Frontline Innovators

Episode Summary Business changes fast and people change slow. That gap, Steve Reiner argues, is where most change efforts quietly fail, and closing it is one of the few real competitive advantages a company has left. In this episode, host Justin Lake sits down with Steve, VP of Sales at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits and author of Leaders Created and Business Changes Fast, People Change Slow...

Episode Summary Good customer service begins with the frontline worker, not at headquarters. In this episode, Dan Cefaratti, North American Dynamics Lead at Velrada, joins host Justin Lake to explain why that person is the organization's service ambassador, why technology adoption in the field is still treated as an afterthought even though it often decides whether a large investment succeeds, and...

Episode Summary What happens when you deploy new technology that works great for your leadership team but actively makes life harder for the people using it every day? According to David Bishop, the answer is attrition, and it costs more than most service leaders realize. In this episode, Justin Lake sits down with David Bishop, Managing Partner at Twin Bishop Strategies, LLC., to talk about the r...

Episode summary Host Justin Lake sits down with Leza Isadora, Organizational Change Manager at Puget Sound Energy, who brings more than a decade of experience guiding digital transformations across healthcare, entertainment, government, nonprofit, and energy. Leza makes the case that frontline rollouts rarely fail because of the technology. They fail because leaders move fast on change and rarely...

Summary When a rollout lands badly on the frontline, the cost isn't just lost productivity. It's the people who quietly start looking elsewhere. And it's rarely the people you'd guess. In this episode, Justin talks with Kapil Dua, Associate Director of Change Management and Issues Management at a Fortune 100 company, who has spent over a decade leading large-scale SaaS implementations, including c...

Summary When frontline technology misses the mark, workers don't fail. They adapt. But those workarounds come at a cost. In this episode, Justin talks with Maria Feay, a healthcare operations executive with over 30 years of experience spanning operations, quality, data analytics, and customer experience. Maria unpacks the real operational fallout of poor technology adoption: the widening gap betwe...

Summary In this episode, Keri Corbin shares her extensive experience in enterprise transformation, focusing on frontline technology adoption, making a compelling business case for improvements, and sustaining change. She discusses real-world stories, the importance of planning, confidence, and continuous improvement in operational success.   Key Topics Impact of poor frontline technology adoption...

Summary In this episode, Justin Lake interviews Julie Whitten about the critical factors influencing frontline technology adoption, the human operating system behind change, and strategies to improve stakeholder engagement and trust. They explore practical approaches to accelerate adoption, the importance of trust, and how to effectively communicate with senior leaders. Key topics The People Stack...

Summary In this episode of Frontline Innovators, Nancy Green shares expert insights on AI governance, organizational change, and effective technology adoption strategies. Discover how trust, communication, and tailored engagement are key to successful AI implementation in large enterprises. Key topics - Difference between utilization and adoption of technology - Building trust during change initia...

Summary In this insightful interview, Wendy Vestevich shares her expertise on AI adoption, change management, and the operational and reputational impacts of technology rollouts. Discover practical strategies for fostering human-centric AI integration and overcoming adoption challenges across organizational levels. Keywords AI adoption, change management, operational impact, organizational change,...

Summary In this episode of the Frontline Innovators podcast, host Justin Lake speaks with Andrea Hine, a connected worker product owner in industrial technology. They discuss the significant consequences of poor technology adoption in frontline operations, the importance of device ownership, and the transformative potential of AI for frontline workers. Andrea shares her insights on the need for em...

Summary: In this episode, Marin Richeson delves into the intricacies of organizational change, emphasizing the importance of a human-centered approach. She explores how understanding the psychology of change and fostering a culture of adaptability can lead to successful transformations. Through real-world examples, Marin highlights the significance of engaging early adopters, managing resistance,...

Summary In this episode of the Frontline Innovators Podcast, host Justin Lake speaks with change management consultant Leslie Downing about the critical role of human factors in technology adoption. They discuss the importance of engaging frontline workers, the challenges of communicating change, and the need for effective leadership in managing transitions. Leslie shares insights on measuring beh...

Summary   In this episode of the Frontline Innovators Podcast, host Justin Lake welcomes Kelly Kluge, an expert in technology adoption and transformation. They discuss the critical role of frontline workers as problem solvers and thought leaders, emphasizing the need for organizations to embrace their insights and experiences. Kelly highlights the operational consequences of poor technology adopti...

Host Justin Lake interviews Carlos Linares, founder and CEO of FoodOpsIQ and Third Wish Food Services, about using AI and technology to empower frontline food-service teams. Carlos explains his global experience, the idea of "virtual OPEX," and how voice-enabled generative AI can augment workers in kitchens and service roles. They cover practical change management: designing with operations, runni...

In this episode of Frontline Innovators, host Justin Lake welcomes Anna Karousis, Senior Director of Change Management with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations navigate complex technology and process change. Together, they unpack why frontline technology initiatives so often fail to deliver on their promised ROI, and what leaders can do differently to drive real adoption, trust,...

In this episode, host Justin Lake sits down with Heather Brizzi, IT Director of Generative AI Initiatives at a Wholesale Building Materials company.   Heather shares her insights on the transformative power of AI and its impact on both frontline and knowledge worker roles. With a career dedicated to integrating technology with process enablement, Heather's expertise provides valuable perspectives...

This week we have Justin Eubanks, Learning & Development Manager at Great Day Improvements on the Frontline Innovators podcast with host Justin Lake. Justin is a developmental strategist with extensive experience using LEAN methodologies to engage, attract, and retain the frontline workforce in a variety of ways at Great Day Improvements.    Quote: "I asked them how, how do you measure culture...

This week on the Frontline Innovators host Justin Lake speaks with Jerry Ryan, Senior Solution Principal at Dell Technologies. Jerry has over thirty-five years of information technology, management, and overall business experience including IT Management, IT Project/Program/End User experience primarily around Microsoft Technologies. He is currently responsible for services pre-sales activities to...

This week on the Frontline Innovators we're speaking with Don Jacobson, IT Business Partner for Innovation @ City of Las Vegas Don brings 23 years of experience in municipal government with enterprise-wide initiatives, and he supports the city's many initiatives to become a model Smart City as well as the visioning for its Innovation District and associated programs and projects.   Quote: "A key f...

This week on the Frontline Innovators we welcome Julie Whitten, Sr. Director Change Management Strategy @ Sodexo. Julie has more than 25 years of experience in change leadership, marketing, and communications.   Julie is an empathetic leader who serves as an advisor to senior leaders and is a resourceful and creative problem-solver who drives business results with her strategic planning, organizat...

This week on the Frontline Innovators we have Nea Christensen, Director IT @ ProAmpac | PMP, Process Improvement.   Nea has over 10 years of experience in providing executive-level information systems and technology leadership, leading innovative strategies and solutions-driven teams that drive business performance and efficiencies.   Nea oversees a portfolio of projects valued at $1.5 million and...

This week on the Frontline Innovators we have Bill Padula, Executive VP of Strategic Consulting @ Evora IT Solutions.    Bill brings over two decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge varying from enterprise mobility, to consulting large-scale IT deployment initiatives. We're excited to dig into his knowledge!     Quote: "To me the biggest challenge facing the workforce is that the providers...

This week on the Frontline Innovators we have a special guest from Alaska.🥶  Ally Dykes, PMP, is the Senior Manager, IT Programs at the largest telecommunications provider in Alaska, GCI.   Ally's expertise lies in monitoring and executing business operations programs while enacting transformational change to support emerging requirements and sustainable technology development.     Quote: "Every...

This week on the Frontline Innovators we have two guests! ✌   Jennifer Martindale is the Director of Organizational Change Management at J.R. Simplot Company. She helps people move forward through transformation management strategies that create buy-in, transition mindsets, change cultures, challenge assumptions, improve processes, and implement solutions that stick. Stacy Gibbons is a clinical li...