Politely Pushy with Eric Chemi

And with that, the 2023 season comes to an end. But what’s the benefit of jumping into the new year without proper reflection of the past 365 days? Ken Jacobs returns to the Politely Pushy podcast to give a masterclass in leadership.In his conversation with Eric, Ken discusses the steps to lead through a downturn expertly – something many leaders have faced this year. The PR, communications, and marketing coach and consultant also shares his expert yet simple process for forging ahead to keep fear at bay and stay the course to meet business goals. Keep an eye out for the fifth season of Ken’s podcast, “Taking the Lead,” which begins airing in January 2024.

When Jonathan Evans, Founder of KinectAir, isn’t building software that charters Pilatus PC-12 aircraft on a KinectAir flight, he’s chatting with Eric on a new Politely Pushy episode.Jonathan dives into the novelty of regional air mobility and the niche KinectAir occupies in on-demand private charter: accessibility and decreased environmental impact. He also explains how a strong team behind the company’s flight experience, from concierge to software developers to FAA-certified operators to licensed pilots, provides the trustworthy and safe offering that passengers have been looking for.Dreaming of flying private? Get a bird’s-eye view from Jonathan of all that KinectAir has to offer plus the unveiling of an unreleased product that’s waiting in the wings.

Data privacy, ESG, AI? Laurence Evans of Reputation Leaders and Eric cover it all and more on today’s Politely Pushy episode! AI has veered its head once more, this time as a major ESG issue - I know, we’re as surprised as you are. According to Laurence, AI has proven to be more of an opportunity than a threat with limitless possibilities, but the question on everyone’s mind really is: What is AI really being used for? From driving workplace efficiency to creating job opportunities in the tech space, AI is dominating today’s digital revolutions and will continue to do so for decades to come. However, perception isn’t always what it seems when it comes to emerging tech, and Laurence has the numbers to prove it: • 48% of Americans see AI as more of a threat than an opportunity• Two-thirds of Americans believe American companies should be working to protect personal data• Social Media is seen as the fifth biggest threat to American securityTune in to learn more about Laurence’s survey findings and what they mean for how businesses today are shaping their internal strategies to maintain ESG standards - standards that continue to evolve with the rise of emerging technologies.

Dan Head is the brand new CEO of Phrasee, the AI-based digital marketing company. One of the first things on his to-do list: a sit down with Politely Pushy. Dan tells Eric why he took the job, what his role as CEO will be, and the priorities he’ll be focusing on. He also explains where he thinks the future is for brands and AI companies alike, along with some of the obstacles that still exist despite generative AI going mainstream in the past year.  Phrasee has been around a lot longer than ChatGPT, and Dan gives us his take for what makes his new company uniquely different from everything else on the market.

We’re joined today by Adriel Sanchez from WalkMe. Adriel is ready to talk shop…and how we should view the hype around AI. He shares the concerns of many about what all-automated-everything might mean for our future. Adriel explains that we’re not that far off from a very transformative experience. That’s where WalkMe comes in. The company has been in the change management business for a while, helping companies introduce changes to their employees. WalkMe’s role in workplace transformation doesn’t end there. As the category creator and leader in DAPs (Digital Adoption Platforms - I know, we love tech acronyms), WalkMe is uniquely positioned to revolutionize the way companies manage and implement software across the tech stack. While it may sound more complicated than it is, it all comes down to one goal: increasing employee productivity while decreasing digital friction. With emerging tech taking a front-row seat in today’s enterprise world, digital adoption is more critical than ever. To learn more about how DAPs are the workplace MVPs, listen in!

If you’ve ever been a victim of data hacking or a privacy leak, this one’s for you! Today we’re talking about data privacy with Ryan Lasmaili, CEO of Vaultree. Ryan is driven to solve major cybersecurity problems with his biggest undertaking to date: solving today’s and tomorrow’s data encryption and protection challenges. With a background in financial mathematics, how did he come to be the person to tackle these issues? Ryan is a victim of data hacking himself--when he was a student, his account was hacked and he lost (of all things) his drinking money, so he looked into it. What resulted was a better understanding of how we behave and an attempt to forecast the future. It turns out that his work in economics and computer science is a key component of that. Want to learn more? Listen to Ryan’s conversation on Politely Pushy with Eric Chemi.

After years of working in the real estate industry, Thomas Ma saw the shift toward large proptech and decided to develop a new way for agents to showcase their listings. REAL Messenger (REAL) is the No. 1 social app for real estate, and Thomas’ goal, he says, is to make agents’ lives easier. One way that REAL is shaking up the space is adding a video feature to listings that give buyers more than the standard picture perfect photos and a description from the listings agent. Thomas joins the Politely Pushy Podcast to talk about his background, the state of the industry and what he sees for the future proptech, real estate and AI and REAL.

Our conversation with Sheena Iyengar is a lesson in creativity and power. Sheena is an author, professor and “expert on choice and decision-making.” Her book "Think Bigger: How to innovate" has just been released, after her breakthrough award-winner "The Art of Choosing". Today she speaks with Eric about how to maximize your potential, the importance of finding out what happens when others see your ideas, and why all innovation starts with having a problem. Sheena also explains that the real “power of choice” came less from her ability to pick and find, and more from her ability to create new choices…and the ability to create comes from our ability to imagine plus our ability to pick and find. The real power of choice, according to her, is in our ability to invent. For more on that, check out Sheena’s episode of Politely Pushy.

Bospar’s Curtis Sparrer and Cannes’ most famous drag queen Michael Sanchez AKA  Holly White are both joining us on today’s episode of Politely Pushy. When Curtis attended Cannes Lions last year, he noticed there wasn’t any LGBTQIA+ nightclubs for attendees. This year, he took a page from Bospar’s tech clients (who are always looking to meet a need) and launched a pop-up LGTBQIA+ bar for anyone interested in a safe space. This couldn’t have come at a better time as US brands are facing pushback for their support of the LGBTQIA+ community. Curtis found the perfect partner in Michael, who is about to open a cabaret with his husband. Michael’s alter ego Holly White is a master on stage, performing and DJ-ing all genres of music into the early hours of the morning. Interested in seeing Mika on stage? Join us for our Cannes Lions PR Afterparty at Club Courage with PRWeek’s Steve Barrett: 9pm CET June 21st at L’Experience on 4 Rue Bivouac Napoléon, 06400 Cannes, France. For more information and to RSVP, visit bospar.com/Cannes/

Today we’re tackling a new subject for Politely Pushy: fertility and family planning. “It’s a human experience,” says Tamar Knoller when speaking about infertility. It’s not just for the LGBTQIA+ community, or for 40-year old women, and that’s a myth that HRC Fertility is fighting to debunk. Other myths: IVF is expensive and inaccessible, and infertility is just a female issue. In fact, 30% of infertility is male infertility. In the 35 years that HRC has been serving those looking for thoughtful family planning, a lot has changed--for the better. For starters, the egg survival rate has increased, the prices have decreased, there’s more precision to the process and less disruption to the patient. Given how quickly these technological advancements have changed the fertility space, we’re excited to see what’s next for HRC!