The Joyous Podcast

Mastering Market Positioning: Insights from the GOAT of Positioning

Mike Carden chats with April Dunford, a leading expert on product positioning in the B2B tech industry. April shares her journey from aspiring doctor to becoming a renowned marketer and author of two seminal books, 'Obviously Awesome' and 'Sales Pitch'. April dives into aspects of competitive positioning, the difference between positioning and messaging, and the strategic use of storytelling in sales. April also covers the importance of engaging internal teams in the positioning process and sheds light on the impact of trends like AI on market positioning. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/ https://www.aprildunford.com/ Key moments: (00:00) Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:24) April Dunford's Books and Their Origins (03:20) April's Career Journey and Early Experiences (06:30) Developing a Positioning Methodology (12:17) The Importance of Positioning in Marketing and Sales (17:36) Sales Pitch and Storytelling in Sales (28:37) Impact of Positioning on Internal Teams (31:32) The Role of Trends in Positioning (36:27) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Aligning Customer Experience and Employee Motivation, the past present and future with Rob Markey

Mike chats to Rob Markey, the acclaimed co-author of 'The Ultimate Question', a key developer of the Net Promoter System (NPS) and "The Vince Lombardi of Customer Experience". Discover insights into customer loyalty, the origins and evolution of NPS, and the pivotal role of simplicity and actionable feedback in transforming customer experience. Rob shares personal stories, his thoughts on common mistakes in customer feedback strategies, and his vision for the future of customer and employee experience in a tech-driven world. (00:37) Introducing Rob Markey: The Vince Lombardi of Customer Loyalty (03:40) Rob Markey's Origin Story: From Meat Purveyor Grandson to Customer Loyalty Guru (08:04) The Birth of Net Promoter Score (NPS): A Revolution in Customer Loyalty (12:43) The Evolution of NPS: From Concept to Global Standard (20:38) The Impact of NPS on Business and Beyond (33:51) Exploring the Link Between Employee Engagement and Customer Experience (45:59) The Future of Customer Experience and Loyalty (49:26) Closing Thoughts and Reflections

The only constant is change: Transformation in the film industry

Vince Pizzica, a former executive at Technicolor, shares personal stories of navigating change and envisioning the future in the fast-evolving media landscape. Learn more about the inside history of Technicolor and its role in the industry, as well as the constant flux and disruption in the entertainment industry. Discover how Vince's strategic thinking and innovative approaches helped navigate Technicolor through industry upheavals, and what he predicts for the intersection of AI, content creation, and audience engagement. “Sometimes, transformation is as simple as understanding the technology disruptions that are going to occur, and anticipating how you can ride that curve.” About Vince Pizzica: Vince has 30 years of versatile senior leadership experience spanning corporate development, operations and technology. His background includes recent success in strategy consulting as well as C-suite roles at multibillion-euro global corporation, Technicolor SA (formerly Thomson SA). Key moments: (00:00) Introduction and Background (01:20) Technicolor and the Media Industry (05:14) Vince's Career Journey (09:32) Transformation in the Media Industry (11:30) Constant Flux in the Entertainment Industry (17:47) Vision for the Future of Media (20:07) Historical Perspective on Media Industry Decline (22:17) Current Inflection Point in the Industry (24:54) Monetizing Content in the Digital Age (28:54) Impact of Actors' Strike on Content Production (30:47) Changing Consumer Behavior in the Entertainment Industry (32:37) The Role of AI in Content Production (35:40) Likeness Licensing and the Impact of AI on Content (38:38) Summary and Conclusion

The Courage to Change: challenging existing models for strategy and innovation

Mike talks to Gary Hamel about reimagining organizations by unlocking frontline expertise, developing leaders at all levels, overcoming bureaucracy through new models, and harnessing collective insights in strategy and innovation. Fortune magazine describes Gary as “the world’s leading expert on business strategy”. He is ranked by The Wall Street Journal as the world’s most influential business thinker and is a fellow of the World Economic Forum. He is on the faculty of the London Business School and the author of several books including Humanocracy [https://www.humanocracy.com/]. * Leadership and organizational design with Gary Hamel. (0:04) * Strategy development and implementation in large organizations. (0:56) * Organizational inertia and pioneering new markets. (5:57) * Innovation, strategy, and the auto industry. (10:41) * Leadership, innovation, and disruption in the business world. (15:26) * Leadership development and the need for more opportunities to lead. (19:36) * Leadership and organizational culture in the tech industry. (24:34) * Unlocking employee potential for business growth. (27:47) * Leadership and organizational change. (32:47) * Bureaucracy and organizational structure. (37:41) * Leadership, innovation, and challenging conventional wisdom. (42:51)

Empathy at Scale: how human connections drive success at work with Nate Edwards

In this episode Mike talks to Nate Edwards about his unexpected career path from English teacher to telecommunication industry EVP. They discuss how Nate’s background in the field - including time up a pole - has been pivotal in connecting with front-line workers and addressing their challenges with empathy. Nate also shares how his experience using Joyous at various companies to gather ideas has improved processes, made feedback more proactive and predictive, and helped front-line workers feel more valued. About Nate Edwards Nate is the EVP of Field Operations at Altice USA. He has over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, holding roles in field operations, service delivery, enterprise customer support, and transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-edwards-71018216/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-edwards-71018216/] Key moments * Introduction to Nate Edwards. (0:05) * How did you get into the phone company? (2:19) * Using Joyous to improve employee engagement and operational efficiency. (7:12) * How to improve employee experience. (11:40) * Who is the real driver of change? (13:59) * The value of running a campaign. (18:19) * Predictive proactive recommendations on campaigns. (22:48) * Do you think having worked “up the pole” is your superpower? (26:36)