May 11, 2022

Your Next Strategic Move, with Brian Walker

In this episode Benji talks to Brian Walker, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Bloomreach and host of the "Commerce Experience" Podcast.

Transcript
WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:16.960 Conversations from the front lines and marketing. This is be tob growth. This 2 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:21.000 is B tob growth. Coming to you from just outside Austin, Texas. 3 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:25.879 I'm your host, Benjie Block, and joining us from Nashville, Tennessee our 4 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:32.240 director of audience growth here at sweet fish, Dan Sanchez, and from Louisville, 5 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:36.799 Kentucky, our creative content lead, Emily Brady. Now here. In 6 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:40.880 just a few minutes we're going to jump to a recent conversation that I had 7 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:45.439 with Brian Walker. He's the chief strategy officer over at Bloom reach and we 8 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:50.000 talked a lot about his go to market strategy and how they're creating this and 9 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:54.520 cultivating a unique ecosystem over there. Before we do that, we're here for 10 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:58.640 some show and tell and we want to talk about some recent things we've seen 11 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:02.399 in and around marketing. Dan, what are you taking to look at today? 12 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:07.079 We did a large survey of informal interviews with a lot of the guests 13 00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:11.959 we have on B tob growth. We interviewed over a hundred BEDB marketing leaders. 14 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:15.359 We have some variety of questions, about dozen different questions, but one 15 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:19.680 of the big questions we asked them was what is the major hurdle for your 16 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:22.799 team over the next quarter of the next year? We tried phrasing the question 17 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:26.640 different ways, but generally, what's the biggest problem you have in your marketing 18 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:30.040 team? And over and over and over again I at different responses, but 19 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:34.920 they are all communicating the same thing, and this is the major hurdle facing 20 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:41.000 most marketing teams right now is the lack of focus, and that comes out 21 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:44.400 in different forms. It comes at as we have too many things to do, 22 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:48.239 not enough hands to do them, not enough budget to execute it and 23 00:01:48.280 --> 00:01:52.959 just generally lack of prioritization, lack of focus. It is the thing that 24 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:57.920 plagues all marketing teams and I think there's a number of different reasons for this 25 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:04.640 and some possible solutions, but I have to say that I've I've certainly experienced 26 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:07.599 that. I Know Benjie and emily were nodding their head like yes, this 27 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:12.560 is a thing and even runs a little bit counter to the conversation we had 28 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:15.400 in the last conversation at last previous episode, what a week ago, Benjie, 29 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:20.120 about the good, the good it is to experiment. So it opens 30 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:22.759 up a can of worms, like we need to focus, yet we need 31 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:24.680 to experiment and try new things, because there's all these different things going on. 32 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:32.240 So what's the right answer and how can we essentially conquer this problem and 33 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:38.840 do it while still experimenting so that we aren't left left behind? I think, 34 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:45.439 man, this is what makes marketing difficult. Is like knowing what to 35 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:49.680 use language we've talked about here before, what waves we actually want to ride 36 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:53.479 and what to sort of sit out. You have to have a system for 37 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:58.800 experimentation so you don't get left behind. But if you experiment so much that 38 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:02.960 you aren't an expert in anything in your marketing, like your strategy is so 39 00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:07.960 convoluted, you're just going while, we tried that, and we tried that, 40 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:10.199 and we do the new thing every two weeks and new week, a 41 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:15.759 new thing every month, and you get to this place of like, man, 42 00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:19.360 it will bog you down real easily because you know there's a million things 43 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:23.240 you could be doing or even sometimes, and I'm I feel this, there's 44 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:25.599 a million things I should be doing, like that's that lack of focus. 45 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:30.319 The mind game for me is I hear in the back of my head like, 46 00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:35.120 Oh, you should be doing fill in the blank, and that kind 47 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:38.319 of motor that's always running, that's aware of all the things that I'm not 48 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:43.639 doing, makes me actually kind of worse at the things I am doing because 49 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:47.879 I'm slowed down by the lack of focus. I don't have like this great 50 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:53.520 answer for it. I we talked about it previously that we have to experiment, 51 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:55.360 and one of the ways we experiment is by having it baked into our 52 00:03:55.400 --> 00:04:00.120 team or like time in our schedule where we're doing that. Maybe by only 53 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:06.439 having a certain time for experimentation, it frees us up to truly focus on 54 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:11.199 what we should be focused on the rest of the time. I don't know, 55 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:14.319 Emily, what are you what do you think? Like? I mean, 56 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:16.639 we all experience this. We've all been nodding our heads. Yeah, 57 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:19.959 I don't think it has to be. It doesn't always have to be an 58 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:26.879 either or scenario. Like you can experiment with focus, which is really difficult 59 00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:30.279 to do and easy to say, but because I've definitely experience this where there 60 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:34.680 are so many ideas and so many things that I want to test and I 61 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:38.480 need someone to come in and say, let's just do a couple of these 62 00:04:38.519 --> 00:04:43.360 things. or it even comes from top down sometimes, where you know your 63 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:46.720 manager, whoever is like, okay, there's all these things we should be 64 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:49.680 trying out. I think these would be really good and I think that being 65 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:55.879 an efficient, productive team requires some pushback from all sides to like yeah, 66 00:04:55.920 --> 00:05:00.560 these are really great ten ideas, but what if we focused on these two? 67 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:03.920 And so it comes from. We do need focus, obviously, and 68 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:09.160 we do need experimentation, and I think it's just deciding what are the right 69 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:14.079 things to focus on, because clearly you can't spread yourself that thin and nor 70 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:18.480 should you. Nor should you be having your resources and several different buckets. 71 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:23.839 It's just not as productive as focusing on a few. So I don't have 72 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:28.079 an easy answer for it, because I'm not. I haven't mastered focus, 73 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:32.600 but I know that it's it can be done alongside experimentation. Okay, quick 74 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.720 run through of each of us. What's our natural wiring or bent? Do 75 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:41.519 you naturally lean more towards being obsessed with the new experimentation side of things, 76 00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:43.759 like Oh, let's go try this, let's try this, or do you 77 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:46.519 lean more towards focus? You Find Your Lane and you kind of stick in 78 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.680 it and maybe you're more of like a late adopter. Emily, you go 79 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:55.079 first. Yeah, I'm definitely more of the first one. Yeah, there 80 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:58.639 are so many. I will find something and I'll start working on it and 81 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:00.959 then it's that shining odd Jack Syndrome. Right, something else comes along I'm 82 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.240 like, Oh, I should be looking at this, I should be working 83 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:06.399 on this, and I need to just put myself in this, in this 84 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:11.040 zone of just this is the one thing you're doing, do it really, 85 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:15.240 really well, instead of trying to do twenty different things. It depends on 86 00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:18.120 what group you put me in. You put me with the bunch of entrepreneurs 87 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:24.000 and I look like the steady, focused one, because entrepreneurs are on the 88 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:28.480 extreme side of always chasing the new thing. But if you put me in 89 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:31.199 a group of, let's say, I mean, of course, like accountants, 90 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:33.600 right, they're going to be on the other side of like stay, 91 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:38.800 stay with it, like financial people or project managers, then I look like 92 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:42.519 the crazy one coming up with ideas. In amongst marketers, I find them 93 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:46.879 a little bit more focused and steady. Amongst marketers I will usually pick a 94 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:50.360 few channels and then trying to hammer those channels before and do well with those 95 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:56.199 channels before branching out. I'm usually the one like which is interesting in this 96 00:06:56.279 --> 00:07:00.040 last conversation about experimentation. I'm usually killing more ideas that I'm starting them, 97 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:05.519 and those are ideas from below and from above, mainly because, and I 98 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:09.000 used to tell this to James R CEO all the time, it's like, 99 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:10.959 James, it's not that I don't like your idea. I think it's a 100 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.920 great idea, I just think your idea from two weeks ago is even better. 101 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:17.199 Trying to protect it, trying to protect your last great idea from your 102 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:20.639 current great idea. Okay, yeah, otherwise we're not going to get either 103 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:23.959 of them done. So which would you rather have? All of it? 104 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:29.000 Well, no, we can't do all of it. We can't accomplish everything. 105 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:30.240 We have to pick which was going to do and marketing. We all 106 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:34.439 know good. All marketers know good marketing. Just takes time. Unfortunately, 107 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:40.000 we have things we have to accomplish and benchmarks and leads. We need to 108 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:43.720 generate demand that needs to come through so we have more higher, larger sales 109 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:46.519 pipeline before the end of the quarter and all this kind of stuff. So 110 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:50.600 not always easy to balance, but it is. There is a balance there. 111 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:54.920 Yeah, I think for me I resonate was what you just said. 112 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:59.560 Dan. That depends on the room you put me in. I love thinking 113 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:03.439 and like processing ideas with people and like making them as good as they can 114 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:07.040 be. So I'm never I don't like being the person in the room that's 115 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:11.399 like necessarily killing the idea. I would rather like see how good we could 116 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:13.800 make it. But then, in my mind, because I can play devil 117 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:18.480 with the advocate, I can also just shoot holes and ideas all day long 118 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:22.079 and it's so it's really frustrating. I feel like I tend to be a 119 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:26.600 why guy in like why are we actually doing this? And that can be 120 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:31.000 helpful in marketing, but also can cause you to not go past the start 121 00:08:31.039 --> 00:08:35.600 line because you're like constantly questioning why? Why is this important? Why is 122 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:39.000 this important? You know there's another way of coming. You know there's so 123 00:08:39.240 --> 00:08:48.639 like a long for enough focus to like really just be locked in and okay, 124 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:52.759 this is what we're doing for this amount of time and then we'll come 125 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:58.080 up and we'll reevaluate. That's it goes back to what I was advocating for 126 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:01.519 in the last episode, honestly, is if we could just get some time 127 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:09.240 in our schedule for experimentation to where, you know it's state exists somewhere in 128 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:13.639 your life and it in your marketing team, but it doesn't have it the 129 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:20.159 ability to grow like weeds everywhere else in your schedule and in your marketing. 130 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:22.840 That, I think, is that balance that I desire at least, to 131 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:30.759 just go let's have both, but less experimentation. Then focus, way, 132 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:35.039 in my opinion, way more focus. These are the things were committing to 133 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:37.639 for the cord or these are the big things that we care about this. 134 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:43.919 We know those things. And then we have this ability somewhere in our lives 135 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:46.919 to go okay, and we have this green space, this white space, 136 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.759 do something totally different, try throw things at the wall over here. I 137 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:54.080 almost wonder if it's better to to limit the experimentation to micro experiments rather than 138 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:58.240 macro experiments. Like we don't have to experiment with the whole freaking new channel. 139 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:01.519 How about we just continue doing great experiments in the channels were already end 140 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:05.799 in order to like, be mad, be masters of those channels? Like 141 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:09.159 emily, you're frecking fantastic at your experiments with like den and Tick Tock, 142 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:11.399 like. I've seen you post some things over last couple of months, like 143 00:10:11.480 --> 00:10:16.200 what the heck like whole new content formats. Yet it's still in the same 144 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:20.559 channel, but it's really good and it really drives it forward, which is 145 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:22.240 why you're getting a lot of attention. People want to talk to you because 146 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:26.320 you're you're having some breakthroughs with their experiments, and not all of them break 147 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:28.639 through right. Some of them probably don't get as much as tension as you 148 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:33.519 thought it might have or was worth, but some of them certainly are, 149 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:35.360 and I think that's where a lot of the energy can go as into the 150 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:39.759 micro experiments and then probably slowing down or being slow to move on the big 151 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:43.759 experiments, which is opening up a new channel. That's one thing I really 152 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:48.240 disagree with Gary Beyond is being everywhere. I'm like NA being a few places 153 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:54.600 really well as what I found I can realistically handle, and when you scaled 154 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:56.879 and you add more, but that's kind of been my my Princi Bal that 155 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:01.320 I stick to. Yeah, it would be awesome if we could be everywhere 156 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:05.720 and we had all the machines running to the point where you could be, 157 00:11:05.799 --> 00:11:09.360 but you don't see, you can't. There's no way you start with everywhere. 158 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:13.840 There's no way. Like I think I look at the last few years 159 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:16.840 of the reason people are on different platforms just because they were told they should 160 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:22.279 be, and then you see this trail of dead twitter accounts and dead instagram 161 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:26.200 accounts and like all these things you should do and should becomes this word. 162 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:31.440 That's just man. You can't base your marketing off of what you should be 163 00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:35.399 doing. Like got to kind of at some point, block out some voices 164 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:39.919 and get some focus. Final thoughts, emily. Yeah, here you guys 165 00:11:39.960 --> 00:11:43.519 talk about how you're wired. It makes me really thankful to be on a 166 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:48.639 on a diverse team, like as someone who is so distracted all the time 167 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.840 and and has so many ideas, like and I've experiences working with each of 168 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:58.759 you, to like Dan always makes me feel more focused and like he helps 169 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:03.200 me put my ideas more are on a streamline instead of going crazy. And 170 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:05.080 then I appreciate also how been do. You always are asking why are like, 171 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:09.200 if that's a good idea of and challenging those a little bit. So 172 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:13.279 I think that's really valuable and not having a team that all looks like you, 173 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:20.000 and especially like in staying focused. So I think I'm really grateful for 174 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:24.759 that and I think that's really awesome and a big part of it. Yeah, 175 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:28.200 Damn, final thoughts. I had a really good final thought and it's 176 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:35.480 now gone well. We would love to hear you guys thoughts on this topic, 177 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:39.120 especially because these last two round tables we've done are sort of on those 178 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:43.679 opposite ends of the spectrum experimentation and focus. How are you balancing them? 179 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:46.639 Can reach out to us on Linkedin and find the show as well. Search 180 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:52.120 be to be growth over there. All right, it's time for today's featured 181 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:58.480 conversation. Enjoy my interview with Brian Walker, chief strategy officer that bloom reach. 182 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:01.960 Welcome in to be to be growth. I'm your host, Benjie Block, 183 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:07.679 and today I am joined by Brian Walker, who is the chief strategy 184 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.360 officer at Bloom reach. Brian, we're thrilled to have you here with us 185 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:13.320 today on BB growth. Thanks for having me, Ben Jie. It's my 186 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:20.320 pleasure. So people are going to hear chief strategy officer is my first question 187 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:24.120 needs to be around your title. Tell me a little bit about what that 188 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:28.600 position means, Brian, and what your day today looks like. Yeah, 189 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.399 I've been asked that question before. You know, I think that lots of 190 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:37.559 organizations out there do have you know, heads of strategy or a chief strategy 191 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:41.559 officer. I think inside each organization it means a little something different. Here 192 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:48.240 at h bloom reach I'm focused on both go to market and product strategy and 193 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:52.840 very involved in the ecosystem. But I started using the title a number of 194 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:58.200 years ago actually, when I joined a commerce platform many may know, called 195 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:03.679 hybrists, which is now part of SAP, and I use the title when 196 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:07.080 I joined the company, even though I took on the role of leading marketing, 197 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:13.120 really as a way to stay very active and involved outside the company. 198 00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:18.200 To be frank, not all customers or partners are going to be necessarily interested 199 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:24.639 in engaging a CMO. Yeah, because they're going to interpret what you're saying 200 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:30.080 is marketing. Of course, chief strategy officer enabled me to continue to engage 201 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:35.840 with customers and partners and kind of a meaningful way and to be more active, 202 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:39.200 I think, from a thought leadership perspective or, you know, when 203 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:43.960 comes to public speaking and things of that nature. And and really, while 204 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:48.039 what I do here a bloom reach is very much focused on strategy a number 205 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:54.840 different dimensions, the role and the title do enable me to kind of be 206 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:58.600 more active outside the company in a meaningful way. Yeah, talk a little 207 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:05.080 bit about how maybe your previous experience in marketing has helped you in your current 208 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:09.759 role in some of the the synergy that's that's happened there. Well, you 209 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:13.840 know, my approach to marketing, you know, like many out there, 210 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:20.679 is to want to engage with prospective customers or partners in a authentic way. 211 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:26.440 Yeah, so what's important to them, what's meaningful to them, how to 212 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:31.519 respond and react to to various trends in the market and to, you know, 213 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:37.240 lay the foundation for their business in a way that makes sense for them, 214 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:41.639 including the technology solutions that they're working with. And so, you know, 215 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:46.720 in a sense, my approach to marketing and, you know, how 216 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:50.240 I approach my role today are very much in sync. Right. I don't 217 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:56.120 think there's really a difference. So it's understanding the customers pain points, challenges, 218 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:00.600 unique dimensions and aspects of their business and then helping them, you know, 219 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:04.200 again in an authentic way, get to the right, you know, 220 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:10.480 solutions and strategies and tactics, and so there's not really a disconnect between, 221 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:14.600 you know, how I may have approached marketing leadership or how I approach my 222 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:17.639 role today. I think you know, if you're in a market for as 223 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:25.039 long as I've been in ECOMMERCE technology and digital marketing and you continue to engage 224 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:29.559 the market in that way, you know good things come from that. Yep. 225 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:32.399 Well, I got to say I'm a big Fan of the the term 226 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:37.240 change there. I like strategy. I think it has it has a whole 227 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:42.519 different way of what you think about and the way people perceive you. So 228 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:48.120 I just like that language shift and I'm a firm believer in the power of 229 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:52.320 words. And so how we think strategy over maybe just a traditional marketing there's 230 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:56.240 a lot there that is worth talking about. There's also kind of a joke, 231 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:00.519 let's hear it, that sometimes I let's say, which is simply that 232 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:03.400 you know, look, the strategy is never wrong. Yeah, yeah, 233 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:07.920 yeah, yeah, it's good. Yeah, you know, certainly. No, 234 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:11.519 just kidding, of course, but the the reality is that there's a 235 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:21.079 lot of pressure on marketers and and the role of leading marketing and today's technology 236 00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:27.119 landscape, or really any industry, has become a lot more complex, and 237 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.920 so the joke, of course, is that, you know, it can 238 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:34.680 kind of insulate you from from some of that some of those challenges from a 239 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:41.720 career perspective. HMM HMM. Well, I wanted a chat because one thing 240 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:47.160 that bloom reach has started doing specifically, I believe, kind of when the 241 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:52.359 pandemic hit right was to use this medium of podcasting, which is what we're 242 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:56.680 doing right now, and you actually host a show for bloom reach. Wanted 243 00:17:56.720 --> 00:18:00.279 to talk about like what was the genesis of that show and that moved it's 244 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.079 that medium for you guys. Brian, it was actually something that I'd wanted 245 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:07.279 to do for some time. But you know, truthfully, when the pandemic 246 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:12.160 hit, of course travel, you know, ground to a halt and I 247 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:18.119 had maybe some some time back that I was spending commuting to California. I 248 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:21.960 live in Seattle, I was community to California. I was also on the 249 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:26.599 road, you know, meeting customers, meeting partners, going to industry events, 250 00:18:26.599 --> 00:18:30.240 etc. And you know, I found it difficult to try to fit 251 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:36.000 something like a podcast into my schedule. So, first and foremost, the 252 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:40.839 pandemic enabled me personally to just free up some time to do something that I 253 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:45.480 was interested in doing. But certainly the timing was really meaningful in the sense 254 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:49.160 that there was so much happening right and change occurring and everyone was sort of 255 00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:56.480 thinking through how to adapt to, you know, the pandemic closing stores, 256 00:18:56.559 --> 00:19:02.759 changing business in a meaningful way and obviously a huge inflection in digital commerce and 257 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:06.759 the role of digital marketing for every organization out there. And so the the 258 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:11.359 podcast, enabled me to really just engage what I have as a large network 259 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:15.960 of people out there, very smart people that I could engage with in meaningful 260 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:22.240 conversations about what was happening out in the market and bring that to an audience 261 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:26.480 and, yes, in a sense, use it as a as a tool 262 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:33.240 to help our customers, partners, prospect x become smarter about what was happening 263 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:36.839 in the marketplace. Yep, the first thing I did was not even really 264 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:41.119 the podcast. I started just recording, you know, like zoom video conversations 265 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:45.960 with with some people that I that I knew in the market. was kind 266 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:51.160 of US personally processing what was happening, but also reflecting on what this may 267 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:56.839 mean for the industry. And then that sort of led into launching the podcast. 268 00:19:56.839 --> 00:20:02.079 And, frankly, I just really enjoy the opportunity to have smart conversations 269 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:07.279 with people and in a sense that is very much been my philosophy, going 270 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:11.319 back to my days as an industry analyst. You know, I used to 271 00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:14.000 say, well, I'm only as smart as the smart people I get to 272 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:17.640 talk to, you know, about what's happening in the market, and the 273 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:21.359 podcast in a sense as an extension of that. So that's really kind of 274 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:23.839 what led to US starting it and you know, it's been something I've really 275 00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:29.319 enjoyed doing personally and, you know, I think is paid some some great 276 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:34.680 benefits for us as a software solution provider, to to convey again, you 277 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:41.880 know, thoughtful a meaningful aspects of our industry in a wide variety of ways, 278 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:48.759 talking to smart people involved in many different roles in the market may be 279 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:52.799 to be growth listeners. We want to hear from you. In fact, 280 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:56.279 we will pay you for it. Just had over to be tob growth podcom 281 00:20:56.279 --> 00:21:00.240 and complete a short survey about the show to enter for a chance to win 282 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:04.559 two hundred and fifty dollars. Plus. The first fifty participants will receive twenty 283 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:08.119 five dollars as our way of saying thank you so much one more time. 284 00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:18.319 That's Bob, growth podcom. Letter B number two. Letter be growth podcom. 285 00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:21.720 One entry per person must be an active listener of the show. To 286 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:27.880 Enter and look forward to hearing from you. So that's really kind of what 287 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:32.720 led to US starting it and you know, it's been something I really enjoyed 288 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:37.240 doing personally and you know, I think is paid some some great benefits for 289 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:44.200 us as a software solution provider to to convey again, you know, thoughtful, 290 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:48.599 a meaningful aspects of our industry in a wide variety of ways, talking 291 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:53.680 to smart people involved in many different roles in the market. Yeah, it 292 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:57.480 gives you this kind of unique platform to give your unique point of view away 293 00:21:57.680 --> 00:22:03.039 as well, which I think, as those in marketing listening to this snow, 294 00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:06.480 I mean what a great thing to be able to when there's not a 295 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:10.920 ton. Sometimes we're in very crowded markets, right, but personality and being 296 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:14.559 able to talk about our unique point of view in a medium like this is 297 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:18.400 is pretty unique and and I love it. That's why I love doing this. 298 00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:22.119 I love getting talk to people like you. So I wonder that beginning 299 00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:26.759 of the pandemic right, makes sense. Travel, traveling, last lots Tokay, 300 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:32.240 the world's kind of reopened. How has the show morphed over time and 301 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:36.039 some of maybe even the strategy behind it? Has Your thinking changed at all? 302 00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:38.960 There with the the world kind of reopening, or how have your conversations 303 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:45.799 even shifted? I wouldn't necessarily say it's connected to the world reopening per se, 304 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:48.720 but a couple thoughts. One is just the medium. You know, 305 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:53.720 we're also recording video here now. When I first started the PODCAST, I 306 00:22:53.799 --> 00:23:00.079 was very committed to like we just need to focus on audio videos, not 307 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:07.519 really a way that are very busy audience would necessarily sit down and watch the 308 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:12.359 conversation, but really just wanting to enable them to time shift and use their 309 00:23:12.440 --> 00:23:17.720 time to consume this, whether that's, you know, washing the dishes, 310 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:22.759 which is where I end up listening to a lot of podcasts. It's why 311 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:26.079 I always believe that a podcast should only be as long as it takes to 312 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:33.319 really clean the kitchen well like that, or whether it's gardening or walking the 313 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:37.000 dog or what have you. Right, I really felt that podcasting was a 314 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:42.079 was a great medium to help people gain access to new ideas and thoughts and 315 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:47.000 perspectives. Well, kind of time shifting and using their time that way. 316 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:52.759 But clearly today video has is being used as a tool to to also market 317 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.839 these things, whether that's, you know, short snippets on Linkedin Yep or 318 00:23:56.880 --> 00:24:02.240 youtube. So obviously that's something that we're are also going to evolve, just 319 00:24:02.279 --> 00:24:04.839 in terms of the medium. I think in terms of the content side of 320 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:11.160 it, think a recognition that our format has an opportunity to also evolve. 321 00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:17.559 So again, really just when we started the podcast and really for almost every 322 00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:22.240 episode, we've just been having conversations, me and the guest, exchanging thoughts, 323 00:24:22.279 --> 00:24:26.880 ideas. I pitched them questions and then we met riff from there. 324 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:30.759 But now I think there's an opportunity for us to take what we're calling kind 325 00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:37.559 of a more documentary style right when it comes to deeper, more complex topics, 326 00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:41.240 may be incorporating multiple voices, but then also kind of a point of 327 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:45.000 view or a narrative, whether that's, you know, a more complex topic 328 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:51.960 or more of a historical view on something. And to be frank, we 329 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:56.519 haven't done much of that yet, but that's something that we're looking to evolve 330 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:02.799 in terms of the content to again make this a meaningful resource, you know, 331 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.480 for the for the community, so to speak, and then also, 332 00:25:04.519 --> 00:25:08.160 of course, convey our point of view through that to some degree. So 333 00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:11.880 I think those are really two things that, in terms of how we're thinking 334 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:18.319 about podcasting and the in the show that were evolving. Got To ask you 335 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:22.759 a selfish podcast host question real quick because obviously I feel like I've learned a 336 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:26.480 lot in whether it's in communication or just in how I connect with people, 337 00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:30.119 because of my time hosting podcast and was to be to be growth and I 338 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.880 love doing it. What do you feel like is your biggest lesson that you've 339 00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:37.880 learned in your time hosting? Well, that's a really good question. I 340 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:44.400 think maybe a couple things to think about. Their one relax, enjoy. 341 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:48.519 Right. This is a in some ways kind of a casual medium. Maybe 342 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:52.519 feel free to incorporate a little bit of humor, but but make it really 343 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:56.359 conversational, and the way to do that, of course, is to relax. 344 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:00.960 That would be one. And then the second it's more of a not 345 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:04.759 necessarily related only to podcasting, but I think when I was an industry analyst 346 00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:08.480 I also sort of learned this in some ways, but it's easy to forget, 347 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:15.160 and that is oftentimes the best question is the simplest one and rather than 348 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:19.640 try to kind of pack a question with complexity, back up and ask the 349 00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:26.400 more simple and sometimes obvious question, and sometimes that leads to greater insights and 350 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:32.400 opportunity to engage on something. So I'd say those are really the two things 351 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:36.880 that I've learned. One is maybe more of a reminder, but you know, 352 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:41.880 so relax and simple questions are good. Don't feel like you need to 353 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:47.240 show off with a complex question in order to get a meaningful conversation. Yeah, 354 00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:49.640 as the host, that can be you can be tempted right in the 355 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:56.079 direction of let me prove that I know what we're talking about, but kind 356 00:26:56.079 --> 00:26:59.400 of here to shine a light on the other person. So I'm I love 357 00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:03.079 learning things from the guests we have on this show and this some great learnings. 358 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:07.160 there. Last question I'll ask you on this front is just going back 359 00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:11.319 to the beginning. We were talking about your role chief strategy officer. anyways 360 00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:17.160 that you've found a medium like podcasting informing your role, or even before it 361 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:21.039 was travel, and now you're meeting with people in a podcast setting right, 362 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:26.920 you're recording together shifts there, and how you feel any learnings that have informed 363 00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:33.519 being a CSO well, I think it encourages me to first of all, 364 00:27:33.799 --> 00:27:37.680 you're often doing a prep call with a guest, and so you might also 365 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:44.279 like, naturally, through that process have a conversation about, you know, 366 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:52.160 whether it's partnering with another Tech Company or agency or consultancy that is in our 367 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:57.039 ecosystem or you're, frankly, you know, gaining some interesting, you know, 368 00:27:57.160 --> 00:28:03.039 insights into a niche in the market that maybe haven't focused a lot on 369 00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:08.680 or a market like geographical market, that we haven't been particularly focused on as 370 00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:14.079 a business. And you know, through interacting and engaging with guests in this 371 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:18.400 kind of way, you know you do end up learning things or or recognizing 372 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:23.599 that maybe you need to double click and even challenge some assumptions along the way. 373 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:26.640 So I'd say, you know, again, if you're talking to smart 374 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:30.960 people, you're going to learn something. And so, both through the the 375 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:34.640 actual conversations that are recording, but also through the prep calls and so forth, 376 00:28:34.839 --> 00:28:38.160 there's some interesting things. I'll tell you a little bit of an aside. 377 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:44.880 This is not really related to the our technology work necessarily directly, but 378 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:48.920 you know, bloom reach, like many in the e commerce in digital marketing 379 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:56.000 space, have many partners with a significant presence in Ukraine and Russia M and 380 00:28:56.039 --> 00:28:59.759 you know that was not lost on me. I've had an opportunity to travel 381 00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:03.960 to that region in the past have met many people who have significant presence in 382 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:11.400 those markets, teams supporting clients in the US or in Europe out of that 383 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:15.359 market and so forth. And so when the crisis occurred, you know I 384 00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:21.400 had done my my bit to not only personally donate to humanitarian relief and so 385 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:25.000 on, but it also like shared through linkedin and other things, like just 386 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:32.079 a perspective on the interconnection of our industry, Bloom reaches industry, with what's 387 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:37.720 happening in the market, and that led me to engage with some CEOS and 388 00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:44.680 founders of some of these companies and asked if they would be open to joining 389 00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:48.480 me on the podcast to share. Yeah, and you know I had a 390 00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:52.839 few who are open to doing that, but I ended up speaking with Egregoran, 391 00:29:53.000 --> 00:29:57.599 who is founder, one of the founders, of astound commerce, and 392 00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:03.200 wow, I thought I was pretty educated on what was happening. You know, 393 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:07.720 it kind of nerded out a little bit on the situation and also, 394 00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:12.559 you know, I enjoy learning about history and so forth anyway, so I'd 395 00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:17.440 kind of done some some of my own reading and so forth it, but 396 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:22.079 I can just say that, more on a personal level than anything both the 397 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:26.960 prep call and then the podcast itself just really drove it home for me the 398 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:33.799 depth of the the the crisis and the humanitarian impact of what was happening. 399 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:37.400 And so that was like, on a personal level, you know, let 400 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:45.119 alone a business perspective, how the podcast really impacted me and, you know, 401 00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:48.279 things that I was able to learn, Yep, by doing this kind 402 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:51.599 of thing that otherwise maybe I wouldn't have done that, you know, maybe 403 00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:56.319 I wouldn't have reached out and had these kind of conversations and gain a very 404 00:30:56.440 --> 00:31:00.480 personal and almost visceral perspective on what was happening. So it's just kind of 405 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:07.839 an a side story of how something like hosting a podcast can end up having 406 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:12.000 a an impact. We saw it beyond work as well. Yeah, I 407 00:31:12.039 --> 00:31:17.079 do think we talked about in business a lot, like, especially in BTB 408 00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:22.000 space right, making it more human or this connection, and sometimes that can 409 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:23.680 even on Linkedin. It can just become, oh, I see this all 410 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:27.319 the time. But in a story like that, Brian, I love how 411 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:33.039 you bringing that home because it's like, outside of all the things, the 412 00:31:33.079 --> 00:31:37.160 goals, the KPI's, everything that is be tob there is a personal level 413 00:31:37.160 --> 00:31:41.119 to a lot of this stuff. That is it's incredible to be a part 414 00:31:41.160 --> 00:31:45.640 of, and that what a timely example and something that we're still walking through 415 00:31:45.720 --> 00:31:51.680 and and yeah, so I really appreciate that example. I want to talk 416 00:31:51.720 --> 00:31:56.279 about and shift into a little bit of a conversation on growth here, because 417 00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:59.640 I know your background in marketing and you've had your hands and go to market, 418 00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:04.200 which you mentioned, and that strategy for bloom reach. You also mentioned 419 00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:07.000 this up front and I waited tell the tale end to bring it up, 420 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:13.480 but you talked about cultivating an ecosystem and it's great language, but also I 421 00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:15.680 would love to know what that means for you guys right now. So when 422 00:32:15.720 --> 00:32:22.440 you talk about cultivating an ecosystem for bloom reach, what is that exactly entail? 423 00:32:22.200 --> 00:32:28.559 Great Question. Where a commerce experience solution, rouette or so? We've 424 00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:31.559 got a number of different solutions that our clients are going to use to drive 425 00:32:31.599 --> 00:32:38.599 and optimize their digital commerce and digital marketing, and the reality is that bloom 426 00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:44.720 reaches solutions, just like many in the market, need to integrate and interact 427 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:49.000 with many other solutions right that a client's going to use, so that there's 428 00:32:49.079 --> 00:32:53.039 one dimension, there's many different companies that most of our clients are going to 429 00:32:53.079 --> 00:32:57.480 be working with and they need those to kind of work together and to the 430 00:32:57.519 --> 00:33:02.960 benefit of of the them right it behooves us to pick smart partners and integrate 431 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:09.240 effectively in a value added way and at the same time, often and agency, 432 00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:16.319 a consultancy or a systems integrator will be involved in implementing our solutions or 433 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:22.599 supporting a client in that so they're also a key part of our ecosystem. 434 00:33:22.759 --> 00:33:30.799 So when we talk about cultivating one right, it's implementing programs and approaches from 435 00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:37.720 a partner marketing standpoint or marketplace type programs, as well as ensuring that the 436 00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:43.960 right agencies and consultancies are available to support what our clients are trying to do 437 00:33:44.039 --> 00:33:50.119 and that they're well vetted and they're certified and they're experienced and also supported by 438 00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:54.839 our organization to make the client successful. So cultivating an ecosystem is really just 439 00:33:54.880 --> 00:34:01.200 a way of saying it's making sure that the right solution providers and implementation and 440 00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:09.039 consultancy providers are a part of our ecosystem and that we're working in a collaborative 441 00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:15.639 way that benefits the customer ultimately and what they're trying to do and it's a 442 00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:22.159 it's a pretty large, heterogeneous and very fast evolving, you know, market 443 00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:28.199 out there. And so you know, especially as we've kind of adapted some 444 00:34:28.280 --> 00:34:32.239 of our capabilities at bloom rage to involve more, you know, a focus 445 00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:39.960 on on marketing channels and personalization and the Holy Grail of single view of customer 446 00:34:39.960 --> 00:34:45.519 and enabling our clients to interact with their customers in a personalized way, etcetera. 447 00:34:46.119 --> 00:34:52.480 It really takes multiple different kinds of solutions coming together, ultimately, yeah, 448 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:54.239 to deliver on the customers vision. So we need to make sure we 449 00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:59.480 have a we have the right partners in place to make that happen. If 450 00:34:59.519 --> 00:35:02.199 I was taking what we've talked about so far, I'd say we've been advocates 451 00:35:02.239 --> 00:35:08.079 for strategy, for podcasting, for the human connection that happens even in these 452 00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:12.320 crisis right and then we're talking about ecosystems here, and so here's what I 453 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:14.199 want to do as we wrap up, is I want to just give you 454 00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:20.079 an opportunity to say, as you've done the work of trying to cultivate this 455 00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:23.719 ecosystem, anything that you find to be unique that maybe you know, though 456 00:35:23.760 --> 00:35:27.639 we can't see them. You're talking to a room full of marketers on this 457 00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:30.360 show, anything that you are doing right now that you find unique that maybe 458 00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:35.360 our audience of marketers could learn from when it comes to your guys as marketing 459 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:38.960 efforts and in the things that you're really focused on right now, well as 460 00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:45.079 it relates to ecosystem specifically, I mean I think, you know, often 461 00:35:45.159 --> 00:35:50.119 times organizations are tempted to just add partners, at partners, at partners, 462 00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:55.360 and certainly on the ISB side or you know other technology solution providers out there, 463 00:35:55.480 --> 00:36:00.400 often we kind of skip a step and it is focusing on the use 464 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:06.599 cases in the problem to be solved. Yeah, and how does these multiple 465 00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:09.840 solutions, or you know the partner solution plus your own, come together to 466 00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:15.800 really solve a distinct problem? And you know testing that, testing that with 467 00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:22.599 customers most importantly, versus just the proverbial NASCAR slide of here's all our partners, 468 00:36:22.719 --> 00:36:25.800 Yep, and this sort of competition to add partners, which can also 469 00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:30.760 lead to the you know, paradox of choice. You're giving your customers too 470 00:36:30.800 --> 00:36:36.440 many options and presenting a problem they have to navigate between all of those. 471 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:40.920 So I think first and foremost, you know, focusing on high quality partners 472 00:36:40.920 --> 00:36:49.239 with a high quality solution that solve a problem by combining their solution in some 473 00:36:49.280 --> 00:36:53.400 way with your own, is something that I think is often missed. And 474 00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:58.800 if you're a marketing professional who is like yeah, we need we need partners, 475 00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:02.800 we need an ecosystem, etc. Think about it also from kind of 476 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:08.679 a product management perspective, which would be what's the problem? What's the market 477 00:37:08.760 --> 00:37:13.599 problem? What are we solving for here? What's the value add of our 478 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:21.480 solution plus the partners? That's perhaps unique as well as it's it's practical and 479 00:37:21.480 --> 00:37:25.880 it's tangible and you know the customer is going to benefit and ultimately hopefully make 480 00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:30.639 your own solution also more sticky. Yeah, and more of liable. So 481 00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:37.000 the customer, because they they're getting even more value out of your solution when 482 00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:42.320 you add a partner. So that's maybe something to highlight. The you know, 483 00:37:42.360 --> 00:37:44.760 there's a there's a lot to it. We can it's probably a long 484 00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:47.400 conversation, but that's just one thing I would I would highlight. I think 485 00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:51.920 of Shiny Object Syndrome and in this case I think of Shiny Partner Syndrome. 486 00:37:52.519 --> 00:37:57.119 Like all the options we could give people. But what is what are we 487 00:37:57.159 --> 00:38:00.800 actually trying to achieve here, and I think that is a quality question to 488 00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:04.400 be asking in to be wondering, is a fun conversation. I love getting 489 00:38:04.400 --> 00:38:07.440 an overview of kind of what you're up to and I think this is a 490 00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:12.119 really great place to start to land the plane. Brian. If people want 491 00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:15.159 to connect with you, stay connected with what bloom reach is doing, go 492 00:38:15.159 --> 00:38:19.199 ahead highlight what the company's up to and then also where we can stay connected 493 00:38:19.239 --> 00:38:22.679 to your you and your work. Yeah, I mean where the markets leading 494 00:38:22.679 --> 00:38:25.800 commerce experience platform. We're kind of a hidden giant out there. We're already 495 00:38:25.800 --> 00:38:30.840 impacting over four hundred billion in annual ECOMMERCE out there in the market, which 496 00:38:30.880 --> 00:38:35.000 is a big number. tomazing. We work with, you know, large 497 00:38:35.199 --> 00:38:42.719 lots of large retailers, brands, be tob companies who are driving digital commerce, 498 00:38:42.760 --> 00:38:45.760 their digital experience and looking to optimize their marketing. So that's kind of 499 00:38:45.800 --> 00:38:50.679 what we do. The terms are getting in touch, I think from a 500 00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:53.039 professional level, I would say, you know, Linkedin is probably the best 501 00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:57.599 of we connect with me right, Yep. On a personal level, yes, 502 00:38:57.639 --> 00:39:04.760 I'm on instagram. You're likely to encounter my mixology enthusiasts. Let's go. 503 00:39:05.599 --> 00:39:07.800 Yes, I got a new follow I got to find you. Yeah, 504 00:39:07.880 --> 00:39:13.440 so I'm fen posting, you know, cocktails that I'm that I'm cooking 505 00:39:13.559 --> 00:39:19.480 up and and then I'll so my passions around soccer and fly fishing and things 506 00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:22.760 like that. But on a personal level, I would say probably instagram and 507 00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:28.320 our professional level, Linkedin, and you have a podcast commerce that's variants, 508 00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:30.440 a podcast series with Brian Walker. You can find it, go take a 509 00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:36.079 listen. It's been such a pleasure to get to chat with you and thank 510 00:39:36.119 --> 00:39:38.480 you for taking time today, Brian, to stop by BB growth. Well, 511 00:39:38.480 --> 00:39:42.400 thanks again for having me on Benjie. My pleasure. Well, for 512 00:39:42.519 --> 00:39:45.760 all of our listeners, we love these types of conversations. We hope that 513 00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:51.559 they help fuel your growth and your innovation. If you have yet to subscribe, 514 00:39:51.559 --> 00:39:54.239 if you do that today, you'll never miss a future episode. So 515 00:39:54.400 --> 00:39:58.760 go ahead and do that on your favorite podcast platform, and we say thanks 516 00:39:58.800 --> 00:40:01.400 in advanced for that. You can connect with me on Linkedin. Just Search 517 00:40:01.440 --> 00:40:06.159 Benjie Block. I'm talking about marketing, business and life over there and would 518 00:40:06.239 --> 00:40:08.599 love to chat with you. Keep doing work that matters. Will be back 519 00:40:08.679 --> 00:40:25.119 real soon with another episode. 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