AQ's Blog & Grill

In this episode, broadcasting personality Angela Onuora joins Alan to discuss the shifts she has experienced in moving to Canada from Nigeria. In Nigeria, Angela became a popular TV host, actor and radio personality. She discusses her popular radio show, "We Women", and how it was the first ever talk-radio show in Nigeria. 

"We Women" dealt with serious women's issues such as rape, divorce and domestic violence. Angela shares how she grew her fanbase and how she brought a bit of lightness to such dark material.

In 2014, Angela and her family made the move to Canada. She discusses Canadian culture shocks and the opportunities she has found here to expand her knowledge and grow her career.

About Our Guest

Angela Onuora is a broadcasting personality, screenwriter and media developer from Abuja, Nigeria. In 2014, she moved to Canada to grow her media company, Izureel Concepts. Angela is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University with a BSc. (Hons) degree in Estate Management.

Known as the “career-whisperer”, Dr. Larry Smith joins AQ’s Blog & Grill to share insights from his new book, “No Fears, No Excuses”. After a 2011 TED Talk that garnered millions of views on YouTube, Larry found himself answering thousands of questions stemming from the talk. “I always knew people struggled with careers,” he states. “But that gave me a sense of the scale that I’d honestly not imagined.” The messages Larry was receiving in relation to the TED video showed him what people wanted answered. This led him to create a truly market-tested book, tested by real people asking real questions.

In this Q&A, Larry describes the structure of the book and what the reader will find, including pragmatic guidance and the “unsexy subject of planning”. Larry tells us the difference between having a strong interest in something and being truly passionate, and how that passion will shape your career. He also discusses the vexing issue of work/life balance and how not having a balance can cause your startup or business to fail. “Just because you work hard does not mean you will be successful.”

About Our Guest

Dr. Larry Smith is an adjunct associate professor of economics at the University of Waterloo. He has counselled more than 23,000 students on careers, representing more than 10 percent of UW’s alumni. His efforts at the university led to his receiving the University of Waterloo’s Distinguished Teacher Award. His TEDx Talk, “Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career”, has been viewed by millions.

She’s the CEO of Sprint.ly, a marketing mentor and angel investor who started her hurricane of entrepreneurial activities by studying engineering. In this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, April Dunford shares her experience from engineer to marketing greatness.

April finds that most start-ups struggle with their positioning statements. They either follow the fill-in-the-blank, Frankenstein-style model, or they don’t create one at all. To help, April breaks down the top four types of positioning statements and shares a new way for crafting them.

Alan and April discuss marketing strategy vs. tactics, creating the right metrics and shifting your mindset from selling to helping your customer buy. Becoming a “stay-up” isn’t an easy road, so April provides her top three marketing strategies start-ups should follow to find success.

“In theory, everything is possible,” April says. “But I live in practice, and the road to theory has been washed out”.

About Our Guest

April Dunford studied engineering at the University of Waterloo but happens to be a B2B marketing guru. She has a history of helping to bring start-ups to success and assisting large corporations to launch new products. April is currently the CEO of Sprint.ly, an agile project management tool, and the founder of Rocket Launch Marketing.

Just in case you missed the memo, traditional brand marketing has officially taken a back seat. Audiences want authenticity, transparency and “right-time” marketing. So who are you going to call to perfect your strategy as the digital platforms constantly change? Our suggestion: Brian Fanzo. As Chief Social Media Officer at MyChannel Inc and founding partner of Backlamp LLC, Brian always has his finger on the pulse of new technologies and platforms to reach your audience the way they want to be reached.

This year, live video is the game-changer. Live video allows us to scale relationships and build trust. But it’s more than hitting a button and chatting away. You still need to have a strategy. Brian, who is connecting to us for this interview while visiting SXSW, provides us with his 5 keys to a successful live video stream. He also gives tips to creating a strong digital footprint with every marketing move you make. Alan and Brian discuss the quick demise of Meerkat, the 24-hour lifespan of Periscope and the large reach of Facebook live.

Brian makes the point that we must constantly collaborate by sharing information and bridging audiences to keep up with the rate of change found in digital marketing today.

About Our Guest

Brian Fanzo is the Chief Social Media Officer at MyChannel Inc and the founding partner of Backlamp LLC. Brian is the proud father of three girls, a social media specialist and technology evangelist.  As a keynote speaker, Brian shares his knowledge on millennial leadership, digital storytelling, personal branding and the power of community.

How does a young guy from Winnipeg become the founder of the leading search marketing software company? Answer: A lot of hard work, an undying drive for success and a lot of time spent working with the free wifi at Panera Bread. Larry Kim joins us to share his story of going from a University of Waterloo student to building a successful business that manages over half a billion dollars in ad revenue worldwide. After discovering the power of AdWords through a previous career, Larry decided to take his new-found skills to the next level by advising clients on how to efficiently manage their online ad spend.

As his workload grew, he began to write software programs that eased his consulting responsibilities. Fast-forward six years, Larry’s company, WordStream, employs hundreds in the Boston area, has tens of thousands of customers, and has been named by Google as an AdWords Premier Partner. Alan and Larry discuss the “why’s” of starting a business, the challenges around “vulture” capitalists, and the entrepreneurial myths that need busting. Larry wraps up by providing advice to emerging startups and entrepreneurs.

About Our Guest

Larry Kim is the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of WordStream, Inc., which is the leading provider of Adwords, Facebook and keyword tools used by over a million marketers worldwide. Larry is a top columnist at “Inc. Magazine”, Search Engine Land, Social Media Examiner and is a regular contributor to The WordStream Blog. Larry has many awards under his belt, including “Most Influential PPC Expert” three years running, and Search Marketer of the Year at the 2015 US Search Awards.

Top digital analyst, futurist and award-winning author, Brian Solis joins Alan to share the inspirations and aspirations behind his new book, X: The Experience When Business Meets Design. Brian's major influence for the book comes from Joseph Pine and James Gilmore’s article-turned-book, The Experience Economy (1999). Brian notes that well over a decade later, their points on customer experience are still valid—customers want experiences, not products or services.

Brian depicts the framework for experience architecture and how one can become an experience architect. Brian discusses data-artistry and how we must not dehumanize data. We must use data to tell a story and humanize who we are trying to reach. Brian also explains the technique of Hollywood Storyboarding to build a narrative so people can have the best brand experience.

About Our Guest

Brian Solis is a sought-after keynote speaker, an award-winning author, and the Principal Analyst at Altimeter Group (a Prophet company). Brian is a trail blazer in digital transformation, innovation, digital lifestyles, and connected consumerism. He shares his insights in his writings with AdAge, Wired, VentureBeat and on his personal blog at briansolis.com. Brian also hosts an online video series titled Revolution where he examines technology, trends and more with thought leaders from around the globe.

Back in 2007, unaware of the incoming economic recession, Joe Pulizzi left his successful career with Penton Media to embark on a journey of entrepreneurship. Joe had no product to sell, but with the help of inspiring messages from authors like Stephen Covey and Napoleon Hill, he wrote out his goals and began developing an audience. Every day Joe blogged, and after a few years he managed to compile a database of over 10,000 email subscribers. It was only then that he decided to develop products and services to sell to his trusting followers.

There are many lessons to take from this, but the number one is that if you build an audience and become their trusted source of information, you can establish a successful business based on that audience’s needs. Joe outlines much of this in his bestselling book, “Content Inc.”, one of the topics in this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill. Alan and Joe break down many aspects of a stellar content marketing strategy, debate the future of content marketing, and Joe shares his inspirations for writing Content Inc. By the way, since you’ve been reading this, another 1,000+ blogs have been launched on the internet. How will you stand out among them?

About Our Guest

Joe Pulizzi is a bestselling author, a world-renowned keynote speaker, and the founder of the Content Marketing Institute. Joe can often be found at the top of Content Marketing Influencer lists from publishers like Entrepreneur and Newscred. He is known for being one of the founders of the content marketing movement, using the term way back in 2001 when the internet was still a toddler. Joe has built his business, the Content Marketing Institute, from a small, daily content-focused blog to a world-leading media company that publishes an ongoing magazine and hosts the largest content marketing event in the world.

There are many skeptics out there who believe that public relations is a dead industry. Experts, like our guest Melissa Durrell, know better. Yes, the digital age is transforming the landscape of public relations, but that doesn’t mean any Joe Blow off the street can get your word out like a PR expert can. A self-proclaimed “news junkie and political wonk”, Melissa joins us to discuss the importance of public relations and why every brand needs to have a strategy.

In 2015, the marketing word of the year was ‘content’, so brands everywhere jumped on the content-creation train hoping for an increase in brand awareness and, ultimately, sales. However, Melissa notes that if no one is reading your content, what’s the point? This is just one area of the spectrum that shows having a PR strategy is critical. Melissa also shares tips on crisis communication; giving a pitch that will grab the attention of investors; the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and advice for people looking to work in public relations.

About Our Guest

Melissa Durrell is the President of Durrell Communications, a boutique public relations agency in Waterloo, Ontario. As a trusted mentor and award-winning communications expert, Melissa works with hundreds of startups, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists across Canada with their communications strategies. Melissa’s passion for community is shown daily in her work as a City Councilor.

Michael Brenner is at the top of content marketing influencer lists web-wide. He inspires marketing minds to stay agile in this new and evolving age of the customer. With great skill comes great questions, and the number one question Michael receives is “How do I measure the ROI on my content marketing?” Behold, “The Content Formula”, his new book, filled with applicable knowledge to satisfy any CFO.

Michael Brenner joins Alan to share some of the expertise the reader will find in “The Content Formula” and to talk about what adventures are next. Alan and Michael discuss why “marketing has a marketing problem” and what we need to do to fix it. They wrap up this insightful interview by considering the future of marketing: Will video take over the Internet as Cisco predicts? Will there even be any advertising – or just personalized branding?

About Our Guest

Michael Brenner is the Chief Executive Officer of Marketing Insider Group and previously vice-president, marketing and content strategy at SAP. He is a results-driven, strategic marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in marketing and sales. He is also a frequent speaker at marketing and leadership events, a contributor to “The Economist”, “Forbes” and “The Guardian”, and a blogger at B2B Marketing Insider.

Rob Barnett is a pioneer in the media world, bringing audiences entertainment on the platforms they crave. The founder of Omnivision Entertainment and My Damn Channel joins Alan to discuss the past, present and future of branded content. With a history working at MTV, VH1 and then taking an entrepreneurial route in media, Rob’s true passion lies in providing talented entertainers with the right platform to achieve success. When YouTube was merely an infant in diapers, Rob Barnett launched My Damn Channel, a platform to bring original online comedy direct to the audience without the red tape from networks in the way.

Rob brought together great talents Harry Shearer, Don Was and David Wain to launch the indie channel and eventually opened the doors to discover and launch fresh talents like Grace Helbig (Daily Grace), reaching audiences as significant and large as television. Alan and Rob discuss the rise of Grace Helbig and how she was one of the first internet stars to build a unique relationship between artist and audience that was consistent and dedicated. They also debate the future of branded content and if we will ever get tired of video now that anyone can be their own producer. Rob Barnett wraps up the discussion by providing us with three things publishers should consider to achieve media success in this new age of communications.

About Our Guest

Rob Barnett is the founder of Omnivision Entertainment and My Damn Channel, a multi-platform media company working with established and emerging talent and major brands to create premium content in all outlets. Rob produces innovative, original content for TV, film, radio and the web. He has created content with diverse communicators including former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla and more. For over a decade, Rob was a production and programming executive at MTV and VH1 and he was President of Programming for CBS Radio.

Is personalization simply a silver bullet, or will this emerging technology change the face of marketing? Glen Drummond, Chief Innovation Officer of Quarry Integrated Communications, joins Alan to discuss the theory of personalization. When machines talk to you using behavioral targeting, how does it make you feel? How can businesses, particularly B2B marketers, use personalization to create a more authentic brand experience?

Glen introduces us to the personalization ladder and defines the steps from personalization to sales. Alan and Glen also consider the effect personalization will have on content marketing as the marketer's toolbox constantly evolves. Key takeaway? Think strategy, not tactic, regarding personalization and customers will feel a deeper and more meaningful brand connection.

About Our Guest

Glen Drummond serves as partner and chief innovation officer at Quarry Integrated Communications. He specializes in supporting innovative people within large organizations, who are leading the journey from product-centric to customer-centric business models. Glen also teaches a fourth-year course in marketing at Wilfrid Laurier University and Digital Experience Innovation at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.

CEO of Axonify and Alan’s entrepreneurial heroine, Carol Leaman, stops by to discuss her growing business and her path of serial entrepreneurship. What began as an eLearning platform has transformed into a fully equipped knowledge platform, using gamification and brain science to deliver, share, measure and apply knowledge. The company has picked up almost 100 global brand-name clients including Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, Bloomingdales and GE. "What is at the centre of both company performance and individual performance is knowledge,” Carol states.

Carol is well known in Waterloo region and internationally for having “a batting average of 1000” when it comes to entrepreneurship. She knew at a very young age that she was meant to be an entrepreneur and she hasn't fallen short in proving that. In this episode, she shares insights into her path of entrepreneurship, including the time she turned down a job with Google to acquire a startup. As well, Carol shares what she looks for in a startup when investing and the legacy she wishes to leave behind.

About Our Guest

Carol Leaman is the president and CEO of Axonify, a Waterloo Region startup that works with corporations to improve training by using brain science and gamification. Before Axonify, Carol worked with many startups including PostRank, RSS Solutions and Fakespace, growing them into multimillion-dollar businesses. In 2011, Carol won the Waterloo Region Intrepid Award for Entrepreneurship and, in 2012, she won the Fortune Brainstorm Tech Pitch Competition bringing Axonify worldwide recognition. Along with growing Axonify into an award-winning startup, she also writes articles for FORTUNE Magazine and was featured in Canadian Business in August 2015.

She’s been taking over the world for many years now, building an online community and creating content that garnered her an Emmy win in 2011. Media producer and bestselling author Natalie MacNeil understands the mind of an entrepreneur, and she wants to share her learnings with all who will listen. Natalie paid a visit to the AQ’s Blog & Grill set to share details on her brand new book, The Conquer Kit, her virtual business incubator The Conquer Club, and to provide inspiration for those considering the life of an entrepreneur. She contemplates the importance of self-discovery and discusses the difference having a strong support system makes when you're building a startup. “Globally, we are more connected than we could have ever imagined”.

About Our Guest

Natalie MacNeil is an Emmy Award-winning media entrepreneur, bestselling author, globetrotter, and creator of SheTakesOnTheWorld.com. Her expertise has been featured in Glamour, People StyleWatch, Forbes, Inc., ForbesWoman, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Entrepreneur.com, Globe and Mail, Mashable, and more. Natalie excels at providing women with articles, advice and resources to start or grow a business.

Communitech VP, Avvey Peters, speaks with Alan about the startup tech hub which is home to over 120 companies. Communitech was designed to assist entrepreneurs with growing their businesses through the help of networking in a creative space and receiving mentorship from experts. Over the last year, large companies like Canadian Tire, Manulife and Cannon, have noticed the success coming out of the hub and decided to join themselves, looking at ways to use technologies to innovate their businesses.

Avvey talks about her cross-Canada tour visiting similar startup hubs and shares what she learned. She also discusses how Canada is doing in terms of innovation, technology and job creation, and how we are blessed to have an amazing ecosystem for startups in Waterloo Region.

About Our Guest

Avvey Peters is the VP, external relations at Kitchener-Waterloo’s Communitech and has worked with the company since 2007. Avvey is a strategic advisor to not-for-profit economic development and innovation organizations, and has successfully raised close to $100 million in public-sector funding for entrepreneurial and economic development community initiatives. At Communitech, she leads marketing, communications and advocacy activities and works to leverage public sector investments to support the Waterloo Region technology sector.

Scott Stratten of Unmarketing, the Unpodcast and Unselling speaks with Alan about the evolution of the sales funnel and how everything before and after the sale, IS the sale. Scott and Alan discuss what really makes a brand, which brands do a great job of creating a community, and the importance of building that community before something goes wrong. Scott talks about when and where to use marketing automation, and how you should make sure your business is strong before exploring new technologies and digital strategies.

About Our Guest

Scott Stratten is the President of UnMarketing and an expert in viral, social and authentic marketing. He has been ranked one of the top social media influencers in the world by Forbes, and has written four bestselling business books including UnSelling: The New Customer Experience and UnMarketing: Stop Marketing, Start Engaging.

Artist entrepreneur, Jennifer Gough, returns to AQ’s Blog & Grill to share her recent experiences creating and growing her art business. This year Jen has been featured in Forbes, has had a show in New York, and has pushed her own boundaries by trying new mediums of art. Every year, Jennifer chooses a theme to live by. This year's theme was bravery, which was clearly depicted in her 2015 collection of work.

Jen explored digital art forms when asked to commission an installation for Kitchener’s THEMUSEUM ‘Getting Naked’ exhibit, a collection of rarely seen works from the Canadian Council Art Bank. Jen also explains how using social media and digital technologies has helped her develop a successful art career, and tells us what's next for her company Minds Eye Studio Art.

About Our Guest

Jennifer Gough is a self-taught, multidisciplinary, visual and conceptual artist and entrepreneur. In 2010, Jennifer was named one of Waterloo Region Record’s 40 Under 40, as well as being nominated for Woman of the Year, Arts & Culture at Kitchener Oktoberfest. Jennifer inspires many with her story of success, going from a 9-5 career to following her passion by running a successful art business.

Integrated marketing guru, Bob Lauterborn, chats with Alan about what integrated marketing communications really is: a thinking process. It's about being where your customer is looking! Bob suggests shifting to an "outside-in" view from an "inside-out" view. He believes the four P's of marketing are a flawed premise and can be detrimental to your business today. Alan and Bob also discuss the UBP - the Unique Buying Proposition and how it's replaced the Unique Selling Proposition.

About Our Guest

Bob Lauterborn has decades of experience in the world of advertising. In 1986, he became the first James L. Knight Professor of Advertising in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1999 he was inducted into the Business Marketing Hall of Fame and awarded a the G. D. Crain, Jr. Award. Bob co-authored the best-selling book Integrated Marketing Communication, and The New Marketing Paradigm.

With over 35 years in the advertising world, thought leader Edward Boches joins Alan Quarry on AQ’s Blog & Grill to discuss the evolution of advertising. Edward is currently a professor of advertising at Boston University and previously chief creative officer and chief innovation officer at Mullen Advertising.

The advertising world is very demanding, and as new digital technologies and social media come into play, advertisers need to work hard to keep up. Edward discusses how to earn attention as a brand, how the advertising landscape has changed dramatically over the years, and what you can do as an ad agency to avoid falling behind.

About Our Guest

Edward Boches is an American professor at Boston University’s College of Communication where he has been teaching advertising since 2012. Edward was an early partner at Mullen, one of America’s premiere advertising agencies, and spent 31 years developing and defining both the business and his expertise. His work has been recognized by Cannes, The One Show, Clio Awards, the New York Art Directors Club and Communication Arts, and he has received over 100 Hatch Awards, including Best of Show.

Glen Drummond, chief innovation officer at Quarry Integrated Communications, chats with Alan about disruptive business models and what it takes for new businesses to succeed. He discusses why customers may stop spending money with certain brands and how to overcome that by paying attention to customer feedback. Glen talks about the importance of focus and how businesses need to create experiences that help buyers meet their goals.

About Our Guest

Glen Drummond serves as partner and chief innovation officer at Quarry Integrated Communications. He specializes in supporting innovative people within large organizations, who are leading the journey from product-centric to customer-centric business models. Glen also teaches a fourth-year course in marketing in Wilfrid Laurier University and Digital Experience Innovation at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.

Jessica Chalk, co-founder of TrafficSoda, talks about starting her business, meeting her co-founders and finding complementary skills when building her team. Jessica loves online marketing, and went to the Accelerator Centre when it was time to start her business.

She shares experiences working with the Accelerator Centre and the benefits of having a strong community to help her startup grow. Jessica discusses the need for passion in entrepreneurship, while also listening to your market and surrounding yourself with mentors.

About Our Guest

Jessica Chalk is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University's Lazardis School of Business & Economics. She is a motivated and energetic team leader with a love of entrepreneurship, digital marketing and philanthropy. Jessica is the co-founder and CEO of TrafficSoda, a company that helps online marketers achieve the power to drive organic, targeted web traffic to their website.