
Practical Pivots
Practical Pivots is the go-to source for startup leaders and investors asking, “What do we do next?”. Each episode, we talk with a wide array of experts to guide companies to disrupt the undisruptable, turn setbacks into scale-ups, and transform plateaus into pivots.
Latest episodes

Mar 17, 2021 • 40min
Stories and Sovereignty on the Information Super Highway with Sovrn CEO Walter Knapp
Hear how Sovrn is helping publishers remain independent and learn what's next in the world of content and e-commerce. Walter also explains the ingredients that make a city ripe for startups.

Mar 10, 2021 • 59min
Rory Sutherland with Practical Magic for a Hyper-Logical World
Learn the limits of logic and the implications for marketing. Rory also explains how to hire alchemists and shares some surprising examples of how humans aren't always as rational as we think we are.

Mar 3, 2021 • 47min
Bridging the Gap Between the Actual and Aspirational with Messaging Expert Tamsen Webster
Tamsen shares the marketing lessons she learned as a Weight Watchers leader, explains what your Red Thread is - and how to find it - and gives the best definition of messaging that Steve has ever heard.

Feb 24, 2021 • 43min
The Power of First-Party Data in a Cookie-less World with LiveIntent’s Nick Dujnic
Learn how to get more from your email list and why the channel is more important than ever. Nick also shares hows a theater degree set him up for marketing success and reveals the numbers behind his t-shirt obsession.

Feb 17, 2021 • 47min
Productizing Social Justice is a Good Thing: Inclusive Marketing with Lola Bakare
Lola explains why inclusive marketing needs to benefit not just society, but also your bottom line. She also shares examples of brands who got it right and lets Steve know that the only real risk in taking a stand is to his ego.

Feb 10, 2021 • 49min
Creating Colorful Oceans and Constant Discomfort with Drift’s David Cancel
Hear why purple oceans are better than blue and why being a CEO is part psychology, part politics. David also talks about the need to reinvent himself, the value of a commoditized market, and the strategy behind Drift.

Feb 3, 2021 • 46min
Photo Enclosed, Do Not Bend: Emails, Events, and Entrepreneurs with Ryan Deiss
Ryan shares why marketers need to get over themselves—and their fear of rejection. He also talks virtual events, how often to email, and gives a masterclass on marketing in the new world of digital art.

Jan 6, 2021 • 28min
Boldr's Suneet Bhatt on Entering 2021 Happy, Proud, and Not Yet Satisfied
Suneet gives an inspiring talk to kick off the new year, including the formula that keeps us from being happy and what we can do to lessen burnout. He also dives into Newtonian theory and why it's a bad model for OKR setting.

Dec 30, 2020 • 43min
From Reluctant Marketer to LatAm Inbound Powerhouse with Agency Owner Juan Carlos Hernandez
Juan Carlos explains the marketing differences between LatAm and the U.S. and how his agency recovered from a 39% drop at the start of the pandemic. He and Steve also swap tour guide stories and Spanish slang.

Dec 23, 2020 • 45min
Irrational Optimism and the Birth of Marketing Orchestration with NewsCred's Shaf Islam
NewsCred CEO Shaf walks us through the origins of content marketing and spills the story behind his company's recent transition to Welcome. He also shares his random fandom for the Tennessee Titans.