Branching Out with Bonsai

🎙️ Branching Out Podcast | Episode 21 Building Big Tech for Little Humans | Dani Strong (VP of Growth at Gabb) In this episode of Branching Out, Matt sits down with Dani Strong, recorded live at the Silicon Slopes Conference. Dani leads growth marketing, marketplace, and retail initiatives at Gabb, one of the fastest-growing companies building technology designed specifically for kids. Over the pa...

Live from eTail West in Palm Springs , Matt Butler sits down with Katie Moro, Global Director of Managed Services at Productsup , to unpack one of the most overlooked growth drivers in ecommerce: product data . While many retailers treat product feeds as a back-end operational task, the reality is far more powerful. In today’s AI-driven commerce landscape , structured and enriched product data has...

Marketers love the idea that more data will finally prove marketing’s value. But what if more evidence doesn’t create more confidence or more budget protection? In this solo episode, Matt Butler breaks down the misconception behind “premium” measurement signals like incremental conversions from major platforms and why they’re often treated as a shiny upgrade instead of the bare minimum. The real p...

What does it really take to build something that wins — not just once, but over time? In Episode 18 of the Branching Out Podcast , host Matt Butler sits down with Caleb Sewell , Sporting Director of FC Tulsa and former professional goalkeeper, for a deep leadership case study that goes far beyond sports. This is not a career interview. It’s a conversation about systems, standards, and truth . Usin...

In Episode 17, Part 2 , we conclude our conversation with Sameer Modha by moving from philosophy into practice. This episode focuses on the realities of marketing measurement once the analysis is done and the conversations begin. We discuss: What it really takes to deliver tough measurement news Why “good-looking” dashboards can still lead to poor decisions Practical methodologies and the tradeoff...

🎧 Holiday Listening: Episode 17, Part 1: The Human Algorithm: How Sameer Modha Measures What Really Matters Between Christmas and New Year’s is a rare moment. No meetings. Fewer notifications. More thinking. In Part 1 of Matt Butler 's conversation with Sameer Modha , we talk about career journeys, the philosophy of data and marketing, why measurement breaks down, and what honesty actually means...

Inside the Room: Russ, Steven & Matt on the New Rules of Marketing Recorded live at the Phocuswright summit, this episode brings you into the front row of an unfiltered conversation between Matt Butler (CEO, Bonsai ) and industry leaders Russ Hannig (former Gabb and Space SX) and Steven Thomas (Camping World), as they break down the future of marketing measurement, the rise of first-party data...

Episode 15 — The Case Against Conversions Recorded live at the Bonsai headquarters during our on-site meeting in Wheaton, Illinois, this special surprise episode flips the usual studio format on its head. In this session, Matt pulls team members on stage one by one — completely unannounced — to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in marketing analytics: why conversion data alone can’t be t...

In this episode Matt sat down with Eric Schlickman — architect-turned-restaurateur — to dive into his journey from designing buildings to building community through food, faith, and creativity. Eric shares how he launched 302 Wheaton (a burger concept turned local gathering spot), and how his values of family, work ethic, and faith have shaped every step of his entrepreneurial path. We talk about:...

What do building a SaaS platform, solving an unsolved mystery, and mixing audio tracks have in common? According to Lydia Fern , Head of Product at Bonsai — everything. In this episode of Branching Out , we go behind the scenes with the creative and strategic force who helped shape Bonsai from the ground up. From her roots in engineering to leading UX-first product development, Lydia shares how cl...

In this episode of Branching Out, we’re talking AI — not in theory, but in practice. Matt Butler interviewed our guest, Matt Seitz, Director of the AI Hub at the University of Wisconsin and former Director of Performance for Google Retail. With 30+ years of experience spanning tech, retail, and academia, Matt joins us to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping everything from merchandisin...

🎙️ New episode alert! In this episode of Branching Out Podcast, while on the road at Google Cloud Next 25, our host Matt Butler sits down for a talk with Jon Lorenzini, Chief Marketing Science Officer at LiftLab, to talk about the future of marketing measurement—and why the way we think about data and attribution needs to evolve. #MarketingMeasurement #Attribution #MarketingTrends #BranchingOutPod...

🎙️ New episode alert! In this episode of Branching Out Podcast, while on the road at Google Cloud Next 25, our host Matt Butler sits down for a talk with Jon Lorenzini , Chief Marketing Science Officer at LiftLab , to talk about the future of marketing measurement—and why the way we think about data and attribution needs to evolve. #MarketingMeasurement #Attribution #MarketingTrends #BranchingOutP...

On this episode, Matt dives into the world of algorithms and AI in digital marketing with Tal Kedar from K2DQ. Discover K2DQ's mission and vision, learn about the foundational applications of AI in marketing, and understand the impact of not grasping these technologies. Tal shares insights on differentiating meaningful innovations from hype, the generative AI trend, and what success looks like by...

On this episode, Matt Butler and Ali Manning engaged in a candid discussion regarding their respective companies, Bonsai and Chalice. They focused on the challenges of raising funds amidst economic difficulties, with Butler sharing the impact of bankrupt clients on Bonsai's business. Manning provided insights into Chalice's transition to a custom AI company, emphasizing the role of data science in...

In this exciting episode of Branching Out, host Matt Butler sits down with Mary Paulson, Google Cloud Account Executive, to discuss a significant milestone for Bonsai Data Solutions: our launch on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Marketplace. Join us as we delve into how this integration enhances our commitment to providing marketers with cutting-edge analytics tools for superior marketing measurem...

In this episode of Branching Out Podcast titled "Clicks to Revenue: Aligning Marketing with Business Results," our host Matt Butler and special guest Mike Sachs dive into the crucial connection between marketing efforts and tangible business outcomes. Our marketing strategists experts discuss the importance of aligning marketing strategies with overall business goals to drive revenue growth.

In this episode, our host Matt Butler talks about Why Marketers Will Keep Using Cookies for Tracking—and Pay the Price.

Branching Out Podcast | Maximizing Impact: Driving Incremental Growth with the Perfect Media Mix | With ASHLEY BINGHAM

In this Episode titled "Demystifying Digital Ad Auctions," our host Matt Butler breaks down the complexities of digital ad auctions and challenges common misconceptions held by advertisers. Matt explains that most digital ad auctions, including those on platforms like Google and Facebook, are actually impression-based rather than click- or view-based. The episode emphasizes the importance of under...

In the upcoming episode of Branching Out Podcast, titled "What Should Marketing Analytics Actually Do?" our host Matt Butler delves into the role of Marketing Analytics in proving marketing impact and its overlap with finance's measurement of return on investment (ROI). He highlights the challenges faced by marketing analytics, which is often pressured to show positive marketing impact regardless...

🌿🎙️ New Episode Alert! 🎙️🌿 We're excited to announce the release of the second episode of Bonsai's podcast series, Branching Out ! In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of P MAX – a revolutionary approach that's set to change the way we think about data analytics. 🔍 What is P MAX? P MAX, or Performance Maximization, is the latest breakthrough in data analysis techniques. It combi...

We're excited to introduce our latest venture: a brand-new podcast called Branching Out with Bonsai hosted by our co founder and CEO Matt Butler and special guest, our co founder Mike Remke! 🎙️ Join us as we dive deep into the world of data science, analytics, and technology with a side of sarcasm. In each episode, we'll explore the latest trends, share industry insights, and interview thought lea...