Goldstar has been in business for over 18 years, selling tickets to live entertainment, including concerts, theater, sports, and comedy shows. Co-Founder Jim McCarthy discusses watching his industry go from basically being at the top of their game to nothing in a matter of, literally, 36 hours when the Coronavirus basically shut down the nation. We also talk about their platform Stellar and that although this may be the end of concerts as we know them, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s time to up the game of the virtual experience, and this technology will be critical long after we’re back to a post-COVID world. Discussion Breakdown: 3:22 - Jim discusses the background of Goldstar, and their footprint in the concert 10:49 - Jim talks more about what was happening in his business in that week when the world started to shut down, and how they were trying to plan for a future that wasn’t known at all. 14:15 - So as we go forward, will people turn back to in-person concerts, or will the landscape change as we know it. Will we always have to have a hybrid option going forward? 19:04 - As we enter into this new normal in the concert world, what makes a great online experience, and how does the online version maintain the connection that makes concerts so special. 21:45 - This is where we jump into what Goldstar is in addition to their product Stellar, and what makes it so different from other online event experiences. 24:15 - Does the need for screen exhaustion need to be considered, and how are they overcoming it by creating experiences vs just one more video to watch. 25:56 - What kind of technical requirements are there to make something like Stellar happen? Jim breaks down the technology and what it’s run on. 29:53 - What about massive hurdles that needed to be overcome to bring this product to life. Is everyone on board with this? Is there any pushback that they have to deal with? 33:20 - The biggest opportunity in entertainment right now and the mindset shift required to have everyone take advantage of it. 34:06 - Who has to be able to jump on this bandwagon to truly make it work? Is it the venues? Or is it the artists, or is it a combination of both? 38:03- When it comes to pushback, what’s causing it? Is it simply just a matter of logistics? 45:03 - What’s on the horizon for Stellar as the online concert experience continues to be the only thing we can look forward to for a while. You can find out more about Goldstar and Stellar visit: https://www.goldstar.com/ https://www.stellartickets.com/

Innovation Calling

The New Virtual Event Experience

Every podcaster has experienced the issue of recording online only to find that the audio quality is extremely lacking. Zach Moreno and Rock Felder, Co-Founders of SquadCast.fm saw this exact need and decided to do something about it. How did they go from start-up to having some of the brightest minds in podcasting refer to SquadCast.fm as “the industry standard” to record your show remotely? They share their story in this episode of Innovation Calling. From start-up to a huge increase in users thanks to the pandemic, these co-founders have continued to focus primarily on not just filling a need, but making sure their quality is the industry standard. Join us as these co-founders discuss their mission to empower creatives to continue to engage in meaningful conversations without having to think twice about technology. 5:00 - Where the idea for SquadCast came from, and why it was so important to find a higher quality option for remote recording 10:10 - The ultimate question of when you see a gap, that’s great, but where do you begin to figure out how the gap can be filled, and how you find the right people to actually fill that gap. 11:47 - Why it’s not just about finding an unmet need but focusing to become the absolute best in the world at it. 12:24 - When it comes to creating a new product, how did the feature list get created, and how did you determine what was absolutely non-negotiable for features? 14:04 - Even though the technology is important, what goes into the customer service side? Erin shares a story of how SquadCast.fm came to the rescue after a first time recording disappeared. 15:47 - When it came to launching, what type of MVP did you release, and what were the hiccups/issues that you had to overcome? 20:40 - With the pandemic hitting, there were businesses that thrived, SquadCast.fm being one of them. How were they able to handle the sudden uptick in usage, and was this something they were ready for in their business? 23:31 - When adding something like video capability, what does it take from a technology side to make that happen? How much infrastructure needs to be added? 26:18 - Comparing here you are now, to where you want to go, what are some of the obstacles you’re having to overcome in order to get there? 31:52 - With podcasting being typically a straight audio format, what is SquadCast.fm seeing in terms of the demand for video? 33:33 - With many people thinking they need video, is the return on investment really there or is it many times where great audio production is enough? 35:15 - When it comes to podcasting, what are some of the more unusual podcasts the team at SquadCast.fm has come across? 39:27 - Are more and more businesses using podcasting as a way to grow their audience and customer base? 41:53 - Exploring the standard startup conversation about to get investors or not. SquadCast.fm chose the later, and what as the reason behind that decision? As they grow their company is this a decision that they still feel solid in? Want to learn more about SquadCast? Visit SquadCast.fm You can also listen to their podcast Between 2 Mics here: https://between2mics.simplecast.com/episodes/

Utilizing Technology to Amplify Collaboration

In a world where we freely give our basic data way, it's hard to know if we truly understand the impact of giving away so much will one day have on our lives. In this episode of Innovation Calling, we sat down with Digital Identity Expert, Max Kirby. Max helps breakdown this extremely complex topic and helps the every day person understand how technology is changing and how that could directly impact our principals. In this episode we discussed how policy could change as more data is collected, the value of data to other companies, what data we should and shouldn't be giving away, and is it possible to delete our digital footprint forever. We hope you enjoy this episode. Here is the full breakdown: 5:20 - Are data privacy issues based on the lack of laws that are currently around them, or are they driven by something else? 8:35 - Are we at a place where Big Brother is already watching us, or do we still have a ways to go before we get ‘there.’ 10:19 - Is it just over social media where we’re willing to give up our rights to our data just so we can feel connected to those around us. 15:18 - How dangerous do these issues become when we’re willing to give up even more privacy for the sake of ‘safety’ - as in sharing our medical data, sharing our locations, etc, so people know who are in certain places, and how healthy they are. 19:12 - Are we leading down a path where robots can actually have free will? 25:14 - When data is becoming an even more valuable currency, how do we begin to slow down the collection of data when it’s become more valuable than ever? 29:31 - When we give data to other humans, they forget, and the problem is that computers don’t forget. However, can we ever get computers to forget? Can we ever wipe our data from the internet? 32:50 - When it comes to data, can we ever be more specific of what goes out to the world, but yet be okay with other data? What’s the data that you should be most worried about? 35:18 - When it comes to the fact that we give away our data, should we be getting paid for it since the companies are using it to their advantage? 38:16 - If our identity does become our currency, what does our future look like, and how does Max guide is clients to stay ahead of the curve? 42:17 - What does Max do to protect himself? Want to learn more about Max? Visit: https://www.publicissapient.com/ MaxAbstracts.com

Understanding the Value of Your Digital Identity

We’re watching the need for IoT devices change right in front of our eyes as new use cases for this technology come up due to COVID, and it’s more important now more than ever to allow IoT applications to become easier to build and deploy. Plus it must also be available in areas where cellular networks aren’t as prevalent. In this episode of Innovation Calling, we had the opportunity to sit down with Alistair Fulton, VP and GM, Wireless & Sensing Products of Semtech. Semtech’s LoRa Technology helps IoT devices by connecting the sensors to the cloud and allowing the opportunity for real-time communication fo data and analytics. These statics can be utilized to enhance efficiency and productivity. In this discussion, we talked about the basics of IoT, and how Semtech’s LoRa Technology fits within the IoT ecosystem. We also talked about what makes Semtech unique, and how their ability to connect within rural markets is a game-changer. In addition, we covered lots of various use cases and examples of IoT solutions, in addition to what will be on the horizon in the post-COVID world. Here is the official episode breakdown: 6:49 - We’re starting it basic and defining IoT, in addition to why it’s become such a complicated definition. 8:57 - How does a semiconductor business become such a big player in the IoT community, and why it was so important to make IoT applications and technology easier to use? 13:00 - Why location is one of the most crucial components of IoT. 16:44 - What is it that really makes Semtech unique? Is it just about connecting gadgets or allowing the software on top easier to build? 18:00 - When it comes to the rural market, how does Lora help create a game-changing service for IoT products, and does the introduction of 5G change any of the advantages that they have? 25:21 - How does the cost factor in a product like Lora, is it a cheaper solution because of a lower user of bandwidth? Then we discuss the three types of cost with IoT, the physical cost, the power cost, and the cost of operation. 27:55 - With IoT being such a huge component in Smart Cities, has the need for IoT, and the use cases for IoT changed at all because people are now staying at home more with quarantine? 30:30 - The interesting use cases of IoT in a post COVID rule and how standard procedures used to be okay, will no longer be acceptable when trying to navigate this new world. 34:31- Another great use of body temperature sensors, being able to monitor temperatures and statuses in real-time. 38:07 - What fine lines are we crossing, and where does the liability lie if we begin to monitor the health of people who enter buildings, etc? And why solutions that anonymize data will be crucial. 45:21 - Do Telco companies look at this service as a competitor or an ally? You can learn more about Semtech by visiting Semtech.com.

Helping IoT Devices Provide Creative Solutions to Real-World Problems

In times of crisis, you'll see the rise of amazing companies, and Xenex, a company that is the world leader in UV technology-based infection prevention strategies and solutions, is one of them. You may not have heard of Xenex, but the next time you visit a hospital, there's a good chance a Xenex robot will have cleaned your room before you checked-in. Xenex's Robots are making the world a better place by destroying the microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections, and have seen a huge increase in demand since COVID-19 became an everyday word in the United States. In this episode of Innovation Calling, we talked with Xenex's Co-Founder, Mark Stibich to talk about this amazing technology, and what makes it so unique and effective, in addition to learning more about what's changed for this business since this pandemic struck, and where we can see their robots outside of hospitals, plus so much more. Here's the official episode breakdown: 5:36 - Understanding Xenex’s background, and where the idea was first born. 8:14 - Digging deeper into the technology, and why this product is so amazing. Who was able to determine that this type of light could actually kill bacteria at a deeper level? 11:35 - When it comes to understanding a higher frequency, is that the wavelength is lower, which allows it to penetrate smaller organisms, or what is it exactly that makes it so much more successful? 13:09 - With the emergence of COVID, how has demand changed, and what’s been one of the biggest obstacles that Xenex has had to overcome to keep up? 17:49 - When it came to supply chain issues and part issues suddenly not becoming available, how were they able to overcome with the new issues? 19:10 - Does this then change the trajectory of the business, and when you’re in the midst of a pandemic with a product that can make such a huge difference, how do future products change? 21:19 - With the main product using light at such a high frequency does it cause harm to humans? 23:47 - Are Xenex’s robots meant to replace the cleaning staff, or is this something that simply enhances the cleaning experience? 28:47 - What makes Xenex’s disinfection techniques so unique, and what kind of rate can they clean rooms in addition to the quality of the cleanliness? 31:42 - Is it possible technology like this will go past the hospital especially as we see companies taking sanitizing more seriously? 34:25 - What kind of lifespans do the robots have? 36:03 - As the light bursts out, is there a limit on the efface over distance or is it like a lightwave where it can go miles and miles? 36:47 - Can something like this be used in sports stadiums? 40:17 - Xenex was actually invited to participate in an incubation program at the Houston Technology Center. What was that experience like for starting and growth? 42:30 - How important was it for someone to find the partners who understood the technology and could grow with it? 43:08 - When first growing, what kind of objections were hospitals providing as they were trying to implement the product? 47:08 - The great story about how all of the robots get named, and how some people get creative with the names. Want to learn more about Xenex? Visit xenex.com or contact Mark directly at mark@xenex {dot} com.

Tackling Viruses With Germ-Zapping™ Robots

The good and bad news is that no perfect leader exists. So as much as every leader wants to strive for greatness, the reality is that they’re going to hit some obstacles and make messes along the way. Failure isn’t the end, though, and it’s crucial to understand the qualities that the great leaders possess that help them endure through the difficult times. How do they stand after a failure? How can they learn to not just lead through crises like pandemics and recessions, but how can elevate a team and a company through them? This is just some of what we discussed in this episode of Innovation Calling with Franklin Covey’s Executive Vice President of Thought Leadership, Scott J. Miller. Scott is a 20+ year veteran in the Leadership Space, Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author, and Podcast Host. We dug deep into understanding what makes great leaders great (and it’s not a 100% success rate), how to have the hard conversations in times like this, yet still confidently lead your team. Plus stay til the end where Scott provides two important pieces of advice. Learn what ‘friending-up’ means, in addition to one simple thing co-founders/partners can do to create a lasting business. Interested in learning more about Scott’s Book, Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow, click here to grab your copy. Here’s The Full Episode Breakdown: 5:26 - Learning more about Scott, and the start of his career at Disney, and how that shaped him into who he is today 7:21 - What’s the difference between being fearless and being reckless, and how can leaders embrace that things might be messy, yet harness fearlessness without being reckless? How does vulnerability play a role in leadership? 10:29 - Why leaders shouldn’t focus on being a genius, but should instead focus on being a genius maker, and why this is crucial to leading great teams. Plus what it means to be an active listener. 16:11 - Why great leaders must possess empathy and a high EQ 19:02 - Can leaders actually learn to be empathetic? 22:04 - In times like we’re living in today, how can leaders learn to approach hard conversations with grace. Plus why it’s important to show as leaders that we don’t have all the answers, and why we can ask permission to have real conversations, which we may get wrong. 27:57 - Why every leader should learn to declare their intent before any conversation begins, and how it can help to diffuse any situation. 31:10 - How does having a strong personality hinder or help people in leadership roles? 33:34 - How to find the balance of family of business, and do we live in a world where there is no longer a separation of personal and professional lives? 37:29 - When it comes to creating a vision, what can leaders do to not just bring a vision to life, but can actually build a legacy where the vision can continue long after the creator is gone. 41:16 - Why leaders must be able to disrupt themselves, detach their egos, and empathic listen, and ask one of the most important questions ‘Am I in the right role.’ 44:33 - Why friending up is such an important concept, and why Scott believes this is one of the best pieces of advice he can give. 49:38 - What one of the most important things partners can do to help their business thrive? 

The Qualities Every Great Leader Should Possess

Many people can come up with a business idea and start something, but to build and maintain large companies, leadership is the true key to success. We had the opportunity to sit down with former Chairman of JetBlue Airways, Joel Person. Joel also is a Consulting Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Chairman and Founder of Peterson Partners, and the former CEO of Trammell Crow Company. Joel talks about his experience as a leader in various roles from being a CEO of a large company to Chairman of a publicly-traded company, and as an investor of 200+ companies. We discussed his five key types of leadership, what it takes for companies to teach their workforce to embrace failure, some of the biggest lessons he has learned during his amazing career, and so much more! Make sure to grab your copy of Entrepreneurial Leadership here: Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff Official Episode Breakdown: 5:05 - The age-old question of entrepreneurship, are they made or born. Plus we discuss Joel’s perspective of being a professor at Stanford, and what his students discover 6:10 - At what point in Joel’s career did he move from being an entrepreneur to a business leader? 8:40 - Why Joel believes it's so important for aspiring leaders to take on service jobs at a young age, and how they can teach perseverance. 10:10 - When it comes to perseverance, Joel shares a moment where he was knocked down, and the lessons he learned by a mentor who taught him how to move forward 13:20 - The importance of optimism as a leader, and why that is crucial now more than ever 14:20 - The five different types of leaders (5-Tool Leader) that Joel defined in his book, and the specific traits are more important now, in times of a pandemic and a looming recession 18:10 - There are people who are lucky and have those five naturally but is it possible for someone to have a few, but the others are impossible to get to? 20:50 - Is it typical for the MBA students at Stanford to have experience under their belt, or are they usually coming fresh out of undergrad? 23:30 - Talking more about his experience at Harvard Business School with business powerhouses like Ray Dalio. 25:00 - Joel’s strategy has been to invest in people over the business concepts and has had a lot of success by investing this way. He discusses what he looks for when deciding what kind of company he wants to invest in. 29:10 - When it comes to investing, is there a typical strategy to knowing when to invest vs bootstrapping your way to the top? 31:50 - When it comes to failing forward, what’s important for leaders to understand that as they transition away from a start-up that they keep that mentality? 34:00 - How can you find the happy medium of being able to ask for feedback from your team without losing your ‘power’ as a leader? 36:30 - How important are mentors when building a career, and when did Joel recognize that he needed to make sure he should always have a mentor? 37:50 - When it comes to being a great leader, quick decision making is a must. Joel discusses his decision-making process. 40:20 - Once a decision is made, how do you know when to change strategy vs letting more time gather results? 41:30 - Understanding the difference between instincts and emotions 44:12 - As a leader, are you hindered if you’re not an introvert by nature? 44:35 - Has the curriculum of the MBA changed drastically in the past 30 years, or are the core values still the same? 46:25 - Where is the future of leadership going?  

Developing Great Entrepreneurial Leaders

When it comes to technology, it honestly doesn't matter what industry you're in, technology is a life thread to the company. In order to build something great, you have to be able to embrace and be agile in technology. We had the honor of sitting down with Gerry Mecca, CIO of DATASCAN, and former VP of IT at Keurig Dr. Pepper to discuss how important it is for organizations to learn how to take chances and be comfortable failing forward in the world of technology. We also discussed how our work methods will change in the wake of COVID-19, and how working remotely will be adapted by a huge part of the workforce. Plus are we seeing the death of email as we know it? If you would like to learn more and connect with Gerry, make sure you check out his podcast, The Mecca Minute at https://marketscale.com/industries/podcast-network/the-mecca-minute/ and connect with Gerry on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerrymecca/ 6:24 - Getting inside the mind of Gerry Mecca and understanding his straight shooter leadership style 9:24 - When Gerry started to break out from a technical role to taking on a role that put him on the path to the C-Suite 10:56 - When it comes to passion and getting excited about a job, is that something that we can learn or is just an innate quality? Plus what's one small thing you can do that can accelerate your career path. 13:04 - When it comes to technology, leaders many times don’t cultivate a culture of being okay with failure. How as a technology leader can you encourage that and build a team that’s focused on innovating vs. not failing? 20:14 - The story of RFID and when Gerry watched peers jump into technology that wasn’t quite necessary (or were still testing out) 22:46 - The importance of technology in any company, even if they’re technically not a technology company (and how Dr. Pepper took risks) 24:55 - How will COVID impact technology teams within companies and the way we work and communicate with each other? 28:40 - How much should we be advocating for remote work, and how will roles be impacted by this new shift? 32:45 - Does working remotely impact the ability to be promoted? 35:00 - Is email as a communication method dying, and what should we be looking at instead? 39:45 - Where does the business environment go in the next five years?

Driving a Dynamic Career in Technology & Leadership

When it comes to companies researching emerging technology and innovation, it can be tempting to innovate for the sake of innovating rather than for the sake of what your users may actually want and need. We are also living in a world where the leadership of companies is dominated by left-brain thinkers, who will sacrifice creativity for the sake of numbers, and not failing for the sake of continuing to do what's worked in the past. Between these two issues, many companies are missing the mark on how to thrive. Now more than ever, it's important for companies to understand that what has worked in the past isn't going to get them very far. They must put innovation and user-centered designs first if they want to wow their customers and create a long-lasting company. Robert Niemiec joined us on this episode of Innovation Calling, and we talked in-depth about how his company Twisthink helps companies to create a different narrative when it comes to implementing technology and how to create a team of creative thinkers, who are also focused on wowing your customers. You can find out more and connect with Robert at Twisthink.com Here is the official episode breakdown: 5:25 - When it comes to Twisthink, what does it mean by implementing a human element within their design process? 7:26 - The three lenses that should be used for every project, and how those lend themselves into true innovation 8:34 - What are some of the projects that Twisthink has worked on to implement the three lenses, and how exactly it all comes together 15:34 - Knowing that people can sometimes be set in their ways, how hard is it to persuade teams when they are sold on something, yet the data is pointing to create a pivot? 18:30 - Are we doomed as humans to be stuck in our ways, and is left-brain dominated leaders hurting our ability to innovate? 21:30 - When it comes to technology and implementing new things, how can a company like Twisthink help to convince their clients of the impact and importance of usability and designing for the user and not just to add new technology? 25:35 - Are there specific industries that are embracing human design over others? (And why the response might surprise you.) 28:35 - How do companies start to think differently and foster creativity and risk within your workforce? 30:45 - If the bridge of innovation can’t be gapped quickly, is there a way to begin to get leaders seeing the opportunities they might be missing, even at a small scale? 33:58 - How much does psychology apply when having these human design centered discussions? 37:10 - The shock of how companies can be successful in spite of themselves, but how truly great leaders must learn how to fear easy 39:42 - The metaphor of a shed, and how having a separate space can help inspire a team to continue to innovate through their core, yet look at others areas of growth 

How Design Thinking Leads to Innovation Excellence

In tales about the future, we hear of the world where robots take over the workforce, but the truth is a world with ‘robots’ isn’t just for science fiction readers. In fact, it’s here now. We sat down with some folks at Blue Prism, a company focused on creating Robotic Process Automation, and we had the opportunity to break down use cases for RPA and some of the amazing ways this technology is making a huge difference within companies. Gone are the days where work forces are solely made of humans, but we are now adding digital labor to take over mundane tasks. There’s so much more to this technology than a straight-forward ROI, as it’s about not just creating a faster work force, but a happier one. If you’d like to learn more about Blue Prism, Visit: https://www.blueprism.com/ Also, in this episode, we talked about the upcoming event Blue Prism World 2020, which has been moved to a virtual event. Visit https://home.blueprismworld.com/ for up-to-date information. The Official Episode Breakdown: 4:56 - Learning more about what Blue Prism is and exploring the area of digital labor 6:39 - When it comes to working with companies, how is the ROI case made, and is there a general ‘sweet spot’ that companies can see where RPA could really pay off? This also isn’t necessarily a black and white answer, where numbers are the sole decision maker, and we discuss the other factors where RPA can have a huge impact on a company. 9:38 - Are digital workers and human workers mutually exclusive, or should companies consider looking at them from a different perspective? 12:04 - If you’re replicating a top talent, and you’re not replacing the top talent, then where does that talent go, and how exactly can a company consider utilizing them 17:18 - Does Robotic Process Automation take away from some of the human experience if information is getting handed to us as we need it, versus us having to work for it. 19:04 - What makes Blue Prism true A.I., and how does Machine Learning play into making applications smarter and faster? 21:46 - Is there a line that Blue Prism draws in what kind of companies they help, and how they can actually help them? 24:40 - We explore the new career paths and opportunities RPA can actually create for others versus solely taking away jobs. 28:04 - How large does a company have to be before they can truly utilize RPA technology, and what are some cool use cases for this technology? 31:05 - Can RPA technology actually be more accurate than a human, and what are the use cases that prove that? 33:20 - How useful is RPA if the data you’re working with is delayed? 35:10 - Is RPA’s main job to ‘tell people what to do’ or is it about providing the data to make the right decision? 36:22 - How does RPA change liability for things like the medical field? Should a digital worker be in charge of making decisions?

Compelling Applications and the Future of Robotic Process Automation

We’ve heard the stories that we should fear A.I, and that it’s going to take away all of our jobs, but what does a future with A.I. truly look like? In this episode we were joined by Neil Sahota, IBM Master Inventor, UnitedNations A.I. Subject Matter Expert, and Author of Own the A.I. Revolution. We dove deep into the future of A.I., and what we really need to be concerned about as this data starts to make important decisions. We also talked about the limitations of those decisions, and what we need to consider as this technology advances, and we talked about Emerging Technology and education through a standard university model. Is that really the right path to take for those who want to take on a career in these fields? Here is the official episode breakdown: 5:10 - We jump into Neil’s experience speaking in front of the UN along with hanging with Mike Tyson on his podcast to discuss which one was a scarier experience, and the misconceptions that the UN had about A.I. and what our future looked like. 6:24 - When it comes to working with these worldwide leaders, what level of education are they requiring to understand what the future looks like? 9:04 - People are fearful of A.I., and is that fear justified? 10:36 - We dive deeper into the applications of A.I. How exactly can we allow A.I. to make more in-depth decisions that would require a massive effort in coding? 13:58 - What’s the demand for data science as A.I. becomes better at making its own decision? Will data scientists eventually go away? Or will their roles become more important as A.I. advances? 16:28 - As we implement larger scale efforts to analyze data, are there other initiatives to actually baseline the data? 18:08 - As a society that tends to be on the lazier side, how do we take initiative as a human race to work smarter than the robots? 23:40 - Teaching A.I. to grad students and applying it in the legal field and on the business side, including the future of work, how will that impact business moving forward? 24:02 - What is the definition of the future of work? What are jobs of the future going to be, and what are the skills that will be required to fulfill those jobs? 26:38 - How will the role of standard jobs change if A.I. is taking away some of the time that it takes the newbies to catch up to speed, almost like the grunt work (i.e. researchers in a law firm)? 28:30 - Is the curriculum for these Emerging Technology Courses advancing fast enough to align with the speed of change of the actual technology. 31:06 - Do we even need the training for these Emerging Technologies to happen in the standard university level? 36:15 - Is A.I. so advanced that they actually were able to get it to write Shakespeare? 38:23 - When it comes to A.I. and Social Media, is A.I. advanced enough to predict when posts may even go viral? How can companies use this data for the future? 40:25 - How do we protect ourselves from things like deep-fake when it comes to helping to make important decisions, for example voting? 46:03 - We go back to the UN to discuss the new initiative that they have to help use A.I. for good. Want to learn more about Neil Twitter - https://twitter.com/neil_sahota LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilsahota/ Visit https://www.neilsahota.com/

Positioning A.I. For Social Good

What does it truly take for a company to thrive in the digital age? It’s much more than just buying and implementing the latest technology. This is one of our favorite subjects to discuss and Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author of The Digital Helix, Michael Gale, did not disappoint as we dove deep into this topic. We explored how companies need to think about innovation (and the first step has nothing to do with technology). We also talked about how innovation doesn’t just help a company do better, it can sometimes even cause a company to entirely pivot. We also discussed generational differences, and what companies need to think about from an innovation perspective as they build their workforce. If you would love to hear more about Michael, you can visit https://www.inc.digital/learn to download his audiobook or head over to Forbes to listen to his podcast, Futures in Focus. The Official Episode Breakdown 4:00 - Michael Gale discusses bras? Yes, this is relevant, and we talk about why he decided to do a podcast about it 8:35 - Diving deeper into Michael’s podcast Futures In Focus 12:10 - How can companies learn to focus on the right technology and innovate without innovating strictly for the sake of innovating. Want to buy Michael’s book? Click Here 15:10 - Can technology really transform a company, or what has to happen first for technology to really make a difference? 18:02 - How much are companies losing by buying the wrong technology, and why it’s so important to set the company up to thrive with the new technology. 19:00 - How many companies actually have their processes down that allow them to take advantage of technology 22:20 - Discussing some organizations that took huge pivots because of innovating 23:40 - How should companies treat data, and how high should they prioritize it 25:20 - Stories of how companies can actually transform based on the data they’re collecting 26:40 - The important role of generations and why Gen Xers will soon take over the world (we may have made that last part up) 29:10 - If companies aren’t willing to invest in their workforce how much is it hurting their ability to hire? 31:10 - Did Gen X fail as a generation 33:00 - Are Millennials actually right in their work ethic and how they’re approaching how they accomplish work? 36:20 - When it comes to technology and political races, is technology one of the biggest factors when determining who will win 39:15 - As a society what can we be aware of, and how can we combat the manipulation of data, news, etc 42:20 - Will we become lazy as a society if we’re not seeking out our own data vs sitting back and letting it be fed to us

Helping Corporations Thrive in the Digital Age

We know that data has changed organizations, and the way we do business. However, how has emerging technology and data had an effect on the marketing world? How has focusing on data allowed companies to be more precise in customer targeting, make better correlations between marketing and sales, and impacted the way companies attract customers? Data actually plays a huge role, and that’s why we were excited to have this conversation with Marketing Technologist, Brandee Sanders. We discussed the role of data within marketing, how corporations can use this data correctly, and where it makes sense for data analytics to fit within a company, plus much more. We also talked about the role data has within politics, and questioned if data is taking away our ability to make our own decisions. The official episode breakdown: 4:10 - What is a Marketing Technologist and what makes them unique in the marketing field? 7:13 - How has focusing on technology been able to change the landscape of marketing? 10:47 - Is our data capable of measuring things like viral posts, likes, comments, etc, and align it with KPI’s of a business? 14:02 - In a world of data overload how can companies effectively gather and analyze it to be able to make better decisions? 16:10 - What kind of disadvantages do smaller businesses have in comparison to larger organizations because of the lack of access to data? (Or is there a disadvantage?) 20:05 - Has data changed the way larger organizations have to align their marketing teams? Is it making marketing less silo’d? 23:48 - When it comes to aligning sales with marketing efforts is the data better aligned with the results? 29:10 - Has technology helped to build a bridge between sales and marketing? And how can sales stop looking long-term vs. what’s happening immediately? 34:28 - When it comes to gathering this data, is this an IT dependent thing? Or who is responsible to pulling and analyzing this data? 36:10 - Where does data science fit within an organization, and where within an organization best fit? Does it belong near or within a marketing department? 40:10 - How are organizations working to develop these departments and determining where the data analytics best fit? 45:12 - Can this same data analytics be applied to politics? And will we see much more of this in future elections? 50:03 - Is technology actually passing the human capability of handling the data? Are we seeing data in a place where it twists facts to prove data? 55:17 - Is standard human nature going to make our ability to make our own decisions, almost impossible? Want to learn more about Brandee? Visit https://www.brandeesanders.com/

The Role of Emerging Tech in Marketing

We know Artificial Intelligence can help with decision making, but can it help in a crisis that we’ve never seen before like what we’re experiencing with COVID-19? In this episode, we talked to Gary Saarenvirta of Daisy Intelligence, which uses machine intelligence to help retailers and insurance companies use data to make better and smarter business decisions.   We talked about how companies can still use data when random events like COVID-19 happen. We also talked about what innovation means in the retail space, and how companies can make changes now that will set them up for a long term future, plus so much more.   Here is the official breakdown:   8:10 - We learn what Daisy Intelligence does, and how their technology is transforming the retail industry 13:10 - How does AI work when it comes to a black swan event like what we’re currently seeing in our current economy? Can this be predicted, and can companies utilize data to actually thrive in a moment like this? 11:15 - Are data modeling and AI the same thing (as they are many times interchanged terms) and if not, understanding the difference between the two? 15:58 - What’s the competitive edge for Daisy Intelligence customer’s when it comes to utilizing predictive analytics, and what kind of return can they see by being able to pivot based on this data? 17:30 - As we see a world-wide spread of changes, can this same data be used to not just optimize results, but predict results. 18:50 - As things begin to settle out of this increase in retail sales, what can companies do to make sure the fall of sales isn’t so drastic? 23:40 - When it comes to being able to implement a high-tech solution like Daisy’s, can small companies consider being able to add something like this to their work flow? 25:50 - In addition to cost, what kind of man power does it take to implement something like this? 28:30 - Are un-organized companies doomed in being able to take advantage of machine intelligence? 31:50 - Is Moore’s Law dead? Can this level of power continue to grow at the rate we’ve become used to? 31:36 - Many people fear AI because they feel that it will take away jobs. Is this true? And if not, how does AI actually benefit a workforce? 35:10 - What are the risks for a company when they’re just focusing on profitability? 37:58 - How can retailers actually focus on innovating, and how can AI intelligence help them  get there? 40:20 - When it comes to AI, why is 95% accuracy not a very impressive number? 45:10 - Will events like we’ve recently seen help retailers finally wake-up to the fact that they must invest in technology?  

Artificial Intelligence In Times of Crisis

Welcome to the Innovation Calling Podcast!This is the podcast where we’ll feature today’s top innovators who are revolutionizing their industries by utilizing technology.Our mission is to connect those looking to be part of the next big thing with those companies who are already making it happen.

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Innovation Calling

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