What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week, I feature Steven Dennis on the show.  Steve is the president of SageBerry Consulting, a strategic advisory firm focused on innovation and growth strategy for retail, luxury, and social impact brands. Prior to SageBerry, Steve was SVP, Strategy and Multi-channel Marketing, for the Neiman Marcus Group and earlier in his career, he held senior leadership positions with Sears including Chief Strategy Officer and VP of Multi-channel Integration. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… sellers, retailers, and e-commerce marketers. TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… It’s true - some retailers are getting left behind, which means there is no shortage of store closings. Yet, even with the volume of closures, some retailers are actually growing and opening new retail storefronts. Why is that? Those that are thriving are becoming much more experiential, customer focused and have a clear, differentiated value proposition. If you want to make sure you are not left behind, ask yourself if you are fundamentally customer-centric and if you truly understand how your customers’ behaviors are changing. You’d have to be living under a rock to not realize that there has to be innovation for retail across the board. Today, technology is “a must-have, not a nice-to-have.” You must look at your customer beyond their demographic descriptions or other generic data points.  Assess how and where your customers are influenced. Go beyond the single transaction to build relationships and create a lifelong customer. Notice how the customer buys and shops, and view those interactions separately.  WHAT I LOVE MOST… We finally have the truth behind the adage, “retail is dead!” It’s not - mostly. As much as people want to believe this blanket-statement, it’s just not true. Yes, the digital download market has disrupted a few key players, but the markets that have focused on customer data and experiential shopping are going strong.  Running time: 36:10 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Steven on social: SageBerry Consulting LinkedIn Twitter      

Double-Clicking on Diversity and Inclusion Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week, I feature Dr. Tony Byers on the podcast. He is best known for leading Global Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) at Starbucks where was responsible for developing and leading the strategic direction for D&I to drive engagement, innovation, and business growth. He's an accomplished inclusion and change management specialist with 20 years of demonstrated experience leading change in large, multinational organizations. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… people looking for more information on the power of diversity and inclusion to drive growth in business. TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… Tony begins our conversation by defining diversity simply as who you are (looks, background, etc). Inclusion, however, is a behavior driving people to be involved, respected, valued, and connected. In short, diversity is a noun and inclusion is a verb. These definitions not only encompass everything I (and my past guests have said all along) but is succinct, simple, and spot-on. Tony’s research found that leaders do not see the full spectrum of diversity, which results in a lack of innovation. There’s a small chance — the innovation window — when organizations can positively affect their product growth. This window lives at the top of the S-Curve when a product has peaked. How companies uncover WHAT I LOVE MOST… is the distinction between “D” and “d.” Finding diversity goes beyond gender, race, ethnicity, age and other factors we cannot control. However, what we can control is our thinking styles and the ways in which we behave when working with people who are different in some way. I will continue to think about D&I as an all-encompassing term and will continue to talk about how D&I can help companies be better at growth, product development, and innovation. Running time: 32:53 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Find Tony on social: LinkedIn

Dr. Linda Hill, a top expert on leadership and innovation, dives into the misconceptions of innovation. She discusses how collaboration, not individual 'aha' moments, drives innovation. Dr. Hill highlights the messy, purpose-driven process of innovation and the importance of creating a supportive environment for innovative endeavors.

Leading expert Adam Grant discusses the importance of interpersonal interactions in team dynamics, emphasizing the need to screen out takers and create a balance of givers and matchers. He explores the value of diversity of thought for innovation and growth, and shares insights on navigating idea selection in innovation, promoting honesty, feedback, and credibility.

Michael Chavez, CEO of Duke Corporate Education, discusses the importance of purpose-driven leadership in organizations. Leaders are the storytellers of purpose, driving motivation and engagement. The podcast explores the evolving role of leadership, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and the art of making meaning in today's business landscape.

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week I speak with Frans Johannson, author, entrepreneur, and the CEO of The Medici Group. Frans has inspired readers worldwide with his ideas on leadership and success, innovation, and diversity. His debut book The Medici Effect has been called “one of the most insightful books on managing innovation.” THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… Anyone looking to find ways to stimulate innovation. TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… There are two main themes rising around the world today: Innovation and Diversity and Inclusion. That is not by accident. If you are able to combine concepts, perspectives, and people from different backgrounds, from different industries and fields, and from different cultures you can uncover new innovative ideas. Don’t get caught in the “we’ve always done it this way” trap or try to mimic another business model (the “Uber of X” or the AirBnB of Y”). Use your talents and ambition to try something new. Keep producing. Put out another product if the first one fails. Keep going. WHAT’S NEXT FOR DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND INNOVATION? Companies are starting to understand the value of diversity to their bottom line. It is no longer a ‘nice to have.’  Having an (internal) representation of your diverse customer base in your own organization is imperative if you want to understand the wants and needs of the customers you aspire to serve. WHAT I LOVE MOST… In order to innovate, you need the best people – period. You will need those people to work together, collaborate regardless of race, gender, religion or   Running time: 37:22   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Frans on social: Personal website The Medici Group Twitter

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week, I have Liz Wiseman on the podcast. Liz is the author of New York Times bestseller Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools, and Wall Street Journal bestseller Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work. Liz is also the CEO of The Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm and in 2017 she was #35 on the Thinkers50 list.  THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to improve their leadership skills and build better teams. TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… There are leaders who are “Diminishers,” while others are “Mulitpliers”. These ‘Diminishers’ tend to get less than half of people's intelligence or capability; whereas, these ‘Multipliers’ get all of it.  But that’s not all, there are also “Accidental Diminishers” - these are really well-meaning people trying to be good bosses but yet having a diminishing effect on those around them. WHAT I LOVE MOST… Being aware of the kind of leader you are will help you improve the way you communicate, manage and inspire those around you to do their best work. A PIECE OF ADVICE FOR LEADERS… Allow diverse styles of thinking and personalities the space to thrive. Pay attention to who is quiet and who has an overpowering personality. Give those who need time to think, and process information the opportunity to speak as those who are quick on their feet. It’s the multiple styles of contributing and leading that creates a great team, innovative ideas, and a healthy work environment.   Running time: 37:20   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Liz on social: Website Twitter LinkedIn

Guest Bill Macaitis shares insights on boosting business performance through customer value. Emphasizing understanding customer recommendations and touchpoints, he stresses the importance of aligning all teams towards a shared goal. Highlighting the interplay between sales and marketing roles, the discussion focuses on improving teamwork, analyzing NPS feedback, and building a scalable marketing engine for effective growth strategies.

Alex Osterwalder, a strategy and innovation expert, dives into growth innovation for businesses. He emphasizes the importance of seeing the big picture, reinventing business models, and fostering innovation for long-term success. By creating a mini-Silicon Valley within existing companies, growth innovation can thrive and drive significant progress.

Welcome to the What's Next! podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week, I have Tendayi Viki on the podcast. He’s an academic, the co-designer of Pearson's Product Lifecycle, which won the Best Innovation Program 2015 at the corporate Entrepreneur Awards in New York, and is on the shortlist for the Thinkers 50 Innovation Award. He’s also a contributing writer for Forbes and is the author of The Corporate Startup: How Established Companies Can Create Successful Innovation Ecosystems. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… bigger companies who want to act like a startup. TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… to act small, companies must first think about their innovation ambition.  The first step is to create an innovation thesis and understand your minimum viable ecosystem – maybe that means conducting a small workshop instead of jumping straight into a 2-day event. Second, become clear about key trends.  Ask, who do we want to innovate for? Then, run through problems and challenges that could make life easier for your customer. Throughout the process, always measure everything against this question: Is this aligned with our innovation thesis? As Tendayi says, “Figure out whether or not you have the right solution and then figure out whether or not you have the right business model.” WHAT I LOVE MOST… A reoccurring theme has swept over the podcast: embrace non-traditional diversity. Make sure the middle management, legal, and the MBAs are involved; build teams with diverse thinking styles; and get out of the ordinary environment to be creative. Diverse teams create creative tension and avoid internal silos – all good things. A PIECE OF ADVICE… create a business model canvas.  This is an excellent strategy for visual learners (me!) to see what’s written down and think through the idea. What is the business model canvas? It's chart paper on the wall that walks you through customer segments and value proposition.  Write one idea for each section on a post-it note and decide whether that idea is based on knowledge or an assumption. Put a big red X through every assumption you don't have evidence for. Then, build up lean startup techniques to turn your assumptions into knowledge. That’s how you act small but still keep the customer top of mind.   Running time: 34:40   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani on social: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Tendayi on social: Website LinkedIn Twitter