- 17
- Episodes
- 1
- Ratings
- 2021
- First episode
About Business Drivers by Fahren
Stories and insights from innovative leaders who are driving digital transformation. newsletter.cuene.com (https://newsletter.cuene.com?utm_medium=podcast)
- Publisher
- Jim Cuene
- Category
- business · business
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 15 Nov 2021
- Latest episode
- 8 May 2024
Latest episodes
17 episodes in the feed.
8 May 2024
Leading with Your Why; Networking for Good - Kurt Schmidt
Our guest for this episode is Kurt Schmidt, a long time leader in the software development space. He’s a partner at Foundry, an innovation and design firm that helps companies grow through better experiences. Kurt also have a popular podcast the Schmidt List. He’s also an author and expert on networking to grow your career. In this talk we go a little deep into Kurt's story, how he his start as a pro BMXer, a small business owner and the lessons he learned as the son of a small business owner who was also a pastor. You’ll also get some great tips on how to be a better listener while networking, and you’ll get a great sense of how a purpose-led leader connects over empathy, honesty and desire to put good out into the world. Hope you like this convo with Kurt! You can buy his book "the Little Book of Networking: How to Grow Your Career One Conversation at a Time (https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Networking-Career-Conversation/dp/1634895835)" on Amazon, here (https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Networking-Career-Conversation/dp/1634895835). You can reach Kurt via: His website: https://kurtschmidt.me/ (https://kurtschmidt.me/) His consulting group: https://schmidtconsulting.group/ (https://schmidtconsulting.group/) Foundry: https://www.foundrymakes.com/ (https://www.foundrymakes.com/) His podcast: https://kurtschmidt.me/schmidtlist/ (https://kurtschmidt.me/schmidtlist/) Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/schmidtlist (https://www.youtube.com/c/schmidtlist)
2 Feb 2024
An Accelerator for Human Centered Leaders - Alison Gretz
Alison Gretz has been an artist, a designer, a UX expert, a product team leader and, now, a coach and teacher for Human Centered leaders. This is a great conversation about the difference between teacher, coach, mentor and advocate. Also, we learn how to develop a sense of curiosity and fearlessness in your team. Finally, we address burnout and how to get through it. Alison offers coaching and cohort-driven classes for those focused onhuman-centered work like product leaders, designers and UX teams. Recently, she's introduced an "Accelerator" for design professionals. You can learn more about Alison and her offerings at designbydesign.co (designbydesign.co)
30 Nov 2022
Leilani Bloomquist - Building Teams in a Time of Transformation
Today our Guest is Leilani Bloomquist (mailto:leilani@leilanibloomquist.com), an independent consultant who focuses on digital transformation, product team leadership and innovation. Leilani is sort of a quadruple threat: She knows innovation She knows product development and management She knows how to guide change in an org And, she’s seen the good and bad of digital transformation I really appreciated this talk. The clarity of Leilani’s thinking, the empathy and intelligence she brings to her work shouldn’t be surprising given all the work she’s done in education and healthcare. She’s also got unique insights into doing transformational product work in highly regulated industries like healthcare and financial services. I think you’ll find that she’s got a cool ability to help teams be in two places at once: The practical reality of now, and the optimistic opportunity of the future. And, as someone that has a love/hate relationship with jargon I really liked her points on mentorship, helping teams find a common language to cut through the fog of jargon.
18 Aug 2022
Olivia Luterbach - The Evolution of a Digital Strategist, from Contributor to Leader
Our guest for this podcast is Olivia Luterbach (mailto:olivia@superhuman.agency), Director of Strategy at Superhuman. This was a lot of fun, because we got meta, so I got to nerd out with a strategist about how strategists do strategy. We covered some of the stuff you might expect, like briefs and why Olivia doesn’t use them - but we got some interesting answers to familiar questions. We talked about how the job of a strategist is to find the right problem to solve, and how digital strategy is becoming, ultimately, a holistic business strategy. We also talked about the benefits of working with private equity backed firms and the unique needs they’ve got. We also talked how startups inside large orgs are different than other startups. Finally, we talk about the transition to strategy leadership vs. being an individual contributor. This one was so good even I listened to it twice. Thanks for tuning in.
11 Aug 2022
Scott Allen - Digital Leadership in the Financial Services Industry
Our guest for this podcast is Scott Allen Scott is the vice president of interactive marketing and strategy at Ameriprise Financial. At Ameriprise, Scott leads a broad team that focuses on creating great digital experiences that drive results for clients and some prospects. Disclosure here, Scott and I worked together on the same team at Ameriprise a while back, so we've got a working history. I love this conversation for a couple of reasons. One, it's a great example of how modern organizations are dealing with digital transformation, especially transformations that have been going on for a while. Additionally, this is a good peek into how firms and highly regulated industries are working to build agility. We also get into the role of senior leaders and how in this case, they're doing a great job of providing support to the grassroots efforts to weave new ways of working into the org. There's also a super nugget in here about the rationale for moving to product orgs and how it came from the top hint. Your finance folks will get anxious listening to this, and you're gonna like it. So thanks for tuning in.
4 Aug 2022
Pooja Newcom - From Finance to Product Teams; Driving Transformation in Large Orgs
Our guest for this podcast Pooja Newcom. Pooja is a people, process and tech transformation leader for large organizations. She’s coaching organizations - mostly tech and finance orgs - through difficult, but necessary transformations. Pooja got her start in finance, but quickly moved into roles where change is apparent, but transformation is critical: Transformation of objectives, the process, the way people work. The majority of her recent work has been with tech orgs who are moving to product teams, while still managing a portfolio of projects I loved this talk! It’s rare to get a chance to go deep with a leader who understands all the drivers of organizational effectiveness. We talked about how to convince the marketing and finance orgs why its so important to move to the product model, and we got some really clear insights into the power of product teams that persist and stay together over time. And, we got a great set of answers about the issues of funding your product team, too. Pooja is super smart and I learned a ton from this talk. She gave me a little free coaching on how to develop my own EQ. We should all be so lucky to have such a versatile leader working with us when we’re driving change in the org.
28 Jul 2022
Maura Charles - Product Leadership in Complex Organizations
Our guest for this podcast is Maura Charles! Maura is a consultant who focuses on Digital Product management, Product coaching, and helping leaders figure out how to make important business transformations. We cover a lot of ground, here, touching on organization awareness, getting more effectiveness as a team, and how leaders can learn to navigate through orgs (i.e. finding your way through matrix). We talk about how it’s actually possible to teach this skill! And, we also hit on the topic of how to talk to your team as the company is navigating hard org events. I might also pitch this discussion as another in what is turning into a miniseries of Business Drivers, liberal Arts people who ended up in digital leadership roles. So, english/writing/rhetoric majors, here’s another case study of book nerds who made good.
24 Jul 2022
Jason Meyer - Program Leader for Digital Transformation Programs
Our guest is Jason Meyer. Jason is consultant that specializes in helping large organizations manage tech and software implementation programs that drive digital transformation. I wanted to talk to Jason to hear front line stories of leading and managing complex change. He’s in the middle of these programs, leading up and leading “around”, making the whole thing go. This interview has two parts, but only one of them was recorded! In the first part, the recorded one, we talked about the work of actually driving the program forward itself. Not the big fancy ideas *behind* a digital transformation effort, but the day to day of moving the actual work through the org. It’s not the sexy fancy stuff, but it’s the critical work that any good program needs. Turns out, successful program leadership requires the good old fashioned skills of relationship building, communication, gathering *everyone’s* input and a healthy dose of humor. After we turned off the mics, we ended up talking about a couple keys to success, that will sound familiar: Managing fear of failure, how to lead “up” via candor and direct conversations and why icebreakers should be in every program leaders toolbox. so we’ll probably need to do a part 2. Jason’s been in the center of a some really challenging transformation efforts, so I was glad to get him on the mic. Hope you enjoy this conversation!
24 Mar 2022
Jen Swanson - Product Leadership tips from a Guide to CTOs - Ep 008
Our guest for this episode is Jen Swanson. I think Jen might be one of best networked tech leader in the Twin Cities. We're very fortunate that we get to work closely with her on some of our best engagements at Fahren. Jen’s got a great track record as a product leader at organizations like Optum, Childrens Hospital, Capella and others. As you’ll hear, she started as an educator, and as it turns out, she’s still an educator, just in a different forum. I really appreciated all the practical useful wisdom here about the transition to digital product teams and how to make that transformation happen. She shares some great insights intoo the role emotional intelligence plays, and how it’s required to stay resilient in the face of continuous change. And, i’m stealing her phrase “the frozen Middle”. You can find Jen at jenswanson.net (jenswanson.net) and on twitter @jgswanson (twitter.com/jgswanson)
27 Jan 2022
Jason Scherschligt - Product Leadership in Times of Change - Ep 007
Our guest for this episode is Jason Scherschligt. Jason is a consultant with Solution Design Group in Minneapolis. Before SDG, Jason did some great product strategy work at Edmentum, GoKart Labs, Capella, Jostens and Star Tribune. At Fahren, we spend a lot of time talking with product leaders about how to get things moving in orgs, so Jason’s insights into the methods and approaches he uses were really helpful to me as we work to support product leaders and marketing teams. As a fellow liberal arts major, I appreciate his ability to make connections that others might not see and his thoughtful assessment of what’s going on in our space. He also shared some good perspective on how managers can evolve their leadership styles for new and smarter ways of working. Apologies in advance for the side-track into the world of Mellville, whaling and unreadable novels. But, that’s what happens when you get two english majors in a zoom. You can follow Jason on Twitter at @Searchlight5. Hope you enjoy this talk with Jason Scherschligt!
20 Jan 2022
Sue Serna - The Importance of Governance in Social Media - Episode 006
Our guest on this episode is Sue Serna founder and owner of Serna Social (https://www.sernasocial.com/). Sue is kind of a stealthy wizard in the world of social media and she’s got a cool specialty: How to run governance efforts in multi-brand or muti-business orgs, Like Cargill, where she spent 9 years guiding their social media safety efforts. She’s a nationally recognized expert on the non-sexy, behind the scenes work that prevents large orgs from doing dumb stuff on social media while they try to do great things. A lot of execs think it’s just sort of magic how the messages get created and run, but you just need one rogue post to see the importances of coordinated Governance. Sue’s the expert on that. You can find Sue at sernasocial.com and on twitter @sernasocial (https://twitter.com/sernasocial) This talk was another in my efforts to get smarter about social media - what’s happening, what’s new, what’s old, ahead of 2022. We talked a lot about governance, but also how to keep execs up to date on the landscape and to help them learn how to evaluate the work their team is doing. Sue made a point similar to Arik Hanson, that the social media team doesn’t get the support and recognition they deserve. So, send some appreciation to your social team. And, just to prove some topics never get old, we talked about which budgets social media should come from. You’ll hear that Sue’s got a ton of energy and passion for this stuff. Learned a ton from her and I hope we get to do part 2, soon!
13 Jan 2022
Arik Hanson - Improving Your Social Media Strategies for 2022 - #005
You probably know Arik from his thoughtful posts on Linked or his blog at Arik Hanson (https://arikhanson.com/blog/). Or, you might know him from his long running, well respected podcast with Kevin Hunt, the Hunt and Hanson Podcast (https://hansonandhunt.com/). Arik is a social media pro that has a strong focus on corporate messaging and communications. But, he’s a font of knowledge for all sorts of topics related to social media. He’s been a successful independent social media consultant for the last 12 years, but has been driving brands and businesses forward as a marketer for 25 years. He’s a pro’s pro. This talk was part of our efforts to get smarter about social media - what’s happening, what’s new, what’s old, ahead of 2022. Arik got me to re-think the role of a private community for brands, and he made some really good points about the way social drives your brand forward beyond acquisition. And, i love LOVE his reminder of how hard the role of a social media leader is. I’ve been harping on that since this talk. You can find Arik at ArikHanson.com or on twitter at https://twitter.com/arikhanson (https://twitter.com/arikhanson). And, you can find Arik's podcast at https://hansonandhunt.com/
7 Dec 2021
Ponara Eng - Content Marketing in 2022
Ponara Eng is an exemplar of the modern marketer: At home talking about brand fundamentals - Consumers, insights, need states, beliefs, positioning - but also, all the modern, digital elements of brand building, from ecommerce to content strategy. He’s recently joined Realty Group in Minneapolis as theVP of Marketing. Prior to Realty Group, he was leading digital marketing at Cambria and if you’ve seen any of their digital work, you know he and the team there have good taste and make highly effective content. I love how he thinks: He’s disciplined, but curious and flexible.
15 Nov 2021
Kristen Findley - Google and the Cookie issue
Our guest for this episode is Kristen Findley.Kristen and I are longtime colleagues, going all the way back to my first real digital job when we were literally teaching people about the web and how it works. Kristen’s come a long way and now she’s a trusted, super thoughtful insights and strategy leader! Most recently, she has been working with clients on their marketing data strategy as head of Media Optimization & Performance at Ciceron. She’s also led digital analytics and insights at Ameriprise, and leading strategy engagements at agencies like Aimea and Bolin. I wanted to talk with Kristen specifically because I wanted to get her take on the Google cookie depreciation situation. And, what it might mean for marketers and their budgets in 2022. Obviously, things have changed a bit since Google pushed their deadlines back a bit. But, still lots to learn from this conversation. You can follow Kristen on twitter at @kdfindley
15 Nov 2021
Clint Perez - Getting Back to the Basics for 2022
In our conversation with Clint Perez, we discussed getting back to work and committing to getting the basics correct. We worked through some of the cookie changes Google has been working on and Clints candid take (i.e. a “nothingburger”) is a breath of fresh air! Clint Perez is a best Buy-bred Consumer Marketer who is experienced in generating demand across multiple consumer and B2B categories. Clint excels at finding and using consumer insights that drive truly differentiated brands and brand experiences. As a leader, he activates his team with purpose. He’s passionate about technology and growth oriented companies. He’s led work at Best Buy (retail), New Era (consumer brand), LivingSocial (ecommerce), Neustar (data, media planning, activation and measurement). Outside of work, he’s a volunteer and board member, an active blogger, and a mentor to early stage companies. You can find Clint on Twitter at @clintperez and on Medium at https://clintperez.medium.com/ (https://clintperez.medium.com/).
15 Nov 2021
Craig Pladson - Modern Marketing in 2022
Craig Pladson is definitely the exemplar of the modern marketer. He’s a great brand strategist, has a really good touch for creative and brand voice, and can also build out compelling content and digital media programs. He’s a natural leader, guiding marketing teams and advising senior business leaders. I’ve been lucky to work with him in a couple different places: At General Mills, where he worked on the Big G cereal digital portfolio and then at GoKart Labs, where he led digital product strategy for some of GoKart’s most critical clients. He was previously at Ovative, a great data driven marketing firm in Minneapolis, where he helped grow the marketing team there. Now, he’s gone indy, working as a consultant with a variety of companies here in town, including with the good folks at Antenna, at St. Thomas and others. He’s also teaching at the U. And, if that’s not enough, he’s got his own podcast, called the Blend. This was a pretty wide ranging talk, touching on test/learn, committing to your team and what NOT to focus on as you’re building your plan for next year. You can find Craig at: https://craigpladson.com/ (https://craigpladson.com/) @craigpladson https://craigpladson.com/the-blend
15 Nov 2021
Introduction: Welcome to Business Drivers by Fahren
An introduction to the Business Drivers series by Fahren. A brief overview of what we're doing and why. think of this as an audio "Letter from the Editor" at Fahren. You can learn more about Fahren at hellofahren.com (https://hellofahren.com). You can follow Fahren on Twitter at @hellofahren.com Jim Cuene, the host, can be found at @jcuene
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