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Build A Healthcare IoT Network Your Nana Will Love

A chronically ill senior steps off her scale and heads to the kitchen to make coffee. Moments later, a message appears on her phone; she looks: “Good morning, Mrs. Rodriguez. Your weight is a bit higher than normal this morning. Have you taken your Lasix yet today?” She clicks “yes” and returns her attention to the task at hand: coffee. Her phone rings. It’s her health coach checking in. Mrs. Rodriguez is enrolled in Ochsner Health System’s chronic disease management program, and her remote care team is concerned about her heart failure. “Hello, Mrs. Rodriguez. How are you feeling today? Experiencing any shortness of breath? Dizziness?”

This conversation, she knows, was initiated because the scale in her bathroom is wirelessly connected to her care team. Her weight spiked four pounds overnight, a key indicator that she is retaining fluid. Just a few years earlier, the issue would have landed her in an emergency room. Today, her condition is being managed more progressively. “I’ve just spoken to our on-call pharmacist, and we’re going to have you take an extra 20 mg. of your Lasix this morning. Can you do that now? We will check back in this afternoon.”

Miniaturization Meets Chronic Disease Management

The adage goes that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Today’s healthcare organizations (HCOs) lack the capacity to meaningfully measure the chronic diseases they aim to manage, but innovations in sensor miniaturization are changing that. IoMT (internet of medical things) networks solve this very straightforward problem by capturing an increasingly sophisticated set of key physiological data points.

Today, a small but important group of data points, including weight, glucose levels, and vital signs, are being captured. In the lab, researchers are pushing the boundaries of what miniaturized sensors can capture to include hormones, electrolytes, hydration levels, medication adherence, and more.

Analytics Are Bending the Cost Curve

Sensor data is blended with activity data and environmental data and fed into analytics engines where algorithms are pouring over this inbound data to separate signal from the noise. Researchers are flagging alarming trends and are then engaging patients with chatbots to validate issues and automate escalation of care.

Predictive analytics researchers are taking things one step further, attempting to forecast deterioration from subtle trends in this data before symptoms even present. Diabetes management vendor One Drop is forecasting glucose changes, while Second Opinion Health is forecasting migraines. Researchers in labs today are working on forecasting seizures for epileptic patients, inflammation attacks for patients living with multiple sclerosis, and even suicide.

What It Means

In my recently published report, “How to Build A Healthcare IoT Platform,” I move past the hype and create an adoption road map designed to lay out the people, processes, and technology needed to support smart hospitals, transitions of care, chronic disease management, and population health initiatives. In the era of cost control and value-based care, HCOs need to leverage these strategies to address:

  • Ambulatory market competition. Care delivery continues to migrate out of the hospital and into the ambulatory markets, where barriers to entry are low and competition is fierce. Leapfrog competition in the ambulatory care market by building real-time digital connections with IoT networks. Engage consumers at home, and escalate care to the brick-and-mortar settings that make the most sense.
  • Maturing consumer expectations. Consumers are increasingly capturing personal health data, and the race is on to engage with them around it — putting it to use to improve their healthcare experience. Healthcare CIOs and digital business pros need to create compelling IoT strategies now or risk losing the market to more digitally engaged competitors.
  • Increased fiscal pressure. Employers and legislators are showing no sign of abating on demands for cost containment. HCOs must build toward their own vision of the future, a care delivery model that does more with less and maintains the patient’s place at the center of the mission.

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My name is Jeffrey Becker. I invite you to join me in the coming months as I take a deep dive into the electronic health record (EHR) optimization and patient engagement strategies that most effectively help healthcare organizations pursue the quadruple aim. Connect with me via briefings or inquiries. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TRANSFORMATION ASSEMBLY

Join leaders from North America’s leading Health Systems to discuss the latest technology, innovations, and strategies driving healthcare’s transformation. At the 9th edition of Healthcare Providers Transformation Assembly, we’ll be discussing the latest digital technology and business strategies driving healthcare’s digital transformation.

Are you interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

Addressing the Gaps in Customer Experience

This article is contributed by our sponsor, Redpoint Global. Written by: John Nash, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at  RedPoint Global.

There is a pressing strategic imperative for brands to compete on customer experience (CX) in nearly every industry. Marketers in retail, insurance, financial services, CPG, travel and hospitality, and health and wellness are pressured to meet growing expectations from the empowered consumer for an experience tailored to their preferences at every stage of the customer journey. Marketers are aware of this issue but have found difficulty in the execution of a seamless omnichannel customer experience.

To better understand and address the challenges of today’s marketers and consumers, RedPoint Global commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct quantitative research among these audiences. In looking at responses from over 450 marketers and 3,000 consumers across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., we found a number of gaps between marketers’ customer experience strategy and consumers’ expectations, which we’ll unveil at our live webinar, Wednesday, March 27 at 1pm EST.

Consumers have spoken on what’s most important to them in a modern customer experience; privacy, consistency across multiple channels, a deep understanding – and appreciation – of customer needs, and personalization.

However, as this study shows, brands are not delivering on these aspects of the customer experience at the level customers want. A deep gap between a consumer’s expectations and the experience being delivered is magnified by the inability of brands to marry strategy with execution. Our research shows that brands are aware of the pressing need for a personalized consumer experience, and most have a strategy in place to get there, but existing challenges unifying data, offers and information martech solutions prevent them from being able to deliver a true, modern-day personalized experience.

The survey validates that fragmentation is largely responsible for the CX gap. Data fragmentation, system fragmentation, and organizational fragmentation all contribute to the frustration for consumers and marketers alike in the delivery and receipt of a seamless, omnichannel customer experience.

There is a way to resolve these challenges, through establishing a single point of control over all data, decisions, and interactions. This process overcomes the typical fragmentations and puts marketers in a position to deliver against expectations of individual customers at any stage of their customer journey. It provides marketing with the foundation needed to deeply understand customers and provide an instantaneous response or a proactive, predictive action that will resonate with a customer in their context and cadence.

For the more information about the study “Addressing the Gaps in Customer Experience” join us for a Webinar on March 27 at 1 pm ET with Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer at The Harris Poll and John Nash, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer of RedPoint Global (URL).

ABOUT DIGITAL RETAIL TRANSFORMATION

C-Level experts from across North America’s retail industry are coming together in Dallas in

August to anticipate the highly complex digital retail environment that will develop over the next few years.

Through a cutting-edge program designed by the industry, for the industry, we will pro

vide a fresh and up-to-date insight to help move your organization to the next level of digital leadership. A series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions will offer industry-specific topics and trends to ensure your company sustains its competitive advantage.

Are you interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

Bot-to-Bot Marketing is the Next Game Changer

Over the past year, we have witnessed a significant shift in the channels that consumers are favoring.

In recent years there has been a drastic increase in the uptake of messaging apps. In fact, the usage of these apps and chatbots is actually outpacing that of social media networks. It is predicted that in 2017, the number of messaging app users will be around 2.10 billion. This is indicative of a new trend, as pointed out by Mark Schafer, the rise of the private network. Consumers are changing how they feel about public scrutiny. They are becoming increasingly afraid of public record and are favoring privacy through apps like Facebook Messenger or Kik.

ChatBots along with smart home devices like Google Home’s Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa are opening up new opportunities for marketers, who are beginning to plan their strategies for this channel.

What is interesting is that this has opened up another new opportunity, Bot-to-Bot Marketing.

This is when the bot or agent interacts with another bot or agent instead of searching the web, or a knowledge base, or a profile.

In a few years, ArcTouch Chief Experience Officer and founder Adam Fingerman predicted, “most interaction will be conversational.” His company develops apps and now bots.

Marketers need to be prepared for this next potential game changer.

At Transformational CMO West, you can expect to discuss bot-to-bot marketing.

  • How bot-to-bot marketing may become the loyalty platform of the future.
  • What is the potential impact bot-to-bot marketing will have in the way marketers reach consumers?
  • When machines with machine logic are empowered to make purchase decisions, how then do brands build loyalty?
  • How to prepare for this game-changing, bot-driven world.
Welcome to the ‘Conversation Marketing’ era!

It is now impossible to ignore this trend. Chatbots and messenger apps are changing the digital marketing field.

As a CMO, why should you invest in this technology?

Its 24/7

In this time of Amazon Prime 2-hour delivery, consumers want everything now, literally. Your consumer will get frustrated if they don’t get timely responses from you and your business. The banking industry suffered from failing to adapt to the consumer desire for service at the time they want it, so you do not want make the same mistake.

You are also way more likely to get engagement within Messenger apps or chatbots than say from your Facebook page. That’s because the communication is 1:1 and 24/7. You aren’t in competition with the hundreds of other marketers who are flooding your target’s newsfeed.

Unique data to create personalized campaigns

Possibly our favorite element of this new technology is the data you can extract. You can monitor your consumer, gather data and ultimately adapt your marketing to be highly personalized. Marketing has to be personal. The customer should be at the heart of all your content.

What’s also great is that as soon as you engage with someone, you then have the ability to push messages out to them. You can even set automation workflows, just as you would on email.

All-inclusive

Chatbots can provide an all-inclusive ecosystem for shoppers. Users can ask questions, receive answers, and based on data you’ve collected, gather recommendations increasing their likelihood to buy additional products.

Self-perpetuating marketing

This technology markets itself. It leads to more word-of-mouth, social sharing, better customer experiences… should we say more?

You can actually create a chatbot in minutes with companies like ManyChat or ChatFuel, so why not try it? And while you are at it, why not check out The Transformational CMO West Assembly this June in Las Vegas?

About the Transformational CMO West Assembly

The world is changing a mile a minute and it is hard to scale. Differentiating yourself and maintaining trust in the ever-changing marketing world seems to be getting easier, but only to those who are willing to adapt to the rapid-fire marketing. The more you can plan ahead, the better equipped you as an executive will feel in managing those changes when they happen.

In June of 2019, the Transformational CMO West Assembly in Nevada is a unique event that challenges our attendees to learn how to anticipate what’s next for the highly complex marketing environment that has emerged throughout the year through a series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions with our industry experts and advisory board over the course of 2 days.

Are you a CMO interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

What Do Successful Marketing Leaders Do In Their Downtime? Here Are 5 Things

Successful marketing leaders do not sit idly by to reach the top of their industry. These leaders are constantly learning to identify issues, assess situations and above all, keep group emotions in check. However, there are a couple of things that consistently top the list when it comes to being a great marketing leader, and it might not be what you expect.

So, what makes leaders successful in this highly competitive industry? They know how to get the most out of their downtime. According to Forbes, here are just 5 small things marketing leaders do past their work hours that gives them an extra boost.

1. Invest in Personal Enrichment

Successful marketing leaders recognize the importance of achieving a proper work-life balance. Even though it is easier said than done, these leaders allocate their time in order to optimize self-care in the midst of their busy work lives. Marketing leaders cultivate hobbies such as picking up painting or doing yoga and use those new activities as more than an outlet for stress.

These personally rewarding experiences and knowledge increase satisfaction at home and on the job, offering inspiration to innovate in the workplace.

2. They Keep a Vigilant Eye on Other Marketing Ads

When a marketing leader comes across a great ad or campaign, they cannot help but become excited over a job well done. Successful marketing leaders appreciate great ads and will take away something from the experience to pass on to their teams in hopes of implementing such tactic into their own campaigns.

It is the role of marketing to champion the voice of the customer and to share market insights that lead the company, so it is important for a marketing leader to keep an eye out for ads that are shaking up the industry.

3. They Listen to Podcasts

For example, Christopher Penn and John Wall run the podcast “Marketing Over Coffee,” and they discuss the latest trends and practices in the industry. Successful marketing leaders are always up-to-date on the trends impacting the industry, and listening to such podcasts offers a small educational break to renew motivation and inspiration while at work.

4. They Revisit Goals and Reward Self-Success

Marketing leaders may have achieved their dream of having their own team to manage, but that does not mean they are done with climbing the ladder or designing their own future success. They continually identify the importance of returning to and revising both bigger and smaller goals to trace where they were to where they are and where they want to go.

Moroever, what you think of your own success matters to how you apply yourself to your career moving forward. Celebrating milestones and small wins with personal rewards will keep you motivated in your career, and help you strive to become a better version of yourself.

5. They Maintain an Exercise Routine

The most successful professionals maintain a regular exercise routine, and successful marketing leaders recognize the merits of balancing the mind and body. When you exercise regularly and stick with it, it is proven that an individual works smarter, harder and better. With regular exercise, you strive to be your best self, and that will eventually start reflecting in your work.

Although this may seem like a short list, you have to keep in mind that these are only 5 things a marketer can do to improve their performance this year. With the marketing function getting more complex, the role of the C-suite is evolving to play a more strategic role and is becoming more and more interesting. Therefore, it is time to listen to advice and become a better marketer.

ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATIONAL CMO EAST ASSEMBLY

Digital marketing is a fast, dynamic landscape and for marketers to keep ahead of their CMOEC1 Updated Bannercompetition, boosting brand awareness and sales they need to keep up to date with current trends, technologies, and strategies. Differentiating yourself and maintaining trust in the ever-changing marketing world seems to be getting easier, but only to those who are willing to adapt to the rapid-fire marketing. The more you can plan ahead, the better equipped you as an executive will feel in managing those changes when they happen.

In May of 2019, the Transformational CMO East Assembly is a unique event that challenges our attendees to learn how to anticipate what’s next for the highly complex marketing environment that has emerged throughout the year through a series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative and educational workshops, and networking sessions with leading industry experts and our coveted advisory board over the course of 2 days.

You can say this is one of the most exclusive events of 2019, and spaces are reserved for the best in the business. If you’re a CMO looking to stay one step ahead of the digital world, reserve your seat today >

Are you a CMO interested in attending this event? Enquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

Download your copy of the sponsorship prospectus to see if you are eligible to sponsor this event >>

5 Ways Big Data Can Help You Monitor Consumer Trends

Big data plays a vital role in transforming the way businesses work. In fact, many companies consider it as the framework for improving services and customer relationships. Entrepreneurs and marketers use analytics to process huge amounts of data to draw conclusions on consumer behavior, which help them formulate strategies to address issues and follow or set trends.

If your business is still on the fence about the power of big data, allow this article to expound on how it can improve your operations. 

Customer Satisfaction
It is crucial for any business to swiftly address whatever issues their customers have. This is especially true today, as Inside Big Data points out that consumers are now smarter and savvier — hence the need to connect with them through innovative and engaging means. For businesses to find out the areas they can improve on, they have to rely on insights from big data. For instance, Digital Diary emphasizes how data can help e-commerce companies understand their customers’ shopping habits and preferences. Depending on the results of the information gathered, marketers can opt to enhance their websites’ user experience or improve customer engagement.

Content Distribution Schedules
When a business is simultaneously running a blog and social media pages, adhering to a content distribution schedule is vital. However, for each bit of content to be truly visible, its release should coincide with users’ online activity. Analytics can determine the specific times your audience is usually online. This data can then help you form a content distribution schedule that would reach your intended target market when they are present online. Incidentally, the time slots can also influence what type of content you disseminate. For instance, if users tend to go online during rush hour, content about surviving traffic would be relevant. 

Targeted Advertising
Many problems faced by advertisers can be solved with big data. This is because big data lets marketers understand the details of user behavior. Entrepreneur notes that big data helps form targeted and personalized ad campaigns that increase efficiency by reaching the intended market with the right products. These campaigns also don’t break the bank, which is why they are an effective – and sometimes a better – alternative for advertisers than more expensive, above-the-line advertising efforts. 

Strategies Beyond the Digital Space
Big data doesn’t only deal with information about consumer behavior online. It can also determine what a consumer’s journey outside of their digital browsing looks like. A study published on Ayima shows that a significant portion of customers who purchase in-store start their journey on some form of digital channel. This could indicate that these people have seen the product first online, either through social media or web articles. Having this data on hand tells entrepreneurs that they should start focusing their efforts on in-store marketing as well to bolster online efforts. It also proves that digital channels have a significant effect over in-store purchases.

Predictive Analytics
Predictive analytics uses historical data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to predict future consumer behavior. This kind of information is useful in several aspects. For instance, predictive analytics can be used to determine which of your customers are likely to not renew their memberships. With this information, you can create strategies, like incentives, that can convince them to continue their subscription.

Predictive analytics also forecasts which customers have the highest probability of buying your products. Likewise, you can think of ways to reach these people in order to drive sales growth. Sales expert Larry Myler explained that predictive analytics is the next frontier of B2B sales because businesses can then use the right resources at the right time to pursue the right sales prospects.

About the Digital Enterprise Transformation Assembly

As more and more businesses look to digital technology and strategies to transform their business, CIOs know that data and information technology have never been more important. Understanding the convergence of mobile, social, and cloud is the first critical step for organizations looking to create opportunities and stay ahead of the competition.

The Millennium Alliance is thrilled to present our bi-annual Digital Enterprise Transformation Assembly, put together by the industry, for the industry. Join us in Miami, FL. for a series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions will offer industry-specific topics and trends to ensure your company maintains its competitive advantage.

Are you a CIO or CTO interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

The Millennium Alliance Launches a New “Digitally Transformed” Website

NEW YORK – March 20, 2019 – The Millennium Alliance, the invitation-only organization for Senior-Level Executives and Business Transformers, unveiled a new website today. As Millennium celebrates its Five-Year Anniversary, the arrival of the new website revamps our online asset known as The Digital Diary while providing the most up-to-date info regarding our national and regional assemblies, industry and job-function specific content, thought leader participation, social updates, company information and more in an easy to navigate design.

The new website has been designed to offer the ultimate user-friendly experience with improved functionality while allowing the community to see The Millennium Alliance’s full assemblies portfolio. The new site also includes a variety of new features to allow visitors to quickly and efficiently search the site while finding the information that best suits their needs.

“Nowadays, as an organization grows, so does their web properties. More than just an imaginative display, our main company website will serve not only to be aesthetically pleasing to those who come to visit, but more importantly, will act as a portal for our members, clients, and partners to communicate with each other in an efficient and effective manner. This has been a very lengthy process, and I am super proud of Greg, Rebecca, Ridge, Conor and the whole entire marketing and web development team. They have truly outdone themselves!” Says Alex Sobol, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Millennium Alliance.

The new website will serve as an enhanced platform to highlight The Millennium Alliance’s three main pillars – Education, Transformation and Leadership. The site’s features, such as assembly testimonies, Digital Diary content and assembly calendars, news, and photo gallery will further enable visitors to become acquainted with this unique organization that empowers people to succeed and become leaders in the era of digital transformation. The up-to-date website will utilize the same domain, but will now have a dramatically different look than before, so head on over to www.mill-all.com to check out what the hype is all about.

ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM ALLIANCE

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Headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, The Millennium Alliance is a leading technology, business, and educational advisory firm. Focusing primarily in areas such as business transformation, executive education, growth, policy, and need analysis, Millennium is quickly becoming one of the most dynamic locations for collaboration across the world.

We provide a framework for Fortune 1000 C-Level executives, leading public sector/government officials, and thought leaders across a variety of disciplines, to meet their peers, understand industry developments, and receive an introduction to new technology and service advancements to help grow their career and overall company value. With a constant thirst for a conversation that has real value, it is our duty to provide a platform for all leaders to further develop in an ecosystem of innovation and knowledge so all parties can continue to shape the real purpose of business: to make things efficient and worthwhile.

Are Visual Components The Future Of E-Commerce?

The retail industry is exploring new digital components more than ever, as digital transformation continues to make a large impact in how retailers conduct strategies, reach customers and create engaging in-store and online experiences.

Visual components are among the tools that retailers are beginning to explore. This comes as no surprise, considering social media has made such a large impact on consumers and relies so heavily on visual aids.

“As consumers have become more comfortable with images, and technology better at interpreting them, images have become more central in e-commerce,” said eMarketer analyst Yory Wurmser, author of a new report on the subject.” Emarketer reports.

Why Do Consumers Like Visual Aids?

The reasons consumers appreciate visual aids during the shopping experience relates to the fact that it creates a more personalized experience for shoppers, which is one of the main priorities while making decisions about brands.

Visual commerce has proven to be valuable for retailers while targeting an audience.

“Most consumers prefer to see at least a couple images of a product before buying it, according to Salsify’s September 2016 survey of US digital buyers. Nearly three in five respondents said they prefer to see three to four images, and only 1% said they prefer not to see any photos.” Emarketer reports. 

We have seen visual searches appear in many different e-commerce sites, like Amazon, Pinterest, and Wayfair, which have proven to be successful. Now, eBay is rolling out new features on its site that involves visual components.

The two visual search tools that eBay will be launching allows online shoppers to incorporate photos found through Snapchat, their camera roll, the web or any social networking site. The customers can use those photos in order to search, and match, the products found on eBay. This creates a whole new shopping experience for the customer, allowing them to engage and reach personalized levels of buying.

eBay will now be in charge of matching items that appear to be a match for the customer, depending on the listings that are offered in their catalog. Not only does this create a personalized shopping experience, it allows for a quick search and transaction experience.

In order for this to work, eBay will use digital transformation tools found through artificial intelligence like deep learning and computer vision, using a deep learning model in order to process the images.

“eBay is at a technological advantage due to the rich set of user-generated images and item data we’ve accumulated through the years,” Mohan Patt, VP of eBay’s Buyer Experience, said in July. “By applying machine learning technology, eBay can deliver a fast and reliable shopping experience backed by one of the world’s largest commerce data sets,” TechCrunch reports.

The Future Of Retail

These new features prove that the retail industry is moving towards digital components in order to create the ultimate customer experience for consumers. It allows for customers to match their wants to reality, which could result in positive feedback among eBay’s audience. (We will keep you updated on the feedback these features receive.) 

So, we propose a question: are visual components the future of retail? Well, if you were to answer from eBay’s point of view, the answer would be yes. Combining different levels of technology to create a seamless customer experience involving visual recognition and images, can be the step in the direction of the future.

Until then, we will have to sit back and try out the features for ourselves.

ABOUT DIGITAL RETAIL TRANSFORMATION

C-Level experts from across North America’s retail industry are coming together inCMOEC1 Updated Banner.png Dallas in August to anticipate the highly complex digital retail environment that will develop over the next few years.

Through a cutting-edge program designed by the industry, for the industry, we will provide a fresh and up-to-date insight to help move your organization to the next level of digital leadership. A series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions will offer industry-specific topics and trends to ensure your company sustains its competitive advantage.

Are you a Retail executive interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

Interview with Maggie Chan Jones, Former Global CMO of SAP and Founder & CEO of Tenshey, Inc.

In anticipation of our upcoming Transformational CMO Assembly, we had the chance to hear from our Gala Dinner Keynote Speaker, Maggie Chan Jones, on her newest venture, Tenshey, Inc., as well as her thoughts on where the marketing industry is heading and how C-Suite Executives should be approaching diversity. Read on!

Millennium Alliance: In your time at SAP, you led global advertising and brand experience campaigns and truly transformed the SAP brand. How did you build a strong brand identity that is consistent on a global scale but also targeted?

Maggie Chan Jones: A strong brand begins with its purpose – the problems the brand solves and for whom – and how its existence helps to create a better world. Having spent my entire career in the tech industry, I love what technologies can do to make our lives better.

When launching a global campaign, your employees and stakeholders are your best brand ambassadors. First, creating the awareness and evangelism inside the organization will carry a multiplier effect when the campaign is launched externally. To gain global consistency that is effective, do not just replicate what you created in your home country, but “trans-create” (translate and recreate) the campaign by infusing it with local cultures and languages. Contextual experience is important to driving engagement with local audiences.

How did your experience at SAP help to build your current venture, Tenshey, Inc.?

As a C-suite exec in the tech industry and an executive sponsor for diversity and inclusion, I realized that my ascension into the C-Suite as a woman of color was rare and it should not be rare. Women continue to remain underrepresented in the C-Suite. According to the McKinsey and Leanin.org study, only 19% of the C-suite in corporate America are women and an even fewer 4% are women of color. I want to change that.

I always say that career growth is a team sport. Your own hard work isn’t going to be enough. You need a strong support system both personally and professionally. One of the best kept secrets for leadership development and acceleration is executive coaching. I have benefited from it through the sponsorships of my employers from Microsoft to Level 3 and SAP. I started working with my executive coach in 2011 when I was a Director of Marketing at Microsoft. Working with a coach early in my career enabled me to have clarity about my career roadmap, accountability for my steps toward reaching my career north star, and most importantly, a trusted advisor who’s always in my corner through my leadership growth. I wish more leaders, especially women, can have the same opportunity that I had – to work with an executive coach early in their careers.

In November 2017, I founded Tenshey, Inc., a tech-enabled startup with a mission to advance gender diversity through Executive Coaching. We match leaders, primarily women, from their early professional years to CEOs, with certified executive coaches who can help them achieve their professional goals.

Tenshey is all about advancing gender diversity and leadership development. How should C-Suite Executives be approaching diversity and inclusion to empower and enable their organization?

I recommend three actions C-suite executives should take to create a diverse and inclusive organization. First, they must lead by example with actions when it comes to approaching diversity and inclusion, beginning with their own leadership teams. Studies have shown that a more diverse team drives better results, so it just makes business sense.

Second, diversity means “getting invited to the party,” whereas inclusion means “getting invited to dance.” You may have a good mix of diversity across gender, race, age, experience and thoughts, but do they all feel their voices are being heard? Being inclusive will truly unleash the potential of the organization.

Third, place accountability across the organization, not just at the top of the company. 4 out of 5 CEOs have declared gender diversity as a priority, yet the pipeline to the top continues to shrink at every level. To gain traction, there needs to be clear accountability for diversity and inclusion just like accountability for our business priorities.

During this digital revolution, what strategies can CMOs be using to stay on top?

The digital revolution allows CMOs to supercharge creativity with data-driven decision making, further integrating the art and science of marketing in the quest to deliver a delightful customer experience. Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) takes experiential marketing to a new level, while big data and artificial intelligence significantly increase our ability to predict and understand what customers may want to experience or buy next.

During this digital revolution, marketers will require data-driven skill sets combined with the ability to tell stories in artful and compelling ways. It is important to understand the point at which art meets commerce to create marketing experiences that are both personally and commercially appealing.

We are really excited you will be joining us at our upcoming Transformational CMO Assembly as Keynote Speaker. What do you think are the benefits for C-Suite Executives to attend small, intimate programs such as ours at The Millennium Alliance?

CMOs are constantly running at hundreds of miles per hour to drive growth for their companies. But it is so important to take a pause to meet with your industry peers, both as a way to learn from and to support one another. The intimacy of an event like The Transformational CMO Assembly allows leaders a safe space to exchange some of the toughest challenges that they face and to discuss best practices. I am honored to be invited as your Keynote Speaker, and I am excited about how this collective force can impact the industry positively.

About The Transformational CMO AssemblyCMO9 Updat Banner (1)

The digital revolution has forever changed the balance of power between individual consumers and brands. This need to think “customer first” has made the marketing function more vital than ever before.

C-Level executives around the world are anticipating that digital technology will continue to drive business. We’ve put together The Transformational CMO Assembly – a series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions with our industry experts and advisory board.

Are you a CMO interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

 

What Are The Habits Of Successful Professionals On Twitter?

In a recent blog post, we explored the reasons why executives should engage on Twitter. Long story short, it is a platform that successfully connects users and delivers the desired brand message to an audience. If you have a Twitter, then you have taken the first step to having exposure in the social media world. Congrats!

“Over the past several years, business executives have taken to Twitter to stay connected with employees and customers – and the best of them have been able to leverage the platform to great effect.” Social Media Today reports. 

Now, if you have a Twitter but you are unsure of where to begin, don’t worry. There are a few habits that you can create that will result in success on this platform, and other social platforms as well.

Ditch The Formality

As a business professional, it is probably a habit of yours to portray professional formality in everything you do. When this is obviously important and effective, on social media, you can ditch this tone of voice to a certain extent. Twitter is meant for people to share thoughts and ideas, and to relate with one another. If your tone is completely formal and structured, you may lose an audience.

“And by positioning the CEO or leader of a business as a trusted individual, as opposed to a faceless corporate entity, clients will be more likely to connect emotionally, as well as rationally, with the brand.” Social Media Today reports. 

You can use Twitter to share your unique voice and to show your followers who you really are. If you are deciding to share personal opinions, and those opinions are not meant to represent your brand, make sure you convey to your followers that these opinions are simply your own and do not belong to your company. You can do so in an informal voice, which will engage followers.

Connect With The Right Followers

If you are on Twitter to network or simply engage with other executives, make sure you follow people who will offer you the most benefit, such as new ideas, different perspectives or news surrounding your industry. You can find these people by following hashtags that match your industry, mindset or goals.

Once you find the proper people to connect with, you can then hit that nice follow button, and like magic, you are connected. Then, you can reach out to them by liking, retweeting, or messaging them. Go crazy if you want, but not too crazy, because that can get annoying.

Once you accomplish this goal, you will create engagement with those who you are connected to, which is always a good thing.

“Twitter isn’t a platform for selling a brand, necessarily, but it’s great for creating a network of interested individuals who can support the brand through loyalty. ANd that loyalty is fostered through listening, response and regular engagement.”  Social Media Today reports. 

Be Careful What You Share

Speaking of engagement, it is important to be aware of everything you like and share. Remember, what you share and like will be on your profile, which is what your followers will see. What you want to portray to the world will be seen through these actions, so always be cautious and aware.

That being said, Twitter is an easy concept to get the hang of, once you form some habits and keep certain things in mind. Happy tweeting!

ABOUT TRANSFORMATIONAL CMO

The digital revolution has forever changed the balance of power between individual CMO9 Updat Banner (1).pngconsumers and brands. This need to think “customer first” has made the marketing function more vital than ever before.

C-Level executives around the world are anticipating that digital technology will continue to drive business. We’ve put together a series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions with our industry experts and advisory board.

Are you a CMO interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>