Predicting The Turn W/ Dave Knox

How do you predict an explosive new category? Adnan Durrani, co-founder and CEO of Saffron Road, is a good person to ask after doing just that in multiple entrepreneurial ventures. Before Saffron Road, Adnan was involved in both launching the healthy yogurt revolution with Stonyfield Farms and the emergence of bottled water with Vermont Pure Spring. In Saffron Road, he has now created a new category with the world’s first Halal-certified, antibiotic free and humanely raised frozen entrée. We sat down to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur and how the business was inspired by a changing consumer base with different expectations for brands.

North America is changing. It’s becoming younger, more multicultural, and more globally aware. And the MLS is banking on it. On this episode, we spoke with David Bruce, the SVP of Brand & Marketing at the MLS. He discussed how he’s making the MLS brand and clubs stand out, doing the opposite of competing brands, and embracing multicultural uniqueness. What we talked about: - Competing against well-established brands - Branding in a multicultural world - Cultural fluidity

How do you really empathize with someone? You feel with them. So, if you’re going to create a new category that solves someone’s pain, you have to actually feel that pain. That’s straight from a true category creator, Sangram Vajre. He came on this episode to discuss how he created the #ABM (account-based marketing) category. Sangram is the co-founder and Chief Evangelist of Terminus, and worked at Pardot and ExactTarget during their acquisition by Salesforce for $2.5B What we talked about: - Empathizing with your customers/market - Knowing the pain - Category creation

On this episode, we invited Simon Burton, Managing Director at eighteen94 Capital, to give us an inside look at how he and his team choose investments. Simon has extensive experience in capital management and investment at Chase, Kellogg’s, Norges Bank, and others. What we talked about: - Strategic vs. returns-oriented VC investments - What Kellogg’s looks for in “strategic” investments - How to balancing returns & strategy in VC funding - Corporate VC organizational structure - Venture Capital funding

What does it mean to “bring the hustle”? On this episode of Predicting The Turn, I sat down with Tristan Walker, CEO and Founder of Walker & Company to answer that very question. As a person of color unable to find razor blades made for his skin, Tristan took his drive, his business acumen, his Stanford MBA, and said “I”m the perfect person to solve this problem.” We sat down to talk about the journey, the company's acquisition by Procter & Gamble, and why he is just getting started on what they are building.

What business lessons can we learn from the owner of Oprah’s favorite ice cream? It turns out, quite a few. On this episode, CEO & President of Graeter’s discusses how his 19th century, family-owned, brick-and-mortar ice cream company is expanding into the future. Balancing relevancy with quality. Tying your business to geography. Online sales. Family businesses. Women-owned businesses. For more interviews from thought leaders who are Predicting the Turn, check out our podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or our website.

Digital offers a superior experience. So, why doesn’t every business embrace digital? Adam Weber, Varsity Tutors, came on a recent episode of Predicting The Turn to talk about this issue. He also gave us some insight into other issues, including Why performance marketing and brand marketings are one and the same How Dollar Shave Club was able to grow so quickly. What you should keep in mind when acquiring a company. You can find this interview, and many more by subscribing to Predicting the Turn  Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website.

When it comes to marketing, innovation has brought about some great tools. But it’s also brought some new legal challenges marketers have to face. So, how can companies navigate these new legal challenges?  On this episode of Predicting The Turn, I'm joined by Sharon Toerek, Principal at Toerek Law. She came on the show to talk through some creative ways companies can turn issues like data privacy into wins for their business.

What comes to mind when you think of Digital Innovation? Apple? Uber? Sure, that makes sense. But what about a company like Nestle? If we’re being totally honest, a multi-national food giant like Nestle probably isn’t on the front of anybody’s radar when we talk about Digital Innovation. In this episode of Predicting The Turn, Mark Brodeur gives some incredible insight on how to become great at building relationships. Advice for companies looking to embark on a journey of Digital Innovation. How to focus on Digital Innovation at a $100B+ company. You can find this interview, and many more by subscribing to the Predicting the Turn  Podcast on Apple Podcasts, or on.

How many 100-year-old companies do you know that are still fresh and relevant today? Odds are, not many. Keeping your brand fresh and engaging for an entire CENTURY is no small feat. Thankfully, Julie Haddon is not your average marketer. On a recent episode of the Predicting the Turn podcast, Julie shared four of the ways that she and her team at the NFL are keeping a 100-year-old company fresh and engaging. 

Athletes-turned-entrepreneurs bring a powerful mental toughness to business. Travis Kelce (star tight end for the KC Chiefs and 4-time Pro Bowler) didn’t disappoint during this interview on Predicting the Turn. What we talked about: Relying on your team in business (and football), why you should be a nerd in your profession, and the difference between being a spokesperson for a third-party brand, and being the face of your own company. Checkout these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Wikipedia article on Travis Kelce, Hilo Gummies. For more interviews from thought leaders who are Predicting the Turn, check out our podcast on Apple, on, Spotify, or our website.

In the Internet, Age security is one of the most important considerations for any business. Whether you run an online company in need of cybersecurity or a brick-and-mortar in need of physical security the urgency of being safe can’t be overlooked. One of the most trusted names in security is Allegion. Partly, because they are always thinking ahead. One example is the fact that they hired Rob Martens, a futurist, to work with them on their expansion into Ventures. The primary purpose of their fund is emergent technology companies. Allegion is used to participating in larger ecosystems, so they need to work with new technologies to learn what they need to do to successfully interface with them in the future. This supports their company vision of creating seamless access and a safer world.

On today's episode we're jumping back into the world of venture capital. I'm joined by one of my favorite early stage investors out there, Semil Shah. He's Founder of Haystack Ventures and Partner at Lightspeed. Semi came on this episode of Predicting The Turn to talk about things like how he got into venture capital, the impact the 2019 IPO market will have on startups, and how the concept of triangulation can be used by larger companies for startup engagement.

Today’s guest on Predicting the Turn knows all about keeping it real, meeting consumers where they are, and staying on the pulse of what consumers want.  Meghan Asha is the CEO and founder of FounderMade. She’s got thoughts on why consumer brands are the new hot thing for entrepreneurs, and what it takes to be successful in this market. We talked to Meghan all about: What it takes to stand out as authentic in a crowded consumer goods market. The one thing you need to focus on as a high-growth brand. What consumers are looking for when selecting a brand.

In 2003, Firehouse Subs had 65 stores. Today, they have 1,170. So, how did they achieve such incredible growth? On today’s episode of Predicting The Turn Don Fox, joined me to talk about how the company has achieved such impressive growth, even while facing significant disruption in the industry. Here’s what we talked about: How verabilizing the mission statement has been a catalyst for the company’s growth. Why Firehouse is so committed to giving back to the community. How they’re addressing disruption from third party delivery services.

Myspace changed marketing contracts between consumers and brands were forever. Consumers had a platform to distribute content in their own voice, and for the first time, consumers could tell brands what they thought about them. Fast-forward to today, and former Myspace employee, Heidi Browning, now the CMO of NHL, is using marketing to help fans have more control over their experience. Last season’s NHL Playoffs were the most-watched in the past twenty-three years. Game 7 was the most viewed game in history. Sports betting lets them take a look at a lot of data, and this data has many interesting new uses for marketers. For instance, they have new technology that allows them to put trackers in the puck and the jersey to analyze things like puck time and use it for broadcasting purposes. Leaderboards, coaches, and on-air broadcasting gives real-time experiences to fans. Experiential marketing takeaways from sports: -Everything is experiential in sports. There’s no better sport to watch live than hockey.

As a leader in the marketing space, Jason White — currently CMO at Cura Cannabis Solutions — has worked with some of the world’s most renowned brands. Think Nike, Tide, and Beats by Dr. Dre.  On this episode of Predicting the Turn, Jason came on the show to talk about his experience working with these brands and what he learned about marketing and the fundamentals of branding along the way.  We discussed issues including: why it’s so important to learn to sell the “boring” stuff first, how to embrace culture without making costly missteps, and how to avoid being overshadowed through celebrity partnerships.

After Season 1, we took a short break from Predicting the Turn. But guess what? We’re back! As great as our podcast’s first season has been, we’re incredibly proud to be bringing you even more excellence in Season 2. So, on this episode we’re highlighting our favorite takeaways from Season 1 and giving you an inside look at what’s to come in Season 2. 

Scott Kirsner, CEO and Co-Founder of Innovation Leader came on this episode of Predicting The Turn to share highlights from their most recent quarterly research report.  We discussed all things startup engagement, addressing topics like: how to be more strategic about startup engagement, how to think about innovation, and why accelerators have become so popular.

Chieh Huang is the Founder and CEO of Boxed.  And he still interviews every candidate before they're hired. That’s quite unusual. So, why does he do it? Well, that’s what we talked about on this episode of Predicting The Turn. As a two-time startup founder, Chieh has a lot of wisdom to pass along.  So, in this show, he talked about why “we” is so important, why micromanaging stifles your team, and how you can manage changing consumer expectations.