really looked into the impact that your business has on the lives of others? Does your purpose align with your values?
James Bartle, Founder of Outland Denim, speaks on the importance of having a purpose in business and how he’s translated his purpose into an empowering tool for staff, stakeholders, and customers. He also gives you practical advice for evaluating the impact of your business on the world and sheds light on what he would’ve done differently as a business owner.
James and his wife, Erica, founded Outland Denim after witnessing first-hand the devastating global issue of sex trafficking and slave trade. With the fashion industry grappling with a reputation for being one of the worst contributors to slave trade and climate change, Outland Denim refuses to be one of the bad guys.
Thus, they’re sitting at the forefront of sustainability and global citizenship, giving work to victims of human trafficking, making denim with less energy and water than competitors, and staying dedicated constant innovation.
Listen in to learn how this denim-loving Aussie is sparing the Earth of harm, elevating women, and creating lasting generational impact through disruptive fashion… and how you can too!
Key Takeaways
· Having a clear, long-term vision helps you stay focused and driven on your business goals and growth. Though, with a strong long-term vision, comes the need for a strong strategy.
· To change the world through business, James measures the social, environmental, and economic impact of the business.
· Customers can tell when a company is greenwashing, or manipulating consumers into thinking they are sustainable and eco-conscious. Be transparent, be committed to sustainability, and prove to your customers that you care.
· Your story is the single most important part of your business because it is real and authentic. If it isn’t, your community will see through it.
· Your purpose is your super power. Always keep it at the centre of your business.
· Strive to get buy-in from your employees, rely on their strengths, and be honest and transparent with them.
· Create authentic, easy-to-share content that aligns with your values. Once you do that, your most aligned customers will become attracted to you.
Remarkable Quotes:
[8:31] If we were able to harness the benefits that the Western world enjoy, to be able to challenge the injustices that many parts of our world face every single day, then what would the outcome be?
[16:30] It is proven time and time and time again that because we have this very powerful narrative associated with our product, where our product directly becomes the agent for change… our products have the ability to activate a cycle of freedom. How many products in the market could actually say something like that?
[36:30] I don’t believe until you’re really authentic and true and honest about who you are as a brand that you’ll actually attract your audience anyway. So, I really do believe it’s about attracting your audience rather than trying to be everything to everyone.
Get connected with James & Learn more about Outland Denim:
Visit their website: www.outlanddenim.com.au
Follow them on Instagram: www.instagram.com/outlanddenim
Resources Mentioned:
Listen to the episode with Jesse Cole: www.jaytinkler.com.au/the_remarkable_project/jesse_cole
Can free popsicles, fun and customer service create a number 1 Hotel in Los Angeles?
Darren Ross, Owner and CEO at Service Freak Hospitality and COO of Magic Castle Hotel, shares the process of making marketing easy by providing guests with a creative approach to service.
On appearance, The Magic Castle Hotel in Los Angeles is nothing special. It is an old apartment complex built in 1937 that was converted into a hotel in the 1980s. Despite this though, from 2001 Darren and his team has transformed this hotel into one of the most sought-after hotels in Los Angeles - famous for being a fun, family focused hotel and offering incredibly creative customer experience.
In return, not only do guests to spread the word by leaving amazing reviews for their hotel but their amazing customer experience has been featured in many publications and best-selling marketing books.
Darren’s most notable experience is the pool “Popsicle Hotline” - allowing families to experience free white gloved delivery of their favourite ice-block poolside.
Listen to hear how this guru has built one of the most referenced and remarkable hotels in the world.
Take away points
- Take the problem from the customers. Give them the gift of time back to their family.
- Create moments.
- Amazing customer service is hard. It is not automated. You have to do it manually.
- Hire employees with personality, that is what is important.
- Don’t be afraid to be playful. Your customers want to feel something, they want to be moved. Show respect to your customers.
- Stand by your brand, on who you are.
Quotes:
13:23 What we lack in modern facilities, state of the art gyms, we more than make up for in how we make our customers feel by the time they leave.
13:43 I can’t compete with the Five Star Hotels in Los Angeles, but I will compete all day all with the same Five Star Hotel in the same way we make our customers feel by the time they leave.
42:15 Listen carefully, respond creatively is how you reach people and sets you apart from your competitors.
45:01 Decide to be a customer service company first.
45:48 Be Bold and have fun conversations to brainstorm.
What would change in your business if you charged for admission?
This week, Jay interviews B. Joseph Pine II, the co-author of the Experience Economy and director at Strategic Horizons. In this episode, Joseph argues why products and services are not enough in building a business that can organically grow through word of mouth.
We discuss how companies can truly thrive if they focus on the transformation that their customers are seeking. He then shows us that when we do find the “sweet spot” of transformational experience, we gain a loyalty and virality that can not only be banked on but be charged for.
Joseph Pine has been described as the Godfather of the Customer Experience field. He is the co-author of The Experience Economy, an internationally acclaimed author, TED speaker, and management advisor.
Joseph has been committed to highlighting to businesses that their product or service is not enough to grow and that truly successful businesses focus on the customised, remarkable experiences to not only withstand the speed at which competition and innovation effects business but grow in spite of it.
Takeaway points:
- Business should not consider money as an end. It is the measure of how well you fulfil your end.
- Aspiration of the company should align with the aspiration of the customer.
- Authenticity or the New Customer Sensibility is important as how you treat your customers.
- Listen to your customers = marketing transformation.
- Four levels of Hybrid Experiences
- Offer virtual experiences to your customers
- Twitchification - customers can access to information better than live experiences
- Sell access to events
- Take highlights of the online events on your social media to entice the customers
- You don’t need an advertising budget if you are remarkable, people will talk about it. They will tell people about it and want to become part of it because the fundamentals is Marketing.
Quotes:
19:35 It’s not about what difference you want to make in the world, but who you want to be.
33.09 Put value in your customer’s experience
54:25 Make the business remarkable to have customers talk about it.
Get connected with Joseph Pine at
www.strategichorizons.com
Twitter @joepine
LinkedIn /joepine
Recommended Books:
- The Experience Economy by Joseph Pines II
https://www.amazon.com.au/Experience-Economy-Competing-Customer-Attention/dp/1633697975/
“People lie.”
That is Paul Zak’s response to the traditional survey style ways in which we measure the success of immersive experiences. But what if there was a way to tap into the subconscious and measure what we are ACTUALLY feeling?
Paul Zak, a world-renowned scientist, was one of the first people to integrate neuroscience with economics to create a new discipline of “neuroeconomics”. He is best known for his work around trust and immersive experiences and an author of the best-selling books Trust Factor and The Moral Molecule.
In this episode, Paul talks about the future of building predictable immersive experiences for our customers. We discuss the correlation between how customers “feel” in an experience and what is going neurologically for them during that experience.
Paul then goes on to introduce us to the new frontier of experience tracking. He walks us through his pioneering technology that can take the guesswork out of measuring the engagement during experiences. He also gives us some actionable insights that he has gained from his clients who have implemented this technology.
This episode is a must for anyone curious about how to maximise their marketing efforts by tapping into neuroscience of customer experience.
Take away points:
- Consumers want amazing experiences.
- It is the connection, it’s the caring that drives marketing.
- Importance of clever use of technology in creating best customer experience and emotional connection.
- Importance of gaining the trust of your customers.
- Psychological - need sufficient bandwidth to trust a person
- Hire for self-management, not for culture fit.
- People cannot immerse themselves in a training for more than 20 minutes, no matter how good it is.
- Immersion of data affects the flow of the brain.
- Use intuition and technology to create amazing experiences for people around us.
Notable Quotes:
“Create a brand love, a connection and genuine experiences to your customers.”
“Emotions play an integral role in marketing”
“The real pleasure in writing comes from revision, polishing that makes it beautiful”
“Build a company with employees that share the same passion with your customers.”
“Peter Drucker : An organisation's first responsibility is the employees because they create the values. “
Get connected with Paul Zak
- GetImmersion.com
Books
- The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore
- On Writing by Stephen King
Saul Colt is the Founder and Creative Director at The Idea Integration Company. In his career he has been named as one of the iMEDIA 25: Internet Marketing Leaders & Innovators as well as been called one of Canada’s best community builders/experiential marketers. NYT Best selling author and Internet Pioneer Chris Brogan once referred to Saul as “exactly who you want representing your company” and that message has been echoed by media properties ranging from Inc to Forbes Magazine.
Takeaway points:
The things that businesses do wrong in community building and influence:
- First, businesses confuse the audience for influence. They assume that an influence with a big number of following is a great choice to increase revenue. Where in fact, it’s less about the audience and more about influencers. An influence who has 300 followers, but are the exact target you are looking for, and buy your products and services are just as valuable as half a million non-targeted followers.
- The other thing - they get the definition of Influencer all wrong. There is no such thing as Influencer - with context. You cannot be influential globally across demographics.
- Third: Business thinks that Influencer marketing is a magic bullet that will solve all the problems. Influence is only a part of a puzzle, part of marketing, part of PR promotion. When you work with influencers, you buy their following, but you don’t own their following.
- Find people who are already your customers. Find people who already love your product. Use your channels to amplify them to get more followers. Make your own customers or your influencers for them to stick around in years because they love your product and services.
- Make sure to do your Influencer Marketing properly. As Influencers are taken as disposable, after having them to promote once or twice, they are gone.
- The philosophy behind a Marketing Stunt is like a polite slap on your customer’s face to wake them up. Have 3 to 4 great marketing stunts a year. These are designed to accelerate attention and think of what is next to be done.
- Saul used an Apple as an example. He mentioned that the Iphone company knows when their company is getting boring. They know when to announce the next Iphone unit. It’s all about owning the anticipation.
- Influencer Marketing is a paid referral. Once you get the customer’s attention, that is when you want to wow them, earn their trust, make them feel home and blow them away with your brand personality.
- Listening is really important because that’s where you get your insights. Listening is absolutely key. Listen, respond and create experience.
- It’s all about human connection Be authentic, it has to be real. Authenticity builds community.
- Having someone with a magnetic personality in your team, replaces the budget. If you have money with someone magnetic, that is great. Products can be magnetic too.
- How Covid affects building a community? Some communities got super tighter, more time in their hands. Some communities shrunk, turned off.
- Brands should start investing in a Word of Mouth experience now because people have been stuck at home and hungry for new experiences.
Get connected with Saul Colt at www.theideaintegration.com
Jesse Cole is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and famously known as the owner of The Savannah Bananas baseball team. He is a well sought-after business adviser and author of "Find Your Yellow Tux - How to Be Successful by Standing Out.”
He started out by marketing his baseball team the traditional ways to sell tickets. Within a year, he was broke and his business was in trouble. Through this experience, he started to approach his business marketing in an out of the box way. He came up with something different and unique to make his business successful, and that is - Fans First, Entertain Always. Be Different. Be Remarkable. His great business practice is to have fun and do what you can to stand out in the world.
“Stop standing still. Start standing out.”
“Be patient on what you want for yourself. But be impatient how much you give to others - you do that, everything else takes care of itself.”
Jesse had shared his experiences and tips on how he was able to build his baseball business back up again, and be loved by the fans.
Takeaway points:
- Create unforgettable and special experiences for your fans.
- Challenge the things that have been done.
- Do and Learn.
- Do it differently.
- Be organic and make this happen fast.
- Trust: How you make people feel, build their trust.
- Invest in your customer’s experience and turn them into loyal fans. Let your fans do the marketing for you.
- Talk about Gratitude: Be thankful.
- He mentioned about the book Fanocracy by David Meerman Scott. The author talks about the science around how close you are to the performer creates a lasting impression and achieves fandom.
- Jesse shares how he was inspired by Walt Disney’s vision to always improve and "plus" experiences for your customers.
- Jessie’s biggest AHA Moment was during their One City world tour in Alabama. They sold 7K tickets in 24 hours. Fans didn’t leave after the game had finished, instead they stayed to take player’s autographs, players hanging out with the fans, and the fans sang Stand By Me. From then on, at the end of every game, we sing Stand By Me with the fans.
- Use powerful concise words with your products.
Jesse was also kind enough to share the 5 E’s to have loyal fans:
- Eliminate Friction
- Entertain Always
- Experiment Constantly
- Engaged Deeply
- Empower Action
Books mentioned in the show (will add links):
- Find Your Yellow Tux by Jesse Cole
- Fanocracy - Turning Fans Into Customers and Customers Into Fans - by David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott.