Rock n' Roll Research Podcast

You probably know Eric Hall from his career as an insights and category management expert, currently with Boehringer Ingelheim, the world’s largest privately held pharmaceutical firm, and previously with companies like Allergan, Coors, Kellogg’s and Nestle.But do you know that Eric is an Instagram influencer with corporate sponsorships and a die-hard community of nearly 200K followers? Probably not!Eric shares his journey through the research and the coffee house chat that became a hobby turned passion that launched his Instagram side gig.Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

For this special 100th Episode of the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast, I go mano-a-mano with Leigh Kessler, VP of Mercury Analytics, former professional comedian and current country singer. Leigh and I each perform the classic, “Angel from Montgomery” by John Prine – who did it better? A quantitative gen pop audience of dial-testers renders their verdict! Leigh also applies Mercury Analytics’ cool AI tools to zero in on improvement opportunities.Listen as we also cover some podcast highlights like listening stats, the top 5 most popular episodes so far and the music insights pros most covet. Big ups for tuning in! Keep listening and we’ll keep sharing the super cool backstories and side gigs of the research and insights pros you trust \m/Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

Kory Grushka is the Founder of Stories Bureau, a really cool B2B creative agency that, among other things, helps insights teams make their data come to life and influence decision-making through effective storytelling.You may be surprised to learn the profession that Kory came from and how it made him uniquely qualified to help researchers tell better stories. It all made sense to me after this conversation.Kory shares his professional journey, some thought-provoking perspective on AI and why he’d want the Rocky IV soundtrack with him if he were stranded on a deserted island.Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

I’m BACK! Your humble host’s brief pause provided plenty of time to dig into Pepper Miller’s brilliant book on Black insights, “Let Me Explain Black Again,” from Paramount Market Publishing. I gained so much from this book that I had to reach out and learn more.Pepper is a true pioneer when it comes to helping brands understand and connect with Black America. After starting her career in advertising, Pepper launched the market research and strategic planning firm, Hunter-Miller. Her passion has led her to write three seminal books on the topic, helping marketers everywhere understand and reach the Black audience with cultural intelligence, respect and authenticity.We discuss her journey through research, the relevance of history, some key insights from her book and the music that gets her stepping. Join us for this fun and insightful conversation!Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

Angelo Pierro founded his consultancy, Strategy by Insight, in 2021 after 20 years at Research Dynamics acquired by GfK acquired by Ipsos. He is now using his deep experience in big company leadership, marketing and business development to advise his clients in sales effectiveness and strategy. Angelo and I occasionally worked closely together while he was running GfK Canada around 2011-2016. We reconnected recently at Greenbook’s IIEX over a few sessions and a punk rock show in Austin, and I learned that Angelo has finished and is marketing a screenplay he’s had in his head for many years.Angelo discusses the inspiring personal story behind his screenplay, and he shares the wisdom he’s gathered throughout his career in research.Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

Over the past 16 years, Annie McDannald has risen through the ranks at Civicom to her current role as Global VP of Marketing Research Services. Chances are you’ve used Civicom at some point for their myriad of useful technologies and services supporting the market research process.What you might not know is Annie has been a performer since a young age - from supporting the family’s carnival puppet show business to being a professional runway model to singing. In fact, she is a vet of the Quirk’s MR Jam Session which she will reprise at Quirk’s NYC in July.Annie and I discuss her journey through her research career, her carnie life growing up, how the pandemic changed the future of research and getting the Led out.Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

Rob Volpe left a successful career in promotional marketing, got a certification from RIVA and found his calling as a qualitative researcher. In 2011, he founded a thriving insights consultancy, Ignite 360, on the principles of curiosity and empathy.Through his personal experiences, activism and engagement with people and customers, Rob learned how empathy can be a powerful force for good yet is, sadly, in short supply. He has helped fill the void by writing his award-winning book, “Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time.”Rob shares his personal and professional journey, his philosophy on insights and some fun and heartfelt stories along the way.Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

Torsten Mueller-Klockmann is the Marketing Science Lead for the DACH region at Meta where he has been for the past 7 years. Before Meta, Torsten was an entrepreneur and pioneer in the user experience research tech space having founded SirValUse which was purchased and integrated into GfK.That’s not all, though. Torsten was a shredding guitar player in a band called The Crunch who played their brand of pop punk/metal/funk-inspired jams around Hamburg, Germany.Torsten shares his journey through analytics+music, his take on the future of research panels and the records he’d take with him if stranded on a desert island.Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

If you watched VH1's "Best Week Ever," The WB, Discovery or CNN in the aughts, you might know Leigh Kessler from his hilarious pop culture commentary.Or you might know Leigh as the VP of Client Solutions for Mercury Analytics, an insights agency developing and employing cutting-edge research technology.Leigh shares his improbable path from comedian to researcher, the necessity of human observation to both disciplines and the comics who do it best. He also discusses his recent foray into music.Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT

Chris Connolly has one of those great stories of starting in research as a phone interviewer and steadily expanding his career over time. Today he is Vice President at the Logit Group, one of the very best research execution companies when it comes to cutting-edge, efficient and reliable operational support.He also has a great story of becoming a lifelong jobbing musician (a REALLY good one, too!) which involves a riotous episode of lip-synching in a high school talent show.Chris shares his journey in research, the challenges ahead for researchers and a tour through being a long-time musician in the Denver/Boulder area.Try the Magic Mind mental performance shot! You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code RNRLT at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/RNRLT