Success Beneath the Surface

In this podcast, Deborah does a round-up of perspectives on the crucial topic of culture, incorporating relevant highlights from prior podcasts of four CEOs:  
Art Saxby, CEO and Founder of Chief Outsiders notes that the biggest lessons have been the importance and power of culture - the culture that draws the greatest leaders and contributors to work for the company and magnetizes like-minded clients to it because they hold the same values.(Full episode is here: EP25: Scaling Your Business - Curiosity and Leadership)
Chris Yeung, CTO and co-founder of Vimbly Group says “Some of the greatest accomplishments in humanity have been through partnership and cooperation” - and he values this type of culture so strongly, that he & his partner made the decision to shut down a company they had acquired when they found it a toxic culture. He merely called it a “hard lesson.” (Full episode is here: EP7: CTO Masterclass: How to Build a High-Performing Tech Team)
Xena Ugrinsky, CTO and Founding Partner at Pilot Wave Holdings Management, brings in the cultural impact on the speed and effectiveness of AI and digital transformation where sometimes we have to break the old cultural norms so that it’s okay to experiment, fail and leverage what you’ve learned. 
(Full episode is here: EP19: Building a Future-Ready Business - Tech, Culture, and Strategy)
Herby Duverné, CEO of Windwalker Group is creating A culture where people are working hard, yet having a good time - they are passionate about performing because they believe what the company is doing and what the company is is special.  
(Full episode is here: EP13: Building a Business on Solutions Rather Than Problems)
 
Links from this episode:
Herby Duverné on LinkedInWindwalker
Xena Ugrinsky on LinkedInXena Ugrinsky on TwitterPilotwave Holdings
Chris Yeung on LinkedInVimbly Group
Art Saxby on LinkedInChief Outsiders

Art Saxby's wisdom resonates with CEOs seeking transformative growth. His insights crystallized his journey from Frito Lay's marketing to turning around bankrupt entities. Saxby delineates the disparity between small and big M marketing, advocating for a holistic approach that combines tactical execution with strategic vision. He spotlights Imperial Sugar's shift from a sugar manufacturer to a supply chain leader, illustrating the impact of aligning with customer needs.Saxby's core tenet is a market-rooted business plan. He underscores dissecting customer behavior, competitor dynamics, and internal strengths to fuel strategy. Incorporating external viewpoints enhances the strategy's innovation. His philosophy transcends marketing and sales barriers, emphasizing adaptive solutions over fixed ratios. His approach champions tailored strategies that stimulate growth on multiple fronts.Art Saxby equips CEOs with a growth roadmap that shuns convention. By melding change, market insight alignment, and holistic sales-marketing synergy, he empowers CEOs to steer dynamic expansion. Listen to this commentary, "Elevating CEOs: Art Saxby's Blueprint for Strategic Growth."
 
To hear the full interview, listen here.
 
Links from this episode:
Art Saxby on LinkedIn
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders

Deborah interviews Art Saxby, CEO, Founder and Principal of Chief Outsiders. They unravel the secrets behind building a thriving business empire. In the first half, Art shares the genesis of his business. He realized the potential of leading mid-size companies strategically. This inspired him to start his own company, but he faced the challenge of finding clients who couldn't afford full-time executives like himself. Thus, the concept of offering fractional services emerged. Art emphasizes the importance of understanding market dynamics and customer needs to position a company for growth. The interview also delves into the significance of vision, focus, and learning from peer groups. The insights shared in the interview shed light on the practical and strategic aspects of marketing and might just be what you need to elevate your business.
In the second half, they continue by talking about innovation. It's not just about having the best ideas; it's about understanding the power of insights. Art Saxby stresses that every business needs to start with a deep understanding of its customers, competitors, and themselves. But here's the twist—sometimes, a fresh external perspective is the key to unlocking untapped potential. Are you ready to be challenged and invigorated by new ideas?
Art shares how curiosity, insights, and the willingness to be coached by other experts led to his company's growth and success. As a CEO, you'll discover the importance of having a top-notch leadership team, the right business strategy linked to insights, and how to foster a culture that drives results.
This episode is your guiding light if you want to make big things happen, scale your business, and thrive in uncertainty. Join us as we delve deep into the power of culture, autonomy, and purpose and witness firsthand how this exceptional leader continues to steer his company through dips, challenges, and triumphs. Join us for this episode: "Scaling Your Business: Curiosity and Leadership."
Links from this episode:
Art Saxby on LinkedIn
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders
 

Last week, we delved into the world of customer knowledge on Success Beneath the Surface, and what an eye-opening journey it was! As Susan Finch and I explored the importance of truly understanding our customers, we uncovered a game-changing insight that separates successful businesses from the rest.
We often claim to know our customers, but do we really grasp their desires and needs beyond the surface level? Let me share a personal experience that perfectly illustrates this point. My husband and I recently purchased outdoor furniture, but what we truly sought were not just chairs, but unforgettable moments with loved ones in our courtyard.
The key is to look beneath the obvious and ask the right questions. That's precisely what the perceptive sales representative did, earning our business and future loyalty.  I challenge you to question if your company truly comprehends your customers' deepest needs. Join me in this commentary as we uncover the untapped potential of gaining deeper customer insights for the growth and prosperity of your business. Don't miss last week's full episode, "Navigating Change: CEO's Playbook for Profitable Adaptation."
 
Links from this episode:
Deborah Fell on LinkedInChief Outsiders
Susan Finch on LinkedInFunnel Media Group, LLC

In this episode, CEOs of B2B companies are invited on a transformative journey, discovering the key considerations needed to unlock remarkable opportunities and fortify their businesses amidst the ever-present seasons of uncertainty. Deborah emphasizes the importance of truly understanding customers' experiences, empathizing with their challenges, and aligning with their evolving needs. By staying connected and adapting swiftly, CEOs can position their companies as trusted allies, ready to deliver the right solutions precisely when needed.
She encourages CEOs to cultivate a genuine partnership with their customers, seeking valuable feedback and co-creating extraordinary experiences. She highlights the power of focusing on customer profitability, refining product portfolios, and identifying the true differentiators that drive customer loyalty. 
Funnel Media Group's senior producer, Susan Finch, is in the host seat for this episode.
Links from this episode:
Deborah Fell on LinkedInChief Outsiders
Susan Finch on LinkedInFunnel Media Group, LLC

Deborah unpacks last week's episode featuring Ed Valdez, a partner, and Chief Marketing Officer at Chief Outsiders, where they discussed the importance of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in business processes. He emphasized that companies not utilizing AI are falling behind. Real-time customer insights, such as their responses to website content and search behavior, are crucial for optimizing results and expenses. Traditional methods like focus groups are no longer efficient, as AI enables real-time learning, adjustments, and improvements.
Valdez explains that businesses not leveraging AI in marketing or customer service will eventually be left behind. The average lifespan of businesses has decreased due to advancing technologies, and adapting to AI is crucial for survival. 
Businesses that remain stagnant are moving backward, while those embracing AI can enhance their operations, serve clients better, and achieve improved business results.
Links from this episode:
Ed Valdez on LI Ed Valdez on Chief Outsiders
Deborah Fell on LinkedInChief Outsiders
The complete episode is here.

In this episode, Deborah raises the question of the widespread adoption of AI in businesses today. Is AI just a shiny toy, or does it have applications in various areas? Ed Valdez brings valuable insights to the table, highlighting the exponential growth and impact of AI and demystifying terminology many of us pretend to understand. He emphasizes the need for businesses, particularly marketing and customer service departments, to leverage AI to improve content development, customer experience, and overall efficiency.
Ed provides real-world examples of how he has helped clients integrate AI into their businesses, such as assisting a natural language processing company in positioning itself effectively amidst the competition. He shares his philosophy of using AI to disrupt businesses from within rather than being disrupted by external forces, a mindset embraced by Chief Outsiders.
Ed Valdez, partner and chief marketing officer at Chief Outsiders. Ed is known for his expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and his ability to drive growth for businesses at the intersection of business, technology, and AI. But what's intriguing is his unconventional path to becoming a marketing superstar, starting with an engineering degree from MIT. He explains how his engineering degree, combined with an MBA, equipped him to tackle challenges at the intersection of business, technology, and AI, specifically focusing on AI and machine learning.  Join us for this episode, “From Engineer to Marketing Pro: Navigating AI's Impact.”
Links from this episode:
Ed Valdez on LI Ed Valdez on Chief Outsiders
Deborah Fell on LinkedInChief Outsiders
A CEO's Guide to Growth (Part 1)
A CEO's Guide to Growth (Part 2)
How to use AI within the Customer Journey (LinkedIn Post)
All You Wanted to Know About Generative AI for Free (10 courses - LinkedIn post)
9 Ways CEOs Can Use ChatGPT as a Catalyst for Business Growth (LinkedIn Post)

In our previous episode, we had the privilege of hearing from Xena Urgrinsky, an expert in the field of transformation and data science. Xena shared invaluable insights on the crucial link between building a future-ready business and upskilling and transforming your team. Today, we'll focus on key takeaways from that conversation. Xena emphasized the need for human evolution within organizations, highlighting the challenge of transforming people and creating a culture of experimentation and learning. She stressed the importance of developing a strategic vision and tackling cultural hurdles to achieve transformative success. Additionally, Xena discussed the role of applied data science, cautioning against using every new technology for every problem and emphasizing the necessity of continuously monitoring and adapting machine learning models. As we navigate this ever-changing landscape, let's harness the power of these tools effectively and prioritize critical thinking skills to drive our workforce forward.
For CEOs who are in the process of building a future-ready business, let's take a few minutes here to emphasize a central point that transforming your company for the future must also involve upskilling and transforming your team. 
About Xena Ugrinsky
Xena Ugrinsky - CTO, Co-Founder and Senior Transformation Executive at Pilot Wave Holdings Management, LLC, and Principal, Founder and Data Science Evangelist at Genre-X, Inc. She is an AI expert, author, and previous Partner at KPMG as well as Booz Allen Hamilton.  She believes that data-driven competency will be the main source of competitive advantage over the next few years and that if leaders of mid-sized and large enterprise companies are not actively exploring how applied data science can be propagated through their organizations based on clear business objectives and measures of success, they risk being left behind.  
Links from this episode:
Pilotwave HoldingsXena Ugrinsky on LinkedInXena Ugrinsky on Twitter
Deborah Fell on LinkedInChief Outsiders

In this second episode with Xena Ugrinsky, she emphasizes the importance of integrating new technology with existing systems and aligning it with the overall business strategy. She shares insights on the human aspect of digital transformation, emphasizing the need for upskilling the workforce and creating a culture of experimentation and learning. Xena advises CEOs that the first priority is to develop a strategy that identifies the most pressing problems and determines whether traditional tools or applied data science should be used for solutions and then determine what the cultural hurdles are to achieving it.  She also highlights the evolving nature of machine learning models and the importance of critical thinking skill development in navigating both these technologies and internal hurdles. This conversation provides valuable insights for leaders looking to leverage technology and drive meaningful change within their organizations. Join Deborah and Xena for this episode, “Building a Future-Ready Business: Tech, Culture, and Strategy.” You can also listen to the first half in our previous episode, “EP17: Your Data Story is Your Business Story.”
 
About Xena Ugrinsky
Xena Ugrinsky - CTO, Co-Founder and Senior Transformation Executive at Pilot Wave Holdings Management, LLC, and Principal, Founder and Data Science Evangelist at Genre-X, Inc. She is an AI expert, author, and previous Partner at KPMG as well as Booz Allen Hamilton.  She believes that data-driven competency will be the main source of competitive advantage over the next few years and that if leaders of mid-sized and large enterprise companies are not actively exploring how applied data science can be propagated through their organizations based on clear business objectives and measures of success, they risk being left behind.  
Links from this episode:
Pilotwave HoldingsXena Ugrinsky on LinkedInXena Ugrinsky on Twitter
Deborah Fell on LinkedInChief Outsiders

Last week my guest was Xena Urgrinsky, CTO, and Founding Partner at Pilotwave Holdings Management and CEO and Founder at Genre X. She's an artificial intelligence expert and author, and data science evangelist, and she's been both partner and principal at KPMG, as well as a partner at Booz Allen Hamilton. Xena immigrated with her parents from Germany and became an American citizen at eight, which was transformational for her family and an example of living the American Dream. A truly amazing journey and I want to encourage you to listen to all of episode 17 today.  In this commentary, I want to dig into a key question. She shared that she asked her companies to help them unlock important change in growth, and the question is this, if you could get anything, what would you want that would make you wildly surpass your peers? Listen to EP18: The One Thing They Asked for Was Drone Inspection. 
 
About Xena Ugrinsky
Xena Ugrinsky - CTO, Co-Founder and Senior Transformation Executive at Pilot Wave Holdings Management, LLC, and Principal, Founder and Data Science Evangelist at Genre-X, Inc. She is an AI expert, author, and previous Partner at KPMG and Booz Allen Hamilton.  She believes that data-driven competency will be the main source of competitive advantage over the next few years and that if leaders of mid-sized and large enterprise companies are not actively exploring how applied data science can be propagated through their organizations based on clear business objectives and measures of success, they risk being left behind.  
Links from this episode:
Pilotwave HoldingsXena Ugrinsky on LinkedInXena Ugrinsky on Twitter
Deborah Fell on LinkedInChief Outsiders