Dots. | Podcast of Paul Syng

• #27 Cecilia Ambros — Design Leadership, Innovation and Creativity at Amazon and Nike

  Cecilia Ambros is a trained fine artist who has seamlessly transitioned from painting with colours and digital designs to "painting with data." Leveraging a versatile skill set, Cecilia embraces the challenge of learning new domains, thriving even without initial subject matter expertise. Her remarkable career has led her through unexpected opportunities, including roles at prestigious companies such as banks and Amazon. DOTS PODCAST ON ALL PLATFORMS YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJhdYWtEVH6R9lX2exP_8ni9YGKNTZ1b8&si=4s69nrKCahy5vQ5O⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2z0Vgy7eNR6XSk3M0uSugp?si=eb5369dea4314099⁠ Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dots-podcast-of-paul-syng/id1557392269⁠ Podcasters: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng⁠ READ PLATONIC BLOG ⁠https://paulsyng.com/blog/⁠ NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE? ⁠https://paulsyng.com⁠ SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: ⁠https://x.com/paulsyng⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/⁠ Guest, Cecilia Ambros: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conceptualthinking/ CHAPTERS 00:00 Small studio grew; pursued MBA for job. 05:36 Missing two MBA classes; career shifts rapidly. 12:18 Differences in design approach: Nike, Amazon, Loblaws. 17:32 Observing brand adaptation, design validation differs greatly. 26:16 Nike tested gear innovations with University of Oregon. 32:21 Man's intellect challenged value of product branding. 36:50 Navigating creative differences between brands and agencies. 42:42 Nike nurtures curiosity, aligning designers across disciplines. 46:43 Understanding athlete rigor enhances design inspiration. 53:02 Nike's coaching philosophy shaped my leadership journey. 58:26 Impressed by leaders’ rapid document understanding skills. 01:03:51 Evolving client relationships through digital transformation. 01:08:33 Nike, Amazon, and Chase share service values. 01:12:28 Shattered ankle, long recovery, first hospital experience.

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• #26 Josh Lowman — From copywriter to category design studio

  Josh Lowman founded Gold Front, an agency that’s helped major players like Stripe, Uber, and Clari carve out new market categories. Josh and his team focus on business strategy, positioning, and brand design, working with top CEOs, founders, and CMOs who want to be different in their industries. But that’s not all. Josh is also passionate about sharing his insights for free through his newsletter, LinkedIn, and live workshops. When he’s not shaping the future of tech brands, you can find him hanging out with his daughters or rooting for the Detroit Lions—a test of loyalty if there ever was one! DOTS PODCAST ON ALL PLATFORMS YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJhdYWtEVH6R9lX2exP_8ni9YGKNTZ1b8&si=4s69nrKCahy5vQ5O Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2z0Vgy7eNR6XSk3M0uSugp?si=eb5369dea4314099  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dots-podcast-of-paul-syng/id1557392269   Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng READ PLATONIC BLOG https://paulsyng.com/blog/ NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE?  https://paulsyng.com SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: https://x.com/paulsyng https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/ Guest, Josh Lowman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshlowman/ Gold Front | Apex - Case Study https://www.goldfront.com/work/real-performance-apex CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome Josh Lowman 02:38 How Josh created Gold Front (A category design studio) 11:53 Connecting the dots from strategy to execution 22:14 Category vs 'Brand' and why words you use matter 29:55 Positioning in category strategy 36:27 One thing that drives Josh about Gold Front 40:11 Apex case study 44:25 Working with founders and CEOs 50:07 3001 Questions all about me

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• #25 Alex Smith — The No Bullshit Strategy Guy

  Alex Smith is a strategist, writer, and advisor to CEOs and founders. He is the founder of Basic Arts, and he helps create brands that stand alone in their markets and bring true value to people. It’s my goal to increase strategic understanding and expertise among founders since it’s not only widely misunderstood but often completely overlooked. DOTS PODCAST ON ALL PLATFORMS YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJhdYWtEVH6R9lX2exP_8ni9YGKNTZ1b8&si=4s69nrKCahy5vQ5O Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2z0Vgy7eNR6XSk3M0uSugp?si=eb5369dea4314099  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dots-podcast-of-paul-syng/id1557392269   Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng READ PLATONIC BLOG https://paulsyng.com/blog/ NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE?  https://paulsyng.com SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: https://x.com/paulsyng https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/ Guest, Alex Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-m-h-smith/ 00:00:00 Meet Alex, monetize your quirks 00:03:42 Alex's unconventional path to strategy 00:15:03 An act of mischief 00:28:07 Elephant, monkey and a fish climb a tree 00:35:34 No one is buying strategy 00:43:15 What is 'strategy' and understanding founder motivations 00:55:33 Understand the person and their context first 01:05:17 Positioning and Simon Sinek's 'Why?' 01:14:26 Fame ≠ expertise 01:32:05 How Alex built an audience of 90k on LinkedIn 01:48:47 3001 Questions all about me

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• #24 Steve Patti — 4Ps and what tech CMOs miss about brand

  Steve Patti is a seasoned marketing strategist specializing in helping B2B companies align their marketing efforts with how their Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) really buy. He excels in three core areas: 1. Aligning marketing strategy with genuine buyer behaviour by integrating brand, demand, and customer expansion, while debunking common marketing myths like fake funnels and false intent signals. 2. Centering ICPs in content strategies by involving them as expert guests and contributors, thereby boosting content credibility, distribution, and engagement. 3. Accelerating the development of first-time CMOs, guiding them to quickly and effectively take on leadership roles. Steve's extensive experience spans across both B2B and B2C sectors, including cloud hosting, SaaS, telecom, banking, and augmented reality. He has held leadership roles as a $20MM Founder/CEO, agency VP, and startup advisor, and serves as an adjunct professor of Entrepreneurship & Marketing. Clients praise Steve for his no-nonsense, actionable advice that brings clarity and focus to their marketing strategies. DOTS PODCAST ON ALL OTHER PLATFORMS Spotify, Apple, Anchor & more: ⁠ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng READ PLATONIC BLOG https://paulsyng.com/blog/ NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE? https://paulsyng.com SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: https://x.com/paulsyng https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/ Guest, Steve Patti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepatti/ CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Hello, Steve Patti 00:04:27 Getting the fundamentals right (Marketing 101) 00:11:02 Three reasons marketing and sales folks are at odds with each other 00:18:35 Organizing teams and resources around the customer 00:28:56 Everyone must get on customer calls 00:34:04 How to deprogram demand gen cults 00:48:37 Why marketers need to use Elon Musk's playbook 00:53:40 On growth mindset 00:59:16 Summarizing the key points 01:02:03 3001 Questions all about me 01:04:13 Closing remarks

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• #23 Paul Hicks — Aligning KPIs, Sales Coaching, and leveraging AI in Business

  Paul helps Sales and Service leaders implement SwitchGear Operating Systems. These systems have had a significant impact. - Sales Acceleration System: $100M revenue growth - LEAD System: $34M added to bottom-line - Trusted Advisor System: Increased customer loyalty - 750+ leaders graduated from programs - 14,000+ frontline employees impacted DOTS PODCAST ON ALL OTHER PLATFORMS Spotify, Apple, & more: ⁠ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paulsyng READ PLATONIC BLOG https://paulsyng.com/blog/ NEED HELP WITH A COMPLEX CHALLENGE? https://paulsyng.com SPEAKER LINKS Host, Paul Syng: https://x.com/paulsyng https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsyng/ Guest, Paul Hicks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wphicks/ CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Who is Paul Hicks? 00:06:03 Role of feedback and having a mentor 00:13:12 Distinction between mentors and coaches 00:15:42 Memborable coaching moments 00:26:02 Common mistakes sales leaders make 00:54:13 Asking questions as your superpower 01:05:11 Doubling valuation by articulating the problem 01:21:15 Helping front-line workers navigate through the pandemic 01:45:04 Early stages of AI being implemented in sales 02:02:30 How do you navigate and prepare for AI at work? 02:11:22 How to build rapport on a sales call? 02:15:35 What sales leaders need to do right away 02:23:53 What did the CSO say to the CMO? 02:29:22 3001 questions all about me 02:30:20 Final words and closing remarks

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