StrategyCast

“Don’t be afraid to over-communicate.”   Ryan DeWard is president and CEO of Unique Truck Equipment, a Michigan-based company that serves the Heavy Duty Trucking industry by providing safety products and tools to help drivers and mechanics work more safely and efficiently. As the company’s leader, Ryan’s responsibilities include strategic planning, sales and marketing, human resources, budgeting,...

“You might think you know what the customer wants and needs. But, sometimes as marketers, we have to get off our high horse and ask the consumer what they think. You might realize that you don’t know.”   Erin Dwyer, vice president of digital at the skincare brand, Drunk Elephant, is a dynamic marketing executive with a 15-year progressive career and unique blend of experience that bridges gaps at...

“Embrace the change. Be the change.” Justin Sessink is director of digital shopping and e-Commerce at Meijer, a regional American supercenter chain with its corporate headquarters in Walker, Michigan. He is responsible for leading cross-functional teams to develop and execute Meijer’s overall digital shopping strategy, including technology, operations, fulfillment, and other key aspects of omnicha...

“If you’re ‘binge listening,’ but then not actually implement anything that you’ve learned then what have you gained?” Kevin T. Payne is founder of kevintpayne.com and a growth and content marketing consultant. He helps early-stage startups implement growth marketing campaigns to increase their inbound leads, increase website traffic, and speed up their sales cycles by using marketing automation s...

“I’d rather not hire someone than hire the wrong person.”  Marshall Rule is president of SCOTTeVEST, a company that designs innovative apparel for people who need quick and convenient access to all of their belongings at any time. Marshall’s primary responsibilities in the company are to manage the operations of every department, oversee general brand strategy as well as leverage opportunities to...

“If you want your people to be reliable and have integrity, you must go first.”   Dr. Gustavo Grodnitzky is a speaker, author, consultant, and psychologist whose diverse background brings a unique and multidimensional perspective to his global clients. After obtaining his Ph. D. in clinical and school psychology, he completed post-docs in both cognitive therapy and forensic psychology. He has prev...

“You have to know the difference between apples and orangutans.” Connor Wood Bicycles, LLC was founded by Chris Connor in 2012 to build wood bicycles that beautifully combine form and function. Chris, now the worldwide expert on building wood bicycles, is a longtime Denver woodworker and cycling enthusiast. After years of experience building classical guitars and designing and building modern furn...

“The more challenges you face, the more confident you are.”   When it comes to the evolving audiovisual industry and witnessing new technological capabilities, Diana Mueller CEO of Image Audiovisuals has a front-row seat. With more than 40 employees in Colorado and Arizona, Diana and her husband and business partner David, have taken part in decades’-worth of live events, ranging from corporate, n...

“Instructions should not be easy to understand; they should be impossible to misunderstand.” Liam is the founder and CEO of TimeDoctor.com, one of the world’s leading time-tracking software for remote teams. He is also the founder and CEO of Staff.com, an outsourcing company that concentrates on providing companies with long-term outsourced labor relationships. Both of these companies are focused...

“Think local first.”   After successfully elevating the Oskar Blues Brewery brand nationally for over a decade, Chad Melis has become a brand of marketing professional uniquely his own. With PR savvy and an uncanny knack for brand strategy, Chad has an ironclad grasp on how to provide clients with a roadmap to meet their individual goals. He thrives on instigating innovative thinking and amplified...

“There’s the role of tenacity, almost forcing things to happen, really pushing through walls and barriers, but at some point, you have to realize the difference between that and banging your head against a brick wall.”   Jojo Collins started making Jojo's Sriracha back in 2010. She was 26, which made her, as she says, “old enough to know I wasn’t taking care of my body but still young enough...

“It has nothing to do with (the product), it has everything to do with WHY (your customers) want it.” Britton Purser created Vintage Overland out of necessity, out of “the need to grab that romance, passion, and sense of adventure and take it into the middle of nowhere.” Britton, alongside his two brothers, Cody and Cullen, spend day and night in the studio where they meticulously design, shape an...

“Before you walk a mile in another person’s shoes, you must take your own shoes off first.”   Rob Andzik is president of AMERGINT Technologies, a company that delivers next-generation technologies to the space industry. The company’s mission is simple: be technically focused and customer-supportive. Rob and his team at AMERGINT solve hard problems through innovation and by building intellectual ca...

“78% of people will actually touch Amazon at some point during their purchase cycle. That means that every brand needs to consider Amazon as part of their marketing plan.”   Jeff Cohen is chief marketing officer at SellerLabs, a cloud-based tool for e-Commerce businesses to source, sell, and provide customer service. Jeff’s goal is to empower small businesses with the tools they need to succeed, p...

“ Content should be relatable, emotive, reusable, and snack’able.” Ed Graczyk is an experienced chief marketing officer for start-up companies as well as a 16-year Microsoft veteran where he launched more than a dozen products worldwide. He has built and led high-performance marketing teams and programs for award-winning consumer, enterprise, and business-to-business-to-consumer products and servi...

“User experience is where fingers meet technology.”  Scott Kincaid started at Usability Sciences 20+ years ago with a lofty goal to make the world a little more intuitive, one bit at a time. As to be expected in small companies, he has worn many hats including researcher, operations manager, sales engineer, salesforce.com admin, and executive. In his time of user research consulting, Scott has wor...

“Most business owners have been more conscientious about writing directions and instructions for their babysitters (than they have) with writing contingency plans for their businesses.” Nate Sachs is the founder and owner of Blueprints For Tomorrow. He has four decades of experience in succession, contingency, and key employee retention, and is also an author, credentialed national speaker, and ad...

“If you focus on your overall goals, on creating sustainable sales, and on finding your ideal reader you will hit Number One in your category on Amazon.”   Julie Broad, founder of Book Launchers, is an Amazon Overall #1 Best Selling Author, an International Book Award Winner, and recipient of the Beverly Hills Book Award for Best Sales book. As an entrepreneur and successful real estate investor s...

“The brand is a souvenir of a lifestyle.”   In May of 2017, W.H. Ranch won the Artisan Challenge, cementing owner Ryan Martin in the history books as the Greatest Jean Maker in the World. Ryan is the company’s CEO, CFO, COO, Head Designer, Head Pattern Maker, Head Sewer, Director of Marketing, Creative Director, Head Buyer, Head of Sales, Head of Research and Development, and janitor. Ryan is focu...

“It’s never about the technology and it’s never about the shiny stuff.”   George Karayannis is vice president of CityNOW, Panasonic North America, where he leads a high-performing team providing sustainable community solutions to municipalities and private developers. He is passionate about providing sustainable solutions, emerging technologies, and working with ultra-high performing teams. He has...

"Sometimes we have to have permission from someone else to uncover our own special kind of genius.” The eQuilter 15,000 square foot warehouse is located in Boulder, Colorado, and has the largest online selection of high-quality quilt fabrics and related products, with over 22,000 products online and in stock. Luana Rubin, who founded the company with her husband Paul, has a 35+ year backgroun...

“Leaders need to build a bridge from, ‘I want to be,’ to ‘I am.’”   Dethra U. Giles is an international consultant, best-selling author, and highly sought after keynote speaker. She is the founder of ExecuPrep, a global brand that provides coaching, leadership development, and performance improvement in the workplace. She has worked with multiple industries with hundreds of clients and thousands o...

“Leadership isn’t generational, it’s relational.” Robby, the founder of Sana Sano Consulting, is a high-performing transformation leader with experience driving change initiatives from startups to Fortune 100 companies. He has shepherded clients through re-orgs, technology implementations, talent evaluation, strategic planning, and multiple acquisitions. He believes in the power of real teams and...

“Be prepared to iterate.” Robert Galop is SVP, Product and Marketing, for IntelePeer, where he oversees product strategy and delivery to market of IntelePeer’s leading-edge communications products. His career has been focused on the high-tech industry, including roles in application development, project management, and product and marketing leadership. He drives delivery of successful products by...

“No matter which strategy you take, you still have to have a lot of one-to-one conversations with investors.”   Jenny Kassan has been an attorney for social enterprises for 22 years, and is a certified transformational coach, social entrepreneur, investor, and finance innovator. She specializes in helping mission-driven women entrepreneurs raise capital from like-minded investors. Her formula for...