Episode 63: Rick Braddock - Accomplished Executive, Investor and Former CEO of Priceline

Welcome to Episode 63 of The VentureFizz Podcast, the flagship podcast from the leading authority for jobs & careers in the tech industry. For this episode of our podcast, I interviewed Rick Braddock, a highly accomplished executive and investor. Although most people are familiar with William Shatner of Star Trek fame, there are certainly lots and lots of people who also remember him as the pitchman from Priceline. He was partly paid in stock options and helped build massive consumer awareness for this company. The idea for bringing in Shatner was Rick Braddock’s, and he shares a really funny story on how that all came together. Rick has several years of experience as an executive at large corporations and startups, where his marketing mindset has helped launch several successful products with massive consumer adoption. He’s currently involved as an investor and chairman of the board at multiple companies like Pypestream, Gravy Analytics, and Linkstorm. In this episode of our podcast, we cover lots of great topics like: -Rick’s early background in brand management at General Foods where he led brands like Tang, Stove Top Stuffing, Shake n Bake, and others. -How he grew Citi’s credit card division to be the largest in the world in three years. -The story of Priceline, one of the fastest growing companies from the dot-com era that still exists today. -The evolution of FreshDirect and how he leveraged state-of-the-art digital marketing to help turn the company around. -His experience as an investor, and what he looks for when investing in a company. -What mistakes businesses and investors make when trying to build a lasting brand. -Plus, a lot more. Ok - quick side note. I have some awesome news to share. As 2019 is here, we are going to be publishing a new episode of The VentureFizz Podcast featuring a NY Tech founder, executive or investor every Thursday! So, if you have been enjoying this podcast, we are doubling up the content with an episode from Boston on Mondays and now a new episode from New York on Thursdays. Enjoy! Lastly, if you like the show, please remember to subscribe to and review us on iTunes, or your podcast player of choice!