AQ's Blog & Grill

Experience Architecture. And how to become an experience architect!? You won’t want to miss this throwback episode with top digital analyst, futurist and award-winning author, @BrianSolis as he discusses his book ‘X: The Experience When Business Meets Design” Brian discusses the importance of ensuring that data is HUMANIZED. The data tells a story. It’s not just numbers and graphs and charts. Brand experience for the customer is number one! Tune in to find out so much more. So juicy!

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 i

Ann Handley is a veteran of creating and managing digital content to build relationships for organizations and individuals. Ann is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller ‘Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content. She is the chief content officer of MarketingProfs; a columnist for Entrepreneur magazine; a LinkedIn Influencer; a keynote speaker, a mom, and a writer. In this AQ’s Blog & Grill Q&A, Ann talks with Alan about how we are all writers, and provides tips on being a great storyteller. Ann talks about how writing is a habit, not an art. Content marketers need to write a little bit every day to be effective. She also shares her favourite practical tools and apps that she uses to help her with writing.

In this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, Alan chats with long-time colleague and friend Glen Drummond about a potential, slippery slope of AI and other emerging, predictive technology. “Empathy is an essential and defining human quality,” says Glen. And, more than that, we’re hard-wired to respond to empathy. So, what happens when there’s a disconnect between what we expect to see happen, and what we experience?  Lean in as Glen shares his insights into how to avoid AI and predictive technologies evolving to deepen the gap, making corporations less empathetic, and how we can get ahead of it and program these technologies to do more corporate good.

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 experiences going from an engineer to a marketing genius. 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.

A nimble marketing services consultancy? You betcha. Scott Gillum, the founder of Carbon Design, has built consulting success around working differently. Carbon Design delivers value-based services thanks to its team of carbonistas. Lean. Efficient. Non-dependent. These are, says Scott, the keys to successfully navigating the future of work. In this episode, Scott shares key insights into working smarter - not harder - as he changes the consulting landscape. All Carbon Design projects focus on NEW. New staff. New ideas. New products. The Carbon team is called in to wade into uncharted waters to help clients navigate towards success. Learn more about the practical applications of the autonomy of talent, future of work, and more as Scott and Alan put meaning to buzzwords.

Gary Vaynerchuk, the hardest working man in social media, talks about how he takes time to engage with his audience on social media and how content marketing is overflowing on the internet. He touches on his worries that young entrepreneurs think business is easy, the fairness of capitalism, how he built his brand, and how he is creating a scalable business out of the unscalable. Finally Gary describes his new book, Jab Jab Jab Right Hook and how boxing and social media are linked. About Our Guest Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, internet personality, and avid investor. He has always been an entrepreneur at heart, starting at age 8 with a lemonade stand that puts all others to shame. Gary is well known for WineLibraryTV, the #AskGaryVee show, VaynerMedia, VaynerRSE, and writing best selling books including Crush It and Jab Jab Jab Right Hook. 

A big AQ’s Blog & Grill “Welcome Back” to Guy Kawasaki. While he may have hung up his hockey skates and taken up surfing, he’s still giving it his A-game in his new book Wise Guy: Lessons from a Life. In this episode, Guy shares how he’s in the “sweet spot.” That time when he’s acquired knowledge - and not yet lost it.  Alan and Guy have a chat about this highly personal book, letting all of us in on Guy’s life lessons learned. The episode is full of laughter, banter and above all else - learning. Like this gem: Think of social media as Tinder versus eHarmony. Listen along as Guy shares about pursuing joy, not happiness, and building a meaningful life. Push your comfort zones and get ready for a wild - and wise - ride from the world’s Tech Marketing Guru, Guy Kawasaki. 

Joseph Fung understands that hard work, sweat and tears plays a role in startups, but putting yourself out there is a huge factor in success. After consulting with an advisor at Waterloo’s Communitech, Joseph found success with his first startup, TribeHR. He went on to sell TribeHR to Netsuite, the first major chapter in his road to serial entrepreneurship. Joseph joins Alan today to share the lessons he's learned along the way and the new business venture he has taken on, Kiite. Joseph and Alan discuss the changing landscape of the workforce and how technology can enable a new mode of employment. Joseph shares how Kiite's sales-enabling technology provides employees access to information on their own terms. Joseph also touches on how philanthropic activities as an organization can open the door to a happier, more diverse workforce.

From personal brand to event media, Jane Barkley – founder and CEO of IM@Events – ­is a powerhouse of marketing talents. Jane joins Alan in this episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill to share her path to success and how others can do the same. Jane founded IM@Events after uncovering a need in the event industry to produce and execute event coverage from front to back. IM@Events provides full digital media coverage of events and conferences across southern Ontario, building buzz and creating a path for customer service. It also offers social media education to empower clients to maintain their social tactics in-house. Alan and Jane discuss the skills that make up today's social media marketer. They call on the dangers of putting youth in charge simply because of the assumption that it’s “their world”. Jane touches on social media myths, the most popular being “content is king”. She challenges this notion by stating that the community is in fact the King of your social media realm and is the driver of your content's

Norm Clare of Quarry Integrated Communications joins Alan to share his insight into key technologies that are shaking up brands in this era of digital transformation. Norm is the VP of Marketing Technology Strategy and as Alan puts it, is a great synthesizer of what technology could do and what it actually does.  Norm speaks to the buyer’s journey and how technology is changing how brands connect with customers, gather data and create meaningful experiences. He explains the power of branded top-level domains and how brands can portray a sense of authority and safety in this transformative opportunity. Norm praises the new wave of mobile technologies that give the user a sense of control and deep engagement with brands. He shares a few examples of brands he feels are doing this right, including FedEx, Fitbit and, of course, Uber. Norm and Alan discuss RFIDs (Radio-Frequency Identification) and the IoT world, touching on personal data and how it can be used for or against the user.   About Our Guest Norm Clare

Speaker, author and social media thought-leader Amber Mac joins us in studio to discuss her book ‘Outsmarting Your Kids Online’. She shares a bit about the process of self-publishing the work with co-author Michael Bazzell after being inspired by Guy Kawasaki. A book, a business, TV and radio shows and a busy social life is a lot to balance. Amber credits her multi-level success to working with great partners and loving what she does. It may surprise some to learn that Amber grew up in PEI, Canada, going to school in a one-room schoolhouse. A big imagination and big dreams led her to beginning her career in San Francisco. Amber and Alan discuss the new trends in live streaming, which brands are getting it right, and how, from individuals to big media companies, “shift is happening!” Amber provides advice to young adults looking to leverage social media to jump-start their careers and build a personal brand, sharing an inspiring example to follow. Amber Mac’s book ‘Outsmarting Your Kids Online: A Safety Handbo

Michael Popovich, CEO of STC (Scientific Technologies Corporation), caught up with Alan Quarry to discuss the changes in information technology and how they can be used to save lives.   STC began as an IT company in the consulting realm, but after a design consult for an immunization registry had them building the software themselves, the firm wound up deep in the public health industry.   Michael shares impactful stories of how information technology and data can and has been used to create real-time, real-world change. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, STC saved millions of taxpayer dollars and likely many lives with their immunization registry. This was the first time the United States had an integrated, countrywide electronic health record.   As the health industry undergoes a digital transformation, Michael states the key factor that sets IT firms apart: having an anthropologist on your team. This also relates to a current challenge many IT companies face, applying the right technolog

Entrepreneurship is usually focused on solving problems and the story of Miovision does not stray from that mentality. As a co-op student from the University of Waterloo, Kurtis McBride spent weekends manually counting cars at intersections. The common entrepreneurial phrase eventually crept through his mind – “There needs to be a better way.” Now, over a decade later, Kurtis’ company Miovision has reached global success in smart cities by creating agile solutions on top of city data.  Alan and Kurtis discuss smart city concepts – from top-down, large vendor solutions to bottom-up, little-point solutions.   One of the keys to Miovision’s success has been developing a balanced team with complementary skills and personalities. Kurtis also credits the Region of Waterloo and their pay-it-forward culture that allowed Kurtis and his team to receive the advice they needed to keep growing.   “Being naïve as an entrepreneur is actually an asset,” Kurtis states when asked his advice for emerging entrepreneurs. “The fac

It’s been three years since we caught up with Vidyard’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Litt, so we’ve pulled him into the AQ studio to discuss the dramatic growth and success of the five-year-old start-up. We start with the facts on what Vidyard does, how they do it and how their clients are benefiting. Michael and Alan discuss the challenges that present themselves as the Vidyard team grows. Michael notes that the employee head count isn’t their measure of success, but how happy and focused the employees are within Vidyard’s culture. Vidyard recently moved their headquarters into the downtown Kitchener, Ontario core. Michael thinks it’s important to create a positive impact in the community so Vidyard is donating time and resources through their “Plugin” initiative. When Vidyard began their journey, video was not high on the marketer’s checklist. Video has since boomed, resulting in new competitors, so Michael explains how Vidyard stays innovative in the bigger, busier market. He discusses the integration

Alex Mustakas, Chief Entertainment Officer of Drayton Entertainment, joins us to discuss arts, business and the glorious combination of the two. Alex shares the inspiring story behind Drayton Entertainment and how he used both his creative side and business mind to become an entrepreneurial success in arts. Twenty-five years ago, a small community raised funds to save its old opera house from a wrecking ball. Now that venue stands as one of seven theatres under the Drayton Entertainment umbrella, with over 800 performances across southwestern Ontario.    Alex proudly states that Drayton Entertainment is one of the top employers of professional artists in Canada, and with professional relationships to Broadway in New York, the success is sure to grow. Alex and Alan discuss the changing demographics and shifting buying patterns of the theatre audience, and how Drayton is working to adapt and sustain its success. They discuss the secret sauce in the Drayton Entertainment success story and contemplate whether tha

Loren Padelford, Vice President and General Manager at Shopify Plus, joins Alan to share how Shopify is changing the landscape of e-commerce. Loren tells how this Canadian company sparked out of the founder’s desire to sell snowboards online. Shopify has since found great success, helping entrepreneurs reach a global market online with easy-to-use, cost-effective software. The recently launched Shopify Plus takes the software a step further, assisting large enterprise companies to sell online and create campaigns with ease. Loren shares a remarkable example of how the technology helped Oreos create a campaign in two months versus the two years it would have taken internally.   “Globally, anything is a market”, Loren states, giving examples of products and merchants using the e-commerce technology. Shopify doesn’t just offer an e-commerce solution. They help entrepreneurs succeed by providing learning tools like Shopify University and “Shopifolk”. Alan and Loren finish by discussing what’s next for Shopify and

Let’s just start by saying that Amy Schmittauer is a force to be reckoned with. Her Savvy Sexy Social brand is informative, fun and magnetic. In this grilling, Amy joins us for an insightful look at YouTube, Snapchat and authentic brand building. If you think YouTube is a dying medium, oh boy, are you wrong. As Amy states, the #2 search engine isn’t going anywhere and is more relevant than ever. Amy discusses finding your brand differentiator, being an “overnight” success and what drives her passion for vlogging. She shares her biggest Snapchat pet peeve and supports what marketing gurus Brian Fanzo and Jay Baer are doing right in this fast-paced social world. Make sure you keep your eyes, ears and social channels focused on Amy Schmittauer. Amy has an upcoming book loaded with all the knowledge your savvy sexy social mind can handle! About Our Guest Amy Schmittauer is the face and founder of Savvy Sexy Social, a web series that focuses on helping businesses and rising stars create an authentic brand through

When Don and Alex Tapscott began writing “Blockchain Revolution”, not a single bank was investing in the revolutionary technology. Now virtually every company in the financial services industry is investing heavily as they realize this new technology is the second generation of the internet - the “internet of value”. In this exciting episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, we are honored to have Don and Alex on to discuss their new book and the implications and opportunities in blockchains. Currently, when sending assets, we rely on intermediaries like banks to ensure trust, verify parties and perform the transaction logic. “These intermediaries do an okay job”, Alex states, “but with some pretty significant limitations.” Alex walks us through the limitations these intermediaries face and how blockchain technology fixes these problems. “Blockchain Revolution” delineates several new business models that can be adopted by any company, and Don and Alex describe one example that found success with a blockchain. They

In this special episode of AQ’s Blog & Grill, broadcasting personality Angela Onoura turns the tables and interviews host Alan Quarry. Angela picks Alan’s brain on the topic of leadership: hiring people smarter than you, giving them the freedom to do what they’re best at, and how bureaucracy can negatively impact a business by squashing creativity. Alan shares advice on creating an exciting company culture, providing examples from his own company, Quarry Integrated Communications, which is HQ'd in St. Jacob's, Ontario, with offices in Raleigh-Durham and San Jose. When hiring the sharpest tools in the shed, egos can create a lot of head butting in the board room, so Alan shares insight into how a leader can keep control of those bright minds, turning those egos into “We-gos”. About Our Guest Along with being the host of AQ’s Blog & Grill, Alan Quarry is the chairman of Quarry Integrated Communications. He is an entrepreneur, a mentor, and a startup coach at Communitech and the Accelerator Centre in Kit