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The Value Creators Podcast Episode #62. Choose the Handle That Holds. Stoic Leadership and Everyday Integrity: A Conversation with Becky Schmooke

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How we lead is who we are.

In this episode of the Value Creators Podcast, Hunter Hastings speaks with Becky Schmooke—entrepreneur, leadership coach, and author of Choose the Handle That Holds. Becky shares how the system of philosophy we label as Stoic generates practical tools for leadership, self-awareness, and resilience. Rather than hierarchical leadership vested with titles and administrative control, Becky proposes a more human vision of leadership: grounded in personal values, emotional clarity, and active participation.

Key themes include:

  • Why authority and leadership are not the same—and how leadership is a lifestyle, not a position.
  • How Stoicism reframes control, responsibility, and purpose in business and life.
  • What it means to “choose the handle that holds”—and how to build emotional intelligence through action, not theory.

This conversation is a guide for anyone who wants to lead with clarity, build resilient organizations, and live aligned with their deepest values.

Resources:

➡️ Learn What They Didn’t Teach You In Business School: The Value Creators Online Business Course

Buy Becky’s book: Choose The Handle That Holds

Learn more about Becky Schmooke

Connect with Becky Schmooke on LinkedIn

Connect with Hunter Hastings on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Value Creators on Substack

Knowledge Capsule:

1. Leadership is Who You Are, Not your position or title

  • Leadership is often misdefined as authority or power tied to position.
  • True leadership is available to everyone, regardless of rank or role.
  • It’s who you are and how you turn up every day
  • Great leaders are also great followers—engaged, empathetic, and collaborative.

2. Teams Should Be Made of Leaders

  • Hierarchical models miss the value of shared leadership and active participation.
  • Individuals in high-performing teams, like Olympic athletes, take turns leading based on context.
  • “Followership” is powerful when it means knowing when to support and when to step up.

3. Choose the Handle That Holds

  • As described by the stoic philosopher Epictetus, each situation has two “handles”—ways to approach it.
  • The “handle that holds” is integrity, courage, and ownership—not blame or denial.
  • Leaders who choose the right handle foster resilience and long-term trust.

4. Integrity Requires Personal Definition

  • Integrity isn’t one-size-fits-all; it depends on your individual values.
  • Defining what matters helps guide decision-making under pressure.
  • Businesses without this clarity often chase hollow definitions of success.

5. The Four Stoic Virtues are Practical Anchors

  • Wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance shape steady, resilient action.
  • These values ground behavior and decision-making amid external chaos.
  • For example, temperance (moderation) keeps us focused on long-term process over short-term wins.

6. Values-Driven Business Builds Market Trust

  • Living your values builds credibility with customers, employees, and partners.
  • Consumers reward integrity and are more forgiving of missteps when trust is earned.
  • Purposeful entrepreneurs create subjective value that the market recognizes.

7. Control is Internal, Not External

  • Stoicism teaches us to distinguish between what we can and cannot control.
  • In business, focusing too much on outcomes breeds anxiety and inefficiency.
  • Small, consistent actions aligned with values are more impactful than rigid plans.

8. Planning Must Be Flexible and Purpose-Driven

  • Plans aren’t inherently bad, but rigid ones can trap organizations.
  • Stoic-inspired planning involves adaptation, feedback, and clear purpose.
  • The real test is knowing when to stay the course—and when to shift it.

9. Purpose Should Anchor Personal and Business Life

  • Individual purpose must be discovered and aligned with everyday actions.
  • Companies can also have purpose—if it’s lived, not just printed on a wall.
  • Purpose sustains integrity under pressure and fuels long-term innovation.

10. Hierarchies Can Work—If Culture is Right

  • Flat organizations are inspiring but hard to scale; hierarchy isn’t inherently bad.
  • What matters is cultural leadership at every level—ownership, not obedience.
  • Debriefs, shared accountability, and transparency help flatten behaviorally, if not structurally.

11. Stoicism is Emotional, Not Emotionless

  • Big-S Stoicism engages deeply with emotions—it doesn’t suppress them.
  • Emotions are data; curiosity is the default reflex for emotional intelligence.
  • A “leadership reflex” (like the parenting car-arm) pauses reaction and invites insight.

12. Unshakable Purpose is the Supreme Aspiration

  • Seneca said it best: our longing is to be “not shaken” by events.
  • That inner steadiness is the outcome of living Stoic values every day.
  • Leaders who cultivate this internal strength create enduring impact in uncertain environments.

The Value Creators Podcast Episode #61. Democratizing Alternative Investments Through Innovation, Liquidity, and Design: A Conversation with Kim Flynn

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The term alternative investments refers to investment opportunities that the financial regulators want to preserve for financial elites and protect from the average “retail investor” like you and me. They’re investments like venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds. They’re too sophisticated for individuals who are not “accredited”. These potentially high-yielding investments must be fenced off from broad accessibility. Too risky for the plebes.

But, despite the regulators, financial markets are evolving to make alternative investments more accessible, liquid, and tailored to individual investors. How do you design products that combine institutional sophistication with retail access—without compromising on structure, performance, or trust? Through customer-centric design: knowing customers well and giving them access to products that meet their needs and give them new choices.

In this episode of the Value Creators Podcast, Hunter Hastings talks with Kim Flynn, President of XA Investments, a pioneer in private market innovation and product design. Kim shares how her firm is breaking down barriers in the investment landscape, from new fund structures to investor education and cutting-edge indexes.

Key insights include:

  • Why the term “alternatives” is evolving into a broader concept of private markets.
  • How products like interval funds and tender offer funds balance liquidity and long-term investing.
  • The importance of demand-focused product design and timing innovation to market needs.
  • How educational tools like the XAI Interval Fund Index create transparency and drive adoption.
  • Why creativity, empathy, and structured iteration are critical in financial product innovation.

Whether you’re an investor looking to access private equity or a product builder seeking to serve new markets, this episode provides a playbook for innovation at the intersection of finance, entrepreneurship, and education.

Learn how venture-mode creativity is coming to financial markets—and how the next generation of investment products will empower everyone.

Resources:

➡️ Learn What They Didn’t Teach You In Business School: The Value Creators Online Business Course

Learn more about XMS Capital

Connect with Kim Flynn on LinkedIn

Connect with Hunter Hastings on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The Value Creators on Substack

Knowledge Capsule:

1. Alternative Investments Are Expanding and Being Redefined

  • “Alternatives” once referred to hedge funds or private equity but now include private credit, real estate, infrastructure, and even crypto.
  • Many industry players now prefer the term “private markets” to reflect a broader and more modern interpretation.
  • As access increases, the need for clearer, investor-friendly labels grows.

2. Private Markets Are Changing the Capital Landscape

  • A stock market listing, via IPO, was once seen as the pinnacle of achievement for private companies.
  • But today, companies are staying private longer, reducing access to high-growth phases for public investors.
  • Similarly, in lending markets, private credit is stepping in where traditional banks have pulled back from corporate lending.
  • Private capital offers flexible, often more patient financing, altering the borrower-lender dynamic.

3. Liquidity Is a Growing Concern in Private Investing

  • While private equity offers higher returns, it often locks up capital for 10+ years.
  • Innovations like continuation funds and secondaries provide new, more flexible exit paths
  • Even “patient capital” has limits when liquidity needs arise.

4. Public Markets Face Pressure from Unicorns and Grey Share Markets

  • Many leading companies now remain private well into maturity, prompting the rise of unicorn indexes and grey markets for pre-IPO shares.
  • Liquidity for employees and early investors in private companies is becoming a key opportunity.
  • The S&P 500 is no longer the full picture of economic growth or opportunity.

5. The Democratization of Alternatives Is Underway

  • Institutional-style products like private equity and venture capital are becoming accessible to retail investors.
  • Structures like interval funds enable access while balancing liquidity needs and regulatory safeguards.
  • This shift is transforming the average retirement portfolio beyond traditional stocks and bonds.

6. Interval Funds and Tender Offer Funds Are Innovating Liquidity Models

  • Interval funds offer limited, scheduled liquidity (e.g., 5% quarterly), making private markets more flexible for investors.
  • Tender offer funds provide flexibility to pause redemptions, offering sponsors greater control in volatile markets.
  • These funds balance access with asset-specific constraints, like long hold periods in private equity.

7. Infrastructure and Custody Challenges Still Exist

  • Custody issues, tax complications, and minimum investment thresholds are barriers for many retail investors. K1’s add a level of tax complexity not everyone wants!
  • New fund structures and registered product formats aim to lower these barriers.
  • Major alternative asset managers are investing heavily in education and infrastructure to improve access.

8. Demand-Focused Product Design Drives Innovation

  • Products are created with market timing, investor demand, and differentiation in mind.
  • Examples like Janus Henderson’s CLO ETF show that early movers gain a durable competitive edge.
  • Product timing, market gaps, and liquidity needs all shape product strategy.

9. Education and Knowledge Flow Are Core Differentiators

  • XA Investments emphasizes educating both investors and asset managers through resources, indexes, and consulting.
  • The XAI Interval Fund Index is an example of education-led innovation, helping demystify a complex market.
  • Knowledge is positioned as a strategic asset for investors that reduces barriers and increases adoption.

10. Product Development Requires Structured, Iterative Processes

  • XA’s product development model is rooted in structured processes learned from successful institutions like Nuveen.
  • Products begin with identified market needs and proceed through regulatory, operational, and strategic filters.
  • XA also provides design consultancy – which, as an added competitive advantage, enables younger employees to iterate faster and gain deep expertise in fund design.

11. Strategic Differentiation Matters in a Crowded Market

  • First-mover advantage is real in products like ETFs, but other success factors include education, structure, and access.
  • Success in private markets depends on matching product structure to asset class, including knowing when not to launch.
  • Innovation isn’t just about product type and features—it includes process, distribution, and user experience.

12. Innovation in Financial Products is Creative and Entrepreneurial

  • Financial innovation involves design thinking, empathy, and continuous iteration—just like any other form of entrepreneurship.
  • XA Investments combines institutional rigor with agile, entrepreneurial thinking to fill gaps in evolving markets.
  • The future of finance is being built by those who understand both the investor and the ecosystem.

The Value Creators Podcast Episode #60. How to Master Entrepreneurship Through Imagination, Value Creation, and Market Disruption: A Conversation with Per Bylund

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How does entrepreneurship truly drive economic growth, and why is it often ignored in mainstream economic models? What role does imagination play in creating market-changing value?

In this episode of the Value Creators Podcast, Hunter Hastings is joined by Per Bylund, professor, author, and one of the leading voices in Austrian economics. Per introduces a radically dynamic model of entrepreneurship based on his new book, Entrepreneurship and Evolutionary Economics.

Key insights include:

  • Why modern economics has pushed entrepreneurship to the margins—and why that’s a mistake.
  • The difference between creating knowledge and creating value.
  • Why entrepreneurial success depends on imagination, empathy, and experimentation.
  • How the infeasibility zone traps safe innovators—and how to leap past it.
  • Bylund’s three models of entrepreneurship, culminating in Model 3, where entrepreneurs reshape markets.
  • The importance of institutional support—and the dangers of policy overreach.

This episode redefines entrepreneurship not as a function of business plans or investment capital, but as an imaginative, value-creating force that reshapes the economy from within. If you want to understand how real economic growth happens, this conversation is essential.

Resources:

➡️ Learn What They Didn’t Teach You In Business School: The Value Creators Online Business Course

Read this episode’s Knowledge Capulse at thevaluecreators.com

Check out Per Bylund’s Latest Book: Entrepreneurship In Evolutionary Economics

Read Per Bylund’s Book: How To Think About The Economy

Read Per Bylund on The Economic Damage Caused by Regulation: The Seen, The Unseen And The Unrealized

Follow with Per Bylund on X: @PerBylund

Connect with Per Byklund on LinkedIn

Connect with Hunter Hastings on LinkedIn

The Value Creators on Substack

Knowledge Capsule:

1. Entrepreneurship Has Been Erased from Mainstream Economics

  • Modern economics focuses heavily on predictive models and statistics, which exclude the unpredictable, creative nature of entrepreneurship.
  • Historically, economists like Schumpeter and Baumol emphasized entrepreneurs as central to economic dynamics, but their insights are largely ignored (or misinterpreted) by mainstream economists today.
  • Entrepreneurship doesn’t fit cleanly into mathematical equations, so it’s often relegated to the “error term” in economic models.

2. Entrepreneurship is a Value-Creation Process, Not Just Innovation

  • Entrepreneurs don’t just produce new things—they create new value in ways that weren’t previously recognized.
  • Value is determined after the fact by whether consumers choose to purchase and use the product.
  • The true test of entrepreneurial success is consumer response, not just the act of creating something new.

3. Value is Discovered, Not Predicted

  • Entrepreneurs cannot know value ahead of time—they must imagine what could be valued by customers and test it in the marketplace.
  • Even with data and pattern detection, customer preferences are fluid and unpredictable.
  • Market value is revealed only after the product is offered and accepted by customers.

4. Imaginative Value Creation is Central to Entrepreneurship

  • Entrepreneurs use empathy and imagination to envision solutions consumers don’t yet know they need.
  • Great entrepreneurship often involves creating demand, not just responding to it (e.g., when Henry Ford offered customers a car vs. “faster horses”).
  • This imaginative leap defines true innovation and market disruption.

5. Disruption Happens Without Warning

  • Stable industries can be overturned by innovations that originate outside their traditional space.
  • Users once prized and used paper maps. Those have largely disappeared, replaced by GPS navigation systems in cars and on smartphones.Navigation systems are an “adjacent innovation”. These can render existing products obsolete overnight by meeting an important need in a new way.
  • Entrepreneurs must be on guard for disruptions—even when things seem stable.

6. Evolutionary Economics Must Include Imagination

  • Evolutionary economics values change and complexity but often overemphasizes knowledge accumulation. Knowledge accumulation is not enough.
  • Bylund argues that entrepreneurs create value, not just knowledge, and that value emerges from human imagination.
  • Economic progress is dynamic, driven by creative acts rather than predictable knowledge gains.

7. Bylund’s Three Models of Entrepreneurship

  • Model 1: Static production and consumption with price-driven resource allocation.
  • Model 2: Includes external (exogenous) changes like shifting resources or preferences.
  • Model 3: Fully dynamic and endogenous—entrepreneurs change the system itself through innovation. This is the entrepreneurial mode of economic growth.

8. The Infeasibility Zone and the Risk of Playing It Safe

  • Incremental innovation often keeps entrepreneurs in a crowded, competitive space.
  • Radical value creation requires leaping beyond conventional thinking, even when feasibility is uncertain.
  • The “infeasibility zone” is where ideas are too safe to stand out and too weak to disrupt.

9. Value Calculus: The Core Entrepreneurial Discipline

  • Entrepreneurs must understand the relationship: Value > Price > Cost.
  • Entrepreneurs don’t set prices by adding a margin to their costs (“cost-plus” pricing). They create a value for which the customer is willing to pay, and then choose costs that are compatible with making a profit.
  • They don’t price without first estimating value, and they don’t incur cost without first estimating the price the customer is willing to pay. This reverse logic is key.
  • Starting with cost-plus pricing leads to poor outcomes; entrepreneurs must begin with value imagination.

10. Institutions Enable or Restrain Entrepreneurship

  • Supportive institutions (e.g., private property, contracts, and keeping contractual commitments) create the environment for entrepreneurship to flourish.
  • Oppressive institutions and intrusive regulations distort markets and reduce entrepreneurial freedom.
  • Institutions are shaped by and evolve with entrepreneurial behavior.

11. Policy Cannot Create Value-Driven Entrepreneurship

  • Governments may fund large-scale projects, but these are often inefficient and lack market validation.
  • True entrepreneurial innovation happens in response to consumer needs, not top-down spending.
  • Opportunity costs of government spending are often ignored, diminishing true value creation.

12. The Market Process is Competitive, Creative, and Uncertain

  • Entrepreneurs constantly compete for resources by envisioning more valuable uses than others.
  • This drives a decentralized and dynamic allocation of capital toward the most value-generating activities.
  • The market, through price and consumer feedback, is the ultimate test of entrepreneurial imagination.

The Value Creators Podcast Episode #54. How to Build a Multi-Million Dollar Brand: A Conversation with Neil Twa

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What if you could leverage billions of dollars in pre-built infrastructure to grow a thriving e-commerce business without the burden of warehouses, logistics, or massive overhead? How can small innovations—rather than big inventions—solve customer problems and create scalable brands?

In this episode of the Value Creators Podcast, Hunter Hastings sits down with Neil Twa, CEO and Co-Founder of Voltage Holdings, to explore the concept of “almost automated income.” With over 17 years of experience building businesses both online and offline, Neil shares his expertise in scaling multi-million dollar brands through Amazon FBA and other e-commerce channels. Since 2012, he’s launched 5+ personal brands, generated tens of millions in revenue as an 8-figure seller, and helped over 1000 entrepreneurs grow their businesses through consulting, coaching, and mentoring.

Neil walks through key principles, including:

  • Focusing not on products but on customer value creating solutions that deliver real value by meeting real needs.
  • Choosing profitable offerings with high margins through a data-driven “Greenlight Process.”
  • Balancing demand creation (social media, influencers) with supply chain mastery.
  • Scaling efficiently with small teams, automation, and AI systems.

Listeners will learn how to identify winning products, test market potential, and build exit-ready brands that can sell for 3-15x their earnings. More than just a business model, Neil highlights how entrepreneurship can create purpose, freedom, and a fulfilling lifestyle.

For entrepreneurs looking to tap into today’s generative platforms, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration to achieve success in the new economy.

Resources:

➡ 📚 Get a Free Copy of Neil’s Book “Almost Automated Income with FBA” Using code: VALUECREATORS

Connect with Neil Twa on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

Connect with Hunter Hastings on LinkedIn

The Value Creators on Substack

➡  Learn What They Didn’t Teach You In Business School: The Value Creators Online Business Course

Knowledge Capsule:

1. The Rise of Generative Platforms for Entrepreneurs

  • Entrepreneurs now benefit from pre-built infrastructure, including warehouses, supply chains, and platforms like Amazon FBA.
  • This “almost automated income” model allows businesses to leverage billions of dollars in infrastructure investments without upfront costs.

2. Amazon FBA as a Strategic Platform

  • Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) offers unparalleled logistics and customer support, enabling businesses to scale rapidly.
  • While entrepreneurs pay platform fees, Amazon’s infrastructure and last-mile delivery streamline operations for sellers.

3. Choosing the Right Platform and Business Model

  • Entrepreneurs should evaluate platforms (e.g., Amazon, Walmart, TikTok shops) based on their business goals and product fit.
  • Each platform offers unique advantages, but Amazon’s massive demand capture makes it an ideal starting point for physical product businesses.

4. Innovation Over Invention

  • Entrepreneurs should focus on small product innovations rather than completely new inventions.
  • Successful products solve customer problems through slight improvements, as demonstrated by the evolution of Instapot and air fryers.

5. Customer-Centric Business Design

  • The starting point for any business is identifying customer problems and innovating to meet their needs.
  • Neil emphasizes that perceived value is subjective and depends on how well the product answers a customer’s core questions or concerns.

6. Profitability Over Vanity Metrics

  • Focusing on unit profitability and understanding margins is critical for long-term success.
  • Many businesses mistakenly chase high sales volume without considering net profits, which can lead to operational burdens.

7. Identifying Profitable Products and Target Customers

  • Neil’s “Circle of Confidence” strategy starts with familiar markets and customers (e.g., women aged 27-40, who drive online purchases).
  • Profitable products typically fall between $50 and $500, offering high margins without requiring massive volumes.

8. The Greenlight Process and Market Testing

  • Before scaling, products are market-tested using a 90-day process with small order quantities (100 units).
  • Feedback from the test phase informs product improvements and differentiations, ensuring better market success.

9. Building Brands as Valuable Assets

  • Entrepreneurs should aim to build scalable brands, not just sell products, to create exit-ready businesses.
  • Assets are sold at 3-15x EBITDA, making the exit a key financial reward for successful business owners.

10. Managing the Demand and Supply Chains

  • Businesses must balance demand creation (e.g., through social media, influencers, viral videos) with efficient supply chain fulfillment.
  • Platforms like Amazon act as “demand capture engines,” validating products and creating trust among customers.

11. The Power of Process and Automation

  • Systems, automation, and AI allow businesses to operate efficiently with minimal overhead.
  • Entrepreneurs can build 7-8 figure businesses with small teams (e.g., one lead and five VAs) and focus on CEO-level strategy.

12. Entrepreneurship as a Purpose-Driven Lifestyle

  • Neil emphasizes building businesses with a clear social mission, such as family time, freedom, and generational wealth.
  • The entrepreneurial journey involves calculated risks, discipline, and resilience, leading to a flexible and fulfilling life.

Show Notes:

0:00 | Intro
3:21 | How Does Neil View Entrepreneurial Business Growth?
5:19 | Platforms That Drive Business Growth and Their Impact on Success
10:09 | Customer-Centric Business Models
16:49 | Subjective Value VS Solution Value
19:58 | Value Creators Online Course
21:11 | Price Value Choosing Customer
24:45 | Finding Suppliers
29:02 | Profit & Balance Sheet: Building Profitability and Assets
34:19 | Neil Shares his Value Proposition:  Innovation and Product Development
39:06 | CEO Operators: Future of Economy
40:20 | Process, Process, and Process: Building a Brand and Capturing Demand
44:15 | Wrap-Up

The Value Creators Podcast Episode #53. Big Tech for Small Businesses: Unleashing the Power of Geofencing with Barbara Wardell and Ernesto Cullari

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How can small businesses best use cutting-edge technologies? Geo-fencing is a great example, providing location-based advertising to drive traffic, revenue, and ROI for local businesses. What does the future hold for small businesses as they integrate advanced tech to personalize customer experiences?

In this episode of the Value Creators Podcast, Hunter Hastings explores these questions with Barbara Wardell and Ernesto Cullari of Cullari and Wardell, a pioneering service provider in geofencing and location-based marketing solutions. Barbara and Ernesto share their expertise in helping small and medium-sized businesses harness advanced technologies to attract customers, increase conversions, and create sustainable growth.

They emphasize a customer-centric approach, leveraging tools like GPS tracking and demographic data to tailor highly targeted ads that resonate with local audiences. By combining technology with a deep understanding of small business challenges, they demonstrate how geofencing can deliver measurable results, from attracting new customers to optimizing location choices based on foot traffic studies.

Barbara and Ernesto also discuss the importance of hyper-specialization, ROI measurement, and the evolving future of advertising, where AI and privacy-sensitive data play a pivotal role. For small business owners, this episode offers actionable insights into leveraging big tech to compete effectively while maintaining the personal touch that defines their success.

This conversation is a masterclass on how to think and act as value creators, showcasing how innovation, technology, and customer focus can unlock new opportunities for small businesses.

Resources:

➡  Learn What They Didn’t Teach You In Business School: The Value Creators Online Business Course

Barbara Wardell & Ernesto Cullari’s Agency

Connect with Hunter Hastings on LinkedIn:

The Value Creators on Substack

Knowledge Capsule:

 The Role of Small Businesses in the Economy

  • Small businesses are the “heart” of the economy, offering personalized services and filling niches that large corporations overlook.
  • The success of small businesses relies on their ability to remain competitive by leveraging technology and better communication to attract and retain customers.
  • Examples like family pharmacies and local doctors’ practices illustrate how personalized service can outperform larger corporate competitors.

Leveraging Big Tech for Small Businesses

  • Small businesses can now access advanced technologies traditionally reserved for large corporations, such as geofencing, big data, and targeted advertising.
  • This technological democratization allows small businesses to compete effectively with larger rivals.
  • Tools like GPS tracking, mobile targeting, and data analysis are used to level the playing field.

Introduction to Geofencing

  • Geofencing involves drawing virtual boundaries around specific locations to deliver targeted ads based on customer behavior.
  • Businesses can target competitors’ customers, drawing them to their services by offering personalized and timely advertisements.
  • The technology tracks customer visits and can distinguish between natural traffic and those influenced by advertising.

Advanced Targeting Capabilities

  • Geofencing allows businesses to target specific demographics and behaviors, such as lease renewals for car dealerships or specific zip codes for localized ads.
  • It can be used for niche industries like laundromats, tailoring ads to different languages and regional preferences to maximize customer engagement.
  • Event-specific targeting and weather-based ads expand the application range of this technology.

The Value Learning process in Advertising

  • A comprehensive value-learning approach ensures that customers are targeted at every stage, from value awareness to value conversion.
  • Tools include connected TV, audio ads, online retargeting, and native ads, all tailored to different stages of the customer journey.
  • Businesses are advised to utilize a mix of media to guide customers from first exposure to making a purchase.

ROI Measurement and Long-Term Data Analysis

  • Geofencing provides precise ROI metrics by tracking customer visits and conversions.
  • Businesses can calculate the cost per visit and compare it with customer lifetime value to ensure advertising effectiveness.
  • Long-term foot traffic studies help identify trends, customer behaviors, and optimal business locations.

Applications Across Industries

  • Geofencing is versatile, used in diverse sectors such as retail, healthcare, real estate, and events.
  • Examples include targeting hurricane-affected areas for home repairs, or specialized clinics using connected TV ads to reach potential patients.
  • Industries like HVAC services and medicine can also benefit from targeted advertising strategies.

The Future of Technology in Small Businesses

  • The future will see more small businesses integrating AI-enabled tools for ad creation and management.
  • Geofencing is set to expand, leveraging privacy-sensitive location-based data for highly targeted and effective advertising.
  • The concept of “extended businesses” allows small companies to outsource expertise and access big tech solutions without significant in-house investments.

Importance of Specialization

  • Specializing in a niche, such as laundromat advertising or HVAC services, allows businesses to master their offerings and outperform competitors.
  • Cullari & Wardell exemplifies this by focusing on geofencing and scaling its expertise to new industries.
  • Hyper-specialization fosters innovation and positions businesses as leaders in their fields.

The Role of Personalized Messaging

  • Personalized and localized advertising resonates better with target audiences and builds trust.
  • Ads on platforms like Amazon, Hulu, or Spotify enhance credibility and help businesses appear more professional and trustworthy.
  • Tailored messages, such as targeting customers during lease renewals or specific community events, drive better engagement.

The Power of Foot Traffic Studies

  • Foot traffic studies provide actionable insights into customer behaviors, helping businesses select optimal locations or plan expansions.
  • By analyzing trends like demographic shifts or shopping patterns, businesses can adapt to changing market forces.
  • These studies also help businesses align their offerings with local economic conditions.

Overcoming Technological Barriers

  • While technologies like geofencing can be intimidating, partnering with experts ensures effective implementation.
  • Businesses can start with affordable ad spends and scale up as they grow, making advanced marketing accessible even for smaller budgets.
  • Agencies like Cullari & Wardell provide the expertise to close the loop on advertising by linking campaigns directly to measurable outcomes, like foot traffic and conversions.

The Value Creators Podcast Episode #51. Applying Agile Principles to Transform Management (The B2B Growth Blueprint Repost)

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This episode is a repost from The B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast with Mark Osborne.

There is a shift away from traditional management toward self-managed, digitally-enabled companies. We are entering the Post Managerial Era of Capitalism. In this new way of thinking about business and organization, top-down structures are giving way to self-management, where employees make decisions informed by real-time data and customer insights.

Mark Osborne from the B2B Growth Blueprint podcast provided a platform to discuss the implications of this shift.

Mark highlights the role of empathy, emotional engagement, and agile customer feedback in building responsive, customer-centric businesses, and emphasizes the importance of leveraging digital tools to create interactive environments where customers can actively participate and provide invaluable insights. This approach allows businesses to strengthen product development and build loyalty by making customers feel directly involved.

Mark Osborne emphasizes the relevance of these strategies for early-stage companies, emphasizing iterative design and customer engagement, even with limited resources. By integrating these principles, businesses can not only strengthen their product development but also create a loyal customer base that feels directly involved in the process.

Resources:

Learn What They Didn’t Teach You In Business School (The Value Creators Course)

Connect with Hunter Hastings on LinkedIn

Connect with Mark Osborne on LinkedIn

The B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast on Apple Podcast

The B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast on YouTube

thevaluecreators.com

TVC Substack: hunterhastings.substack.com

Knowledge Capsule:

The Revolutionary New Direct Connection Business Model

  • Digital companies are increasingly directly connected to their customers, allowing real-time access to behavioral data. 
  • This data allows companies to act on direct customer needs rather than relying on inferred needs or top-down commands. Amazon is a model example.
  • This direct connection model is a major shift in the business ecosystem, opening up new opportunities for startups, small firms, and any company operating with constrained resources. Direct connection is a different way of doing business.

Role of Data and Insights

  • In this new business system,  behavioral data is more valuable than customer opinions or satisfaction surveys.
  • Data from customer actions, like purchase behaviors and clickstreams, is analyzed to inform decisions, shifting the role of employees to interpreting and innovating based on real customer insights.

Management Evolution – Market Selection

  • Market selection, whereby customer choices directly guide company strategy, replaces traditional management roles.
  • Market selection aligns with modern complex systems theory where valuable patterns emerge when new behaviors are organically selected by the market.

Balancing Data and Human Empathy

  • Mark Osborne emphasizes the role of data and technology, especially in marketing, for understanding and tailoring to customers. 
  • He raises an important point about understanding customer “attitudes”.
  • These are derived by marketers from observed customer behaviors.  Attitudes don’t guide behavior, they’re exhibited in behavior.
  • He gives an example of Henry Ford and Steve Jobs, who innovated without surveying for customer input.

A New Approach to Identifying Customer Needs

  • Rather than relying on what customers say, companies should observe their actions to deduce their needs. 
  • AI and ML can identify the relevant behavioral patterns, while human empathy and mental models are used to interpret and validate the reasons behind behaviors.

Human Intuition and Non-Intuitive Data Insights

  • Mark Osborne acknowledges the value of machine learning in identifying unexpected data relationships. 
  • Hunter argues that even with incomplete behavioral data, companies should examine broader patterns within the customer’s system or environment.
  • For example, changes in one area of behavior could hint at underlying shifts that explain specific purchase frequency changes in other areas. People who work remotely or partially remotely might exhibit new grocery shopping frequencies, or shift to home delivery..

Leverage Customer-Driven Insights

  • Rather than surveying customers, aim to create environments where they can interact with prototypes, share experiences, and even troubleshoot issues, similar to a community-driven model. 
  • This helps capture genuine behavior-based feedback instead of attitude-based feedback, which can be more insightful.

Utilize Generative Platforms

  • Hunter points out that platforms where customers can participate in the development or improvement process — like bug-fixing communities in software or feedback forums for prototypes — foster a sense of ownership among users. 
  • This interaction allows companies to gather useful data without needing to conduct costly or intrusive outreach.

Create a Feedback Loop with Iterative Testing

  • Early-stage companies, especially those constrained by resources, can implement quick, small-scale experiments or beta tests that engage users in a dialogue. 
  • Instead of aiming for a complete MVP, which may risk negative experiences, focus on presenting these as “works-in-progress” and welcome specific input on how to enhance them.

Focus on Needs, Not Just Problems

  • Hunter highlights the importance of distinguishing between immediate issues and broader needs. 
  • By addressing the underlying emotional or performance aspirations of users, companies can build stronger connections and deliver more meaningful solutions.
  • This approach shifts from just solving isolated problems to creating value around what customers genuinely want to achieve.

Scalable Engagement Strategies

  • Rather than direct, small-scale customer interviews, encourage scalable digital interactions through online forums, webinars, or surveys that allow customers to freely share their experiences and ideas. 
  • Companies can create a space where customers feel involved, committed, and valued in the evolution of a product.