The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast

Market research is losing great talent because the career path remains invisible. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly are joined by Charitie Dantis-Gayo, Corporate Vice President, Center for Consumer Insights at New York Life Insurance Company. Charitie shares her nonlinear path into market research, explains why visibility matters more than credentials, and outlines what...

AI can accelerate research. It cannot replace context. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Nancee Halpin, a researcher and insights specialist whose career spans Fuel Cycle, SurveyMonkey, Highlight, and Strella. Nancee explains why human judgment, curiosity, and lived context still sit at the center of good research, even as AI reshapes how fast teams can mo...

Influence does not come from more data. It comes from understanding risk, value, and timing. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly are joined by Ed Kahn, Senior Principal of CX Research and Insights at Mutual of America Financial Group. With a career spanning consumer electronics, syndicated research, and financial services, Ed shares why researchers often feel excluded fro...

AI is transforming research, but human judgment still anchors the work. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with David Evans, Director of Market Research at Microsoft and author of Bottlenecks, to explore the realities of building AI and digital products that respect how humans think, feel, and decide. David draws on a decade of applied psychology at Microsoft to...

Research is evolving from reporting the past to shaping what comes next, and the most meaningful shifts begin with how we understand people. In this Greatest Hits episode of The Curiosity Current, five guests share the ideas that are redefining the insights profession. From Adam Hagerman’s view of research as a strategic engine, to Lindsey Goodman’s lived-world ethnography, to Marcus Cunha on infl...

UX research only matters when it changes something. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Amberly Miller, Director of UX Research at Prudential Financial, to discuss the real work of turning insight into influence inside a heavily regulated, high-stakes enterprise. Amberly shares how she rebuilt Prudential’s approach to research, moving from a tightly gated si...

Modern CMOs are overwhelmed with data yet short on clarity. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Molly Strawn-Carreño and guest host Shanon Adams, President and COO of aytm, sit down with Steve Olenski, “The CMO Whisperer,” to unpack what CMOs really need from insights partners. Steve explains why insights must be treated as a growth engine, how the strongest teams align on trust, transl...

Every plate, product, and policy starts with research. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Molly and Stephanie talk with Steve Markenson, Vice President of Research & Insights at FMI – The Food Industry Association and longtime President & Consultant at WBA Research. They explore how industry-wide research shapes the food retail ecosystem, how consumer behavior is evolving, and how eme...

Speed gets the headlines. Consistency drives the decision. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Molly and co-host Stephanie sit down with Charlie Grossman, Owner of CG Research & Consulting and former VP at BASES and Burke, to unpack what makes research trustworthy and actionable. Charlie explains why context and consistency beat one-off metrics, how to avoid the novelty trap of high pur...

Change gets the headlines. Fundamentals drive the business. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Stephanie and co-host Andrew Kawalek sit down with J. Walker Smith, Knowledge Lead for Strategy & Consulting at Kantar, to unpack what truly shapes consumer behavior. Walker explains why convenience remains the strongest driver of choice, how pricing tells a brand’s story, and why storytellin...

Every brand has a voice but few realise their loudest one sits quietly on the shelf. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Stephanie speaks with Matt Salem, SVP of Customer Success at Behaviorally and co-author of unPACKED: Predict Packaging That Sells. Matt explains how the Four-S framework: Seen, Shoppable, Seductive, Selected, helps brands design packaging that drives decisions at the...

We’re revisiting one of the most grounded and inspiring conversations from The Curiosity Current featuring Raina Rusnak, Head of Market Research and Business Intelligence at StarKist and CEO of 750 Research. In this Greatest Hits episode, Raina shares the lessons that connect mountaineering, leadership, and mental health, from knowing when to lean on your team to the science of taking just ten min...

We’re bringing back one of the most insightful conversations from The Curiosity Current, featuring Lindsey Goodman, Consumer Insights Leader at Wolverine Worldwide. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Lindsey shares how ethnography brings human truth back into research, turning observation into innovation and data into action. From trail runners who run for donuts to a framework that connect...

Insights do more than just analyse what happened; they guide what to do next. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Brianna Boyer sit down with Leena Doshi, Senior Manager of Research at Electronic Arts (EA). Leena shares how she built and scaled research functions at EA and uShip, why trust and context are the real drivers of influence, and how framing problems as a puzzle...

The role of research is shifting from reactive validation to a proactive strategy. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Elana Marmorstein sit down with Adam Hagerman, whose career spans Apple, GLG, and Indeed, to explore how research can move beyond usability into usefulness, why Jobs-to-Be-Done reframes product growth, and what the next generation of insights professional...

How do subconscious drivers shape the way we shop for groceries? In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Julie Myers sit down with Dr. Hassan Aleem, Senior Consumer Insights Partner at Amazon, to explore how behavioral science and neuroscience help brands measure behavior in complex retail settings. From intercepts and shop-alongs to basket analysis and packaging cues, Hassan...

Consumer behavior is being reshaped by agentic AI, shifting economic realities, and the rise of non-traditional workforces. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Glenn Fleischman, sit down with Michael Nevski, Director of Global Insights at Visa, to explore how AI, affluent consumers, and the gig economy are influencing payment trends and brand strategy, his career journey,...

How do you prepare researchers not just to analyze data but to shape strategy and deliver ROI? In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Tiffany sit down with Marcus Cunha Jr., Professor of Marketing at the University of Georgia and Director of the MMR Program, to explore how graduate education is evolving in an era of AI, automation, and rapidly shifting consumer behavior.

The future of consumer insights hinges on striking a balance between innovation and respect for the individuals behind the data. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Stephanie sits down with Lev Mazin, CEO and Co-Founder of aytm, to explore how design thinking, integrated panels, automated analytics, and a respondent-first philosophy are reshaping research and preparing the industry for...

The boldest insights often come when people are willing to say what others won’t. In this Best Bits episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Matt and Stephanie share 10 unforgettable hot takes from past guests, from calling out the myth of the all-knowing CEO, to predicting the comeback of paper surveys, to reframing “sports hate” as a surprising form of connection. These best bits challenge how we...

The most valuable consumer insights often emerge when we’re willing to challenge our own assumptions and those of others. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Victoria sit down with Sarah Montgomery, Director of Human Insights at The Coca-Cola Company, to explore how the Socratic method can help researchers question ingrained beliefs, push beyond confirmation bias, and unc...

In this insightful episode, a seasoned market research expert shares valuable perspectives on maintaining mental health in high-pressure research environments while leveraging qualitative techniques to drive meaningful insights. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, host Stephanie speaks with Raina Rusnak, Head of Market Research and Business Intelligence at StarKist and CEO of 750 Research, a...

Sports fandom is fundamentally about community building and social connections, serving as a powerful indicator of broader social engagement and consumer behavior. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Matt speak with Ben Valenta, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Fox Sports and co-author of "Fans Have More Friends," to explore how sports fandom creates meaningful social...

Serial entrepreneur Rand Fishkin shares candid insights on ethical business building, the future of audience research, and the reality behind AI hype. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Matt and Stephanie sit down with Rand Fishkin, CEO of SparkToro and former CEO of Moz, to explore his journey from SEO pioneer to audience research innovator, while discussing the challenges of ethical...

The Future of Market Research Education: Balancing Technology with Human Skills. In this episode of the Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Matt speak with Don DeVeaux, Professor at Michigan State University's Masters of Science in Marketing Research program, about shaping the next generation of insights professionals. Drawing from his 17+ years each at General Motors and GfK, Don shares valuab...