Innovation and the Digital Enterprise

For a new company, success can seem so difficult to attain. But there is a pattern to success that can help you navigate the growing pains of a fledgling business. Les McKeown is the bestselling author of Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization on the Growth Track - and Keeping It There, and has started more than 40 businesses in his own right.Les joined Patrick and Shelli to discuss the lifecycle of success. He outlines the stages of growth, the stages of decline, and offers advice on what companies should do every step of the way. Listen for his advice and his thoughts on where innovation fits into the picture.[00:24] - This week: Les McKeown[01:18] - Predictable success[03:25] - Seven stages of growth in organizations[10:28] - The danger of losing innovation[19:17] - Pivoting in the Big Rut[24:33] - Friends of the boss[31:49] - The difference between entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs[32:58] - Synergist quiz Les McKeown is the President & CEO of Predictable Success, the leading advisor on accelerated business growth. He has started over 40 companies in his own right and was the founding partner of an incubation consulting company that advised on the creation and growth of hundreds of more organizations worldwide. Les is the author of the WSJ and USA Today Best-seller, "Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization On the Growth Track - and Keeping It There" and three other best-sellers.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

The education industry has long been ruled by gatekeepers which have prevented any meaningful innovation in the digital space. Jason Dole, CTO of World Book, wants to change this.Jason has spent his career working in the startup space and it’s that spirit of innovation that he believes will help drive meaningful change at such an established brand. He joined Patrick for a discussion that touched upon points such as putting people on teams based on mindset and influencing people in key positions to help with company buy-in. Listen to Jason’s advice.*Please note this interview was recorded in late 2019 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.[00:25] - This week: Jason Dole[01:01] - Combining startup innovation with enterprise[03:08] - Creating a fertile ground for innovation at World Book[06:07] - How a CTO becomes the instigator of change[07:07] - Small wins in the window of digital transformation[09:13] - Creating urgency[13:23] - Taking advantage of the new wave of disruption[20:07] - Gamification[24:05] - Will colleges remain relevant?[29:54] - Hiring the right people for the right role[35:57] - How to learn fast[38:02] - Zero to OneJason Dole is the CTO of World Book Inc. Prior to joining the team, he worked for various companies in the startup space.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

When it comes to the logistics of delivering goods across the globe, there are hundreds of touchpoints. FourKites is a supply chain management platform enhanced by machine learning that aims to make this process easier. Vivek Vaid is FourKites’ Chief Technology Officer and our guest today on Innovation and the Digital Enterprise.Vivek talked to Patrick and Shelli about how when it comes to technology versus product development, his approach is to do the work that is in service to customers. He also discussed why organizations need to make decisions that take into account the point of view of everyone from the customer to the tech and sales teams.Stay tuned for Vivek’s closing advice during this time of global crisis: embrace life and do what you enjoy doing.*Please note this interview was recorded in early March prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.[00:24] - This week: Vivek Vaid[01:34] - FourKites[08:32] - Historic lack of competition[11:15] - The difference between technical and product investment[15:53] - Throttling up[22:07] - Building a great team[28:34] - CTO aspirations[35:00] - Empathy and apathy[37:19] - Learning from lossVivek Vaid serves as the Chief Technology Officer for FourKites where he leads the development of industry-leading visibility and machine learning platform for the supply chain industry. Prior to FourKites, Vivek served as the Chief Data Officer for Uptake, a leader in predictive analytics for Industrial IOT (IIOT) space. As the head of technology for Morningstar’s Institutional business, Platform and Mobile technologies, he led a global team of 500+ across 13 countries. In addition, Vivek spent a decade in consulting, retail, airline and financial verticals building cutting edge products, speaking and crafting motivated teams.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Let’s say it’s almost lunchtime and suddenly you receive a text from your favorite local restaurant with a coupon. You read the text and think, “That does sound pretty good.” You head there for lunch, show your coupon, and get your discount. In a nutshell, this is what Vibes, a platform that helps marketers drive experiences and meaningful customer connections, is all about.Today, Pat and Shelli spoke to Vibes’ CTO Brian Garofola about the underutilized power of mobile when it comes to driving customer experience. Brian discusses why text marketing and mobile wallet can bridge the digital and physical divide thus increasing transactions.Brian also mused on the power of mentorship and explained why he believes that leadership is not a destination but an ongoing journey. He shared why he keeps the work in perspective and does his best to model a positive outlook for his employees. Listen to the episode for his insights.*Please note this interview was recorded in early February prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.[00:24] - This week: Brian Garofola[01:42] - Mobile marketing with Vibes[04:26] - The innovator's dilemma[06:14] - Gary Vaynerchuk[08:35] - Text message recruiting[11:07] - Helping brands explode[20:18] - Leadership with optimism[23:57] - Evolving through mentors[29:32] - Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps [32:49 - Building trust and goodwillBrian Garofola is the CTO at Vibes in Chicago. At Vibes, Brian is focused on connecting people with the brands they love through the power of mobile. Vibes delivers over a billion mobile experiences per month for some of the world's leading brands like Home Depot, Chipotle, and PetSmart. Brian is responsible for the Product & Technology organization, including Engineering, Product Experience, Data & Analytics, Cloud, IT, and Security. He also served as the Vice President of platform engineering at CDK Global, a global provider of information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail industry. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Ann Madea has spent her career managing and motivating her teams as a CIO of global firms. She has also dedicated herself to the advancement of women and girls in the fields of STEM. She joined us on Innovation and the Digital Enterprise to discuss how she builds trust to ensure all members of her team feel comfortable speaking up and how to successfully stay the course when managing large-scale projects.As a high-profile woman in business, especially in the tech sector, Patrick and Shelli also talked with Ann about the people that inspired her to chase her ambitions. Listen to the episode for insights and tips from an industry veteran.*Please note this interview was recorded in early February prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.[00:24] - This week: Ann Madea[01:41] - Transformation at HSBC and Household International[10:26] - Building trust[22:33] - Deep dives[24:19] - The role of a leader[31:07] - Women & girls in technology[39:32] - Reach out and networkAnn Madea is an accomplished senior technology executive with over 20 years of experience, who most recently served as the Executive Vice President and US Chief Information officer for HSBC, one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world. She has held US, Global and America’s leadership positions while driving digital transformation, cloud, data and cyber strategies and most important, consistently exceeding all goals to keep systems up and running for the business, customers and employees. Ann is passionate about women and girls in technology, and was recently the Executive Sponsor for the first HSBC Summer Immersion Program for ‘Girls Who Code,' a nonprofit organization which aims to increase the number of women in computer science. Connect with Ann on LinkedIn.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Risk management has never been viewed as sexy. It’s a necessary component of every organization, but not necessarily something that CEOs are excited to work on. Matt Kunkel of LogicGate has a novel approach however: make risk a revenue driver.Matt joined Patrick on Innovation and the Digital Enterprise to talk shop about risk and how privacy issues have made it more interesting and necessary than ever. Matt also discusses why it’s important to have clear company values and how to get everyone from the CEO to the employee on board. Finally, Matt explains why he never says no to a coffee date. Tune in for his insights.*Please note this interview was recorded in early January prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.[00:23] - This week: Matt Kunkel[01:21] - Risk intelligence with LogicGate[04:47] - Risk as a revenue driver[07:00] - Flexibility & ease of use[08:53] - Automated audits[12:57] - Democratizing application development[14:16] - Driving value[17:00] - Retaining talent in Chicago[27:02] - Reinforcing core values and culture[32:33] - Advisory board assemblyMatt Kunkel is Co-Founder and CEO of LogicGate, a Chicago-based company that enables organizations to operationalize their governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) programs using an agile technology platform. Prior to LogicGate, he spent over a decade in the management consulting space building technology solutions and GRC programs for Fortune 500 companies. At the end of 2019, he led LogicGate through its Series B financing round, raising $24.75 million in new funding. Matt is recognized as a thought leader in the governance, risk, and compliance space and regularly speaks and consults on risk and compliance topics. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Over the last few decades, as things have increasingly gone digital, we’ve lost the human interaction behind satisfying sales experiences. Matt Coughlin of XSELL Technologies is passionate about the science of sales. After working with Disney and other big brands, he realized that customers were hungry for digital intimacy.This week on Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Matt is talking to Pat about how brands can bridge the divide between offering an array of products and personalization. He discusses how machine learning can help with that dilemma and also talks about his philosophy of “Open for Business.” This motto is all about being open to change and learning. Tune in for a discussion on the future of sales.*Please note this interview was recorded in early January prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.[00:23] - This week: Matt Coughlin[01:18] - The origin for XSELL[04:59] - Building digital intimacy[10:17] - Access to expertise[17:32] - Building durable relationships[22:42] - The bottom of the funnel[24:59] - Content, context, and sentiment[30:32] - Robert Cialdini[35:46] - Creating an environment of constant learning[41:18] - The best kept secret in the worldMatt Coughlin is the Founder and CEO of XSELL Technologies - a Chicago based artificial intelligence company that's focused on enhancing online customer engagement and driving results across industries.Prior to starting XSELL Technologies, Matt worked with the world's most successful brands including Disney, Apple, Carnival, AT&T, GE, Walgreens and many others helping them bring their customer experience to life. It was through this experience that Matt developed a passion for great customer engagement and an appreciation for the economic impact it can drive when done well.As a passionate entrepreneur Matt has built successful businesses and takes great joy in working with the smart and talented team at XSELL to create something special. Matt attended Illinois State University where he studied Pre Med graduating with a B.S.  before being swept up in the technology revolution.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

According to Ryan Jeffery, Founder and Co-CEO of Ignite, the difference between a leader and a manager is that a leader doesn’t need a title. When people switch jobs due to dissatisfaction, most of the time it’s not about the work itself but conflict with the manager. But when you create a culture that is inclusive and inherently motivational, you hit that magic spot of work satisfaction.Ryan joined Pat and Shelli to talk about the concept of discretionary effort and action and what they say about an organization. He also took some time to discuss why organizations that are able to see people on a human level will empower employees and achieve better outcomes. *Please note this interview was recorded in late 2019 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.[00:24] - This week: Ryan Jeffery[00:56] - Leadership development at Ignite[07:18] - Manager vs. leader[08:59] - Empowering individuals[13:45] - Common vision[19:40] - Taking action[25:28] - Accepting failure[30:00] - Life begins at the end of your comfort zone[32:51] - Skiing behind the cartRyan Jeffery is the Founder and Co-CEO at Ignite, a learning community committed to helping today's managers become the purpose-driven leaders of tomorrow. Through weekly in-person training experiences and a network of inspiring peers, Ignite cultivates the character and competence to lead in today's changing world.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

Many believe that to succeed in business, you must be a pessimist and always anticipate the worst. But according to Kristi Zuhlke, the CEO of Knowledgehound, grit and being optimistic are not mutually exclusive concepts.Kristi joins Shelli and Pat and gives a window into the life of a serial entrepreneur. She explains why entrepreneurs are passionate about solving problems, how she stays confident in her ability to solve problems, why optimism is underrated in business, and how she thoughtfully adds new members to her team. *Please note this interview was recorded in late 2019 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.[00:24] - This week: Kristi Zuhlke[00:47] - The idea behind KnowledgeHound[03:38] - Entrepreneurial mentorship in the corporate world[08:53] - Idea notebook[10:57] - Passion for creating something new[14:54] - Retraining optimism & pessimism[19:56] - The difference between founders and managers[22:19] - The Stockdale Paradox[27:31] - Hiring into a value-driven system[31:45] - Team first & bias to action[34:18] - Retaining scrappiness[39:17] - Transferring culture as a business evolves[44:33] - Resources for women in the Chicago tech sceneAn entrepreneur at heart, Kristi Zuhlke started her first business while in college.  After earning degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from Xavier University, she joined Procter & Gamble, working on billion-dollar brands, like Gillette, and Always.  During those six years, she learned invaluable leadership, marketing, and organizational skills, but couldn’t resist the urge to jump into the tech space. Following the launch and quick sale of a smartphone app technology, in 2013, Zuhlke launched KnowledgeHound, her third and current business.  Since 2013, she has been addressing a need she knows first hand and a pain point from her corporate days - the need to find answers with survey data without needing to know a coding language.  As CEO of Knowledgehound, which has raised over $6 million in funding with numerous Fortune 1000 companies as clients, Zuhlke looks forward to continuing her success in the technology start-up world. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.

After being the only woman in the room for years at her corporate job, a string of tragedies made Alison Vorsatz reconsider her purpose. This led her on a transformational journey to Africa and ended with her finding a job at Fairygodboss where she gets to realize her dream of empowering women.Alison joins Pat and Shelli to talk about her journey and shares insights on what it means to work on your personal brand and how that brand can open career connections. [00:25] - This week: Alison Vorsatz[01:14] - Helping women reach the success they deserve[05:59] - Making a more inclusive workforce with Fairygodboss[08:06] - Taking a chance on New York[19:55] - Building your brand[23:13] - Creating an authentic narrative of who you want to be[25:09] - Starting the healing process by helping others[32:43] - Finding a sense of purpose volunteering in Africa[38:53] - Australian rules footballAlison Vorsatz is the Senior Enterprise Director of Sales at Fairygodboss. She set up a female empowerment program in Africa and is an Australian football player.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.