On the premier episode of the Retail Legends podcast, host Nicole Leinbach Reyhle sat down with some of the retail industry’s biggest names and prolific influencers at NRF 2020, Retail’s Big Show.Designed for retail leaders and retail lovers alike, The Retail Legends Podcast is a bi-weekly podcast designed to provoke thoughts, challenge ideas, encourage growth and, most importantly, offer leadership and insight to help retailers be both prepared and proactive to retail's always evolving and constantly demanding needs.From consumer expectations to store marketing strategies, operational tactics and the various technologies influencing retail right now, The RETAIL MINDED Podcast will not only discuss what is going on within the at-large retail landscape, but also offer more specific, action-oriented insight for retailers to apply to their unique businesses right away.To help do this, listeners of The Retail Legends Podcast can look forward to a new guest host every episode to explore their most burning questions related to retail, technology and the store experience. From big-box decision-makers to small business disruptors expect to step outside your comfort zone and into all the touchpoints that influence retail.

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Retail Legends: Introducing A New Retail Podcast

In this episode of Say Yes to Travel, Sarah Dandashy, Hospitality Concierge extraordinaire, discusses the rise of the ‘micro-cation’. A micro-cation is a term coined by Allianz Travel Insurance, and is defined as a leisure trip lasting fewer than 5 nights.For over a decade, Allianz has compiled their Vacation Confidence Index, surveying travelers on their vacation plans and spending while monitoring consumer perspectives on emerging travel trends. The trends and statistics that surfaced for 2019 were quite surprising:57% of Americans did not take a leisure trip longer than four nights in 2019.In fact, 72% of the Millennial, 69% of the Gen-Xer and 60% of the Baby Boomer generations took advantage of at least one micro-cation instead.Further, mini-vacations are rapidly replacing the traditional week-long vacations of the past, with almost 2 in 10 Americans (18%) stating that their longest trip in the last year was 3 to 4 nights, while 1 in 10 (11%) took trips that lasted no longer than 1 or 2 nights.With 25% of the general population and 29% of Millennials (1 in 3) saying that they took at least three micro-cations in the last year, micro-cations seem to be allowing Americans to travel more frequently.A huge fan of combining business and leisure trips—BLeisure trips, as she calls them—Dandashy states, “What we’re basically seeing is people just aren’t taking advantage of their vacation time, and so they’re really looking to add on to weekends and to really kind of like increase these little vacations.” She goes on to say, “Personally, what I love about this is it allows you to explore more destinations. Instead of now choosing that one long week a year or, you know, a week and a half and then you decide to go to whatever city, now, you can have these mini-vacations, and next thing you know, you’ve gone to five different cities in a year. And maybe you use like the same vacation time, but you got to experience so much more.”Hear Sarah Dandashy as she explains what drives longer vacations for the more seasoned generations, how micro-cations allow you to diversify your vacation eggs into several baskets, the untapped U.S. cities that lend themselves to micro-cations, and more by listening to the podcast.

The Rise of Microcations: Say Yes To Travel

Coming live from the 2020 TCEA Convention and Exposition floor held in Austin earlier this month, this episode of the MarketScale EdTech podcast, hosted by Online Learning Consultant J.W. Marshall, features Bob Wudeck, a 20-year veteran of the display industry and the Senior Director of Business Development at BenQ Corporation. Through people-driven, innovation-fueled products, services and solutions, BenQ empowers more interactive K-12 education.“When you’re looking at display technology for schools, you’re impacting a future generation,” says Wudeck. “Right now, we’re in the middle of a number of unique technology transitions in the classroom. What was the traditional paradigm of either a standalone projector on a screen or a proprietary whiteboard is kind of shifting into a much more fluid and dynamic environment.”Tune into the podcast now to hear more about the current trends transforming the Education sector and how one of BenQ’s best-selling multi-platform tools helped to solve a curriculum vs. technical issue for a school customer in rural Illinois.

TCEA 2020: Bob Wudeck, BenQ

On our new pro audio podcast, Noise Reduction, we chatted with MarketScale contributor and pro audio specialist Collyer Spreen. He’s just been at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show 2020 in Anaheim, CA, which he talked about recently. Today, we asked Spreen about Dolby Atmos.Defining this technology, Spreen describes Dolby Atmos as an “immersive experience.” Designed both for enhancing entertainment at home and for audio professionals, Dolby Atmos elevates sound quality to match the incredible visual experiences of modern entertainment devices.For example, Spreen explains how huge TVs became popular a few years ago and the visuals were stunning- but the sound was underwhelming. Dolby Atmos is an accessible way to get sound quality that matches visual advancements, like 4K television.Collyer explains Dolby Atmos is more than traditional surround sound, which set speakers to the front, left, right, and back of listeners. “There are speakers in the ceiling too,” he says of Dolby Atmos.To support the additional speakers and clarify sound instead of just making a space louder, Dolby Atmos is high-tech. Using percentages and distance, the technology decodes and distributes sound among a system to enhance the listening experience.

Noise Reduction: Dolby Atmos Is Enhancing Listening Experiences

Even in the earliest day of traditional classrooms, displays like chalkboards were important to the learning process. Companies like Epson have been providing modern display technology, like projects, to schools for more than 20 years. One of the challenges of this technology, however, is its maintenance requirements. Tom Piche, a project manager on Epson’s Education Team chatted with Marketscale host J.W. Marhsall about game-changing breakthroughs in projector technology during the annual TCEA conference. Laser projection, for instance, is the latest in display technology. Requiring virtually no maintenance, this projection technology is more cost-effective.Another benefit of Epson’s new and upcoming classroom display technology is versatility. Projectors that can integrate with interactive programs, be used on dry erase surfaces, and be put on the network for collaborative purposes are all examples.

TCEA 2020: Projecting Display Technology Into the Future

The 2020 edition of the TCEA Convention & Exposition took place recently, offering attendees a look at the future of education, and MarketScale Online Learning Consultant JW Marshall was in attendance to get a feel for the direction of the industry.Marshall was joined by Senior Content Marketing Manager for Screencast-O-Matic Christine Umayam, who is also an experienced journalist, writer and producer, for this episode of the MarketScale EdTech podcast.Screencast-O-Matic is a screencasting and video editing solution aimed at providing simple and intuitive tools to educators who need them most.Marshall and Umayam touched on video’s continued status as a key trend and factor in education as a new decade dawns, highlighting innovations and uses that are shaping the way we learn.Screencast-O-Matic recently launched mobile apps, making the solution multi-device and getting it in even more student hands – students can film video at home as part of assignments, create video tutorials and more.That mobile capability, Umayam said, leaves almost no excuse for educators not to leverage video to heighten the experience of their students.“You’re now putting the learning in students’ hands,” Umayam said. “They can record something at home, or they can access homework. … Teachers don’t have to always do all the work.”Umayam also identified the social aspect of video content as an important trend moving forward, as well as security surrounding greater interconnectivity and more.

TCEA 2020: Christine Umayam

The 2020 edition of the TCEA Convention & Exposition took place last week, offering attendees a look at the future of education, and MarketScale Online Learning Consultant JW Marshall was in attendance to get a feel for the direction of the industry.To that end, Marshall sat down with Brett Woudenberg, CEO of MIND Research Institute, the creators of ST Math, for this episode of the MarketScale EdTech podcast.ST Math is a game-based instructional software aimed at K-12 education and designed to “boost math comprehension and proficiency through visual learning.”Woudenberg, who’s spent nearly two decades in the education technology space, and Marshall dove into the differentiators of ST Math and trends in the education industry heading into the remainder of 2020 and beyond.

TCEA 2020: Brett Woudenberg, CEO of MIND Research Institute

On the second episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Greg Crumpton, people promoter, dot connector, technology enthusiast, Kaizen Practitioner and VP of Critical Facilities and Technology at Service Logic, is joined by David Jones, Co-Founder of Flexential—a hybrid IT solutions provider built on a people-first approach. In this podcast, these two titans of industry discuss the cornerstone of their business mentality—relationship-building—and how the bonds forged throughout their careers have aided in their success. A friend and business associate of Crumpton’s for more than 20 years, Jones explains that after a tour in Vietnam, his career in technology—which he amiably mentions has been strewn with both successes and failures along the way—began in the telephone industry some 40 years ago. After the breakup of the Bell system, he helped to grow a long distance entrepreneurial company which was later sold to MCI. From there, Jones helped startup and run several local telephone companies, built a fiber network from Atlanta to Columbus, GA, and eventually began working as a consultant, primarily in the southeast, “helping companies get into this thing called the internet” during the late 1990s. “I began to get the idea—because I was helping little ISPs collocate,” Jones says, “that you could have a facility and they would have to provide entrance facilities for you to connect into the network. And I began looking, thinking, ‘Hmm, this could work. This thing called data centers that I’m beginning to see come, that’s nothing but a central office basically.’ And a friend of mine—who’s still a very close friend named Nick Kottyan—showed up one day at my office and he said I’ve got an idea, and it turned out I had the same idea. So, we wrote a business plan and that business plan is ultimately what birthed Peak 10.” The two took their plan to an attorney who advised them that the business was going to be capital-intensive and that they should come back to him when they had between $1 and $2 million in financing. Within six weeks, the pair returned to the attorney with $1.5 million in hand. Astounded, the attorney asked how they had accomplished it. “Well, I haven’t burned a lot of bridges and I’ve made a lot of friends along the way, and those friends believed in me. And they know that the money they’re willing to put up—they have to be able to put a check in the trashcan if it doesn’t work.” Jones said. “That’s how we got started.” Backed by an additional $18 million from some private equity firms, and with Jones and Kottyan eventually at the helm, Peak 10 truly came into its own, selling two different times—once in 2010 for $400 million, and again in 2014 for $730 million. When people ask what the key was to Peak 10’s success, Jones replies, “Look, I’m not the smartest guy in the world. I have a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia—I’m not an engineer. But what I figured out was how to have about twelve really smart people play well in the sandbox together, and how to make that team have the same beliefs and have the same trust in themselves and the people we work with.” “Trust is my gold standard,” Crumpton agrees. “It was just really cool to hear that journey and how many of those moments involved people—from that initial $1.5 million raised with the friends and family around, and then being able to go out and raise $18 million locally—that’s just…that speaks to you and it speaks to the relationships.” Tune in to the podcast to hear more about the importance of relationships, the responsibility that goes with a title, the value of talented, decisive team players, the art of listening intently, and more. And stay tuned for more episodes of Straight Outta Crumpton coming soon.

Straight Outta Crumpton with David Jones, Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

This week, on “Say Yes to Travel,” host Sarah Dandashy shares about a recent Forbes article outlining 8 travel trends to expect in 2020. Working in the travel and hospitality industry, Dandashy shares her views as a professional as well as a traveler. Which travel trends will excite you most? Among the trends discussed, a few are not surprising because they’ve been developing for the past couple of years. For example, “microcations,” which are now dubbed “tiny trips,” have been growing in popularity. They are expected to continue to rise as people squeeze travel in long weekends instead of taking a whole week off for vacation. 

Say Yes To Travel: 8 Travel Trends for 2020

In this week’s episode of “Say Yes to Travel,” host Sarah Dandashy talks about the coronavirus and its staggering impact on travel. Viruses and infectious are nothing new, and we’ve seen before other illnesses impact tourism, including SARS.However, coronavirus is somewhat unique. While it’s not been as deadly as SARS, it’s much more contagious and has spread rapidly in a short period of time from first recorded cases in Wuhan, China. Its quick expansion has put a damper on what was shaping up to be a huge travel year.

As Coronavirus Spreads, Travel Takes a Pause: Say Yes To Travel

We’re kicking off a new podcast, Noise Reduction, that takes on everything pro audio. MarketScale contributor and pro audio specialist Collyer Spreen provided his take on this year’s National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show 2020 held recently in Anaheim, CA. The show covers anything and everything related to making music. Collyer shared that music was, of course, his first love. “Drums were my passion from an early age, and music led me to my current career as a ‘gear enabler’ and trusted advisor in the industry.” In his role as a pro audio specialist, he’s been a regular at the NAMM show for years. So in a world where information is available instantaneously, why are shows like this still important? Collyer said, “It comes down to relationships. I’m always excited to see the new gear and test it out, but I go to keep building my relationships.” At a show where you can find everything from instruments to software to sheet music, it’s certainly a sensory experience. “Understanding how new gear works and listening to vendors project their excitement. That’s really special.” In a digital world, relationships still matter, in any industry. Collyer attends to keep learning about his craft and getting the intel on what’s out there and what it can do. Check out all of Collyer’s insights along with some new gear that will make an impact in 2020.

Pro Audio Expert Offers Recap on 2020 NAMM Show: Noise Reduction with Collyer Spreen

Welcome to the first episode of Say Yes to Travel, hosted by award-winning concierge and travel expert, Sarah Dandashy. Sarah will be exploring all things travel, including trends and what makes the industry tick. Today’s show focuses on tips to ensure you keep your 2020 travel resolutions.Sarah shares that travel is on the uptick as people have begun to focus on experiences over things.Here are her tips to make sure 2020 is a year of travel for you.Use your vacation days: Did you know that 55% of U.S. workers don’t use all their vacation days? Crazy, right. We often get caught up in the day to day and forget to take a break, but taking the time to relax, explore, and change your view can help you reset.Take micro-cations: Maybe you don’t have the time or money to travel across the world, but you can plan shorter trips to nearby cities and states. Make use of those long weekends where you already have a day off.Start to save: Cost is one of the biggest inhibitors to travel. Make a point to put aside a small amount regularly, and soon you’ll have the cash you need to say yes to travel.Use your points: There are so many great travel credit cards out there that can help you with flights and hotels. Don’t forget about your frequent flyer miles and free hotel nights, either.Travel solo: If finding the perfect travel companion is keeping you from seeing the world, do it on your own. Then it’s truly your vacation.Get help: If you aren’t sure where to go or how to get there, work with a travel agent. Their knowledge and expertise can assist you in making decisions.Book responsibly: Plan ahead and think about travel insurance to protect your trip in case something happens.Get more tips and great information from Sarah by listening to the podcast and stay tuned for new episodes of Say Yes to Travel.

Say Yes To Travel: Keep Your 2020 Travel Resolutions

GrubHub announced the release of Ultimate, a software and hardware application that streamlines the online ordering and food pickup process for restaurants and customers. Diners have come to expect ordering ahead for pickup to breeze through busy rush hour crowds and grab their morning coffee or lunch, but currently they can only enjoy this convenience at large QSRs. Ultimate now gives restaurants of any size this ability to please diners with an easy, digital pickup experience,” GrubHub CEO Matt Maloney said in a press release. Ultimate is a four-part system that streamlines the process for restaurants, allowing them to provide the best possible customer experience for pickup orders. It's a four-part system that includes everything from point of sale hardware to order retrieval software for the kitchen. Listen to Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern discuss this new innovation in the restaurant industry on this excerpt from Business Casual.Tune in to MarketScale Radio LIVE every Wednesday and Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT for Business Casual with Tyler Kern and Daniel Litwin. From interest rates to esports – we’ll be talking all things B2B. 

GrubHub Offers New Platform for Food Pickup: Business Casual

The recent hack of a cell phone belonging to Jeff Bezos and the ensuing investigation into the party responsible for it has underscored the importance of cybersecurity. Experts have called into question the findings of FTI Consulting, the firm hired by Bezos to investigate the incident. FTI concluded that the hack occurred as a result of a WhatsApp message from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern discuss this story and the fallout from it on this excerpt from Business Casual. Tune in to MarketScale Radio LIVE every Wednesday and Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT for Business Casual with Tyler Kern and Daniel Litwin. From interest rates to esports – we’ll be talking all things B2B.

The Jeff Bezos Hack Underlines Importance of Cybersecurity: Business Casual

By early February, we should know whether or not the carrier industry will be left with three key players: AT&T, Verizon, and on the horizon, a merged Sprint and T-Mobile. The merger, though it's been approved by the DOJ and the FCC, has been tied up in a lawsuit issued by state attorneys general from over a dozen states, who claim the merger would be anti-competitive for the carrier market. Why are the two companies, Sprint and T-Mobile, trying to merge, what's the context behind the lawsuit, and what are the potential long-lasting effects for the industry? On this episode of Ratified, a MarketScale show on the intersection of business and policy, Voice of B2B Daniel Litwin dives into the proposed merger of the mobile giants and the implications such a merger would have on the wider world of communication. Litwin was joined by Lawrence J. White, a Robert Kavesh Professor of Economics at the NYU Stern School of Business, and by Hugh Odom, who serves as the president of cell-tower consulting firm Vertical Consultants. Odom also served as an attorney for AT&T's Western U.S. Region for a decade. White and his extensive expertise in anti-trust economics offered his perspective on the specifics of the U.S. Department of Justice's proposed remedy, the reversal of initial pushback from the DOJ on behalf of the market and consumer through the addition of Dish as a fourth carrier, and why White views the proposed solution as insufficient. Odom then joined Litwin to offer the industry's perspective as an expert knee-deep in the telecom industry, Odom spoke to the potential positive and negative impacts of such a high-profile merger, how carriers, infrastructure and consumers will feel the effects of the partnership, and more. For more on Ratified, follow Daniel Litwin on Twitter at @VoiceOfB2B and subscribe to MarketScale Radio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

What a Sprint & T-Mobile Merger Means for Carriers and Consumers (Episode 4)

MarketScale is bringing you the best B2B audio content from our studios in Dallas, TX. With relevant industry interviews and shows like Business Casual, Business Class, and the Mecca Minute, we're unpacking the most industry-shaking B2B news, tips, and trends. Whether you're looking for casual content or professional ponderings, MarketScale is your ultimate workday companion.

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