Networking In Customer Service

The phrase "Surround yourself with people who fight for you in rooms you aren't in" speaks to the importance of having a strong support system. It means cultivating relationships with people who advocate for you, defend your reputation, and champion your interests even when you're not present. This goes beyond casual friendships and delves into the realm of true loyalty and trust. Here's a deeper look: - Advocacy and Support: These individuals actively speak up for you and your accomplishments. They recommend you for opportunities, defend you against criticism, and highlight your strengths to others. They act as your ambassadors, building your reputation and opening doors for you. - Loyalty and Trust: This level of support requires deep trust and mutual respect. Knowing that someone has your back, even in your absence, fosters a sense of security and allows you to take risks and pursue your goals with greater confidence. They won't gossip about you or undermine your efforts. - Proactive Help: These individuals don't just wait for you to ask for help; they anticipate your needs and offer assistance proactively. They might connect you with valuable contacts, offer advice, or simply lend a listening ear. - Genuine Care: The motivation behind their actions is genuine care and concern for your well-being. They celebrate your successes and offer comfort during challenging times. They are invested in your growth and happiness. - Impact on Personal and Professional Life: Having this kind of support system can significantly impact both your personal and professional life. It can boost your confidence, reduce stress, and open up new opportunities. It creates a safety net that allows you to take risks and pursue your ambitions with greater courage. - Building This Network: This kind of support system doesn't appear overnight. It requires nurturing genuine connections, being a good friend and colleague yourself, and valuing loyalty and trustworthiness in others. It's about fostering relationships built on mutual respect, understanding, and a willingness to support each other. "Surround yourself with people who fight for you in rooms you aren't in" is a call to cultivate meaningful relationships with people who truly have your back. It's about building a community of support that empowers you to thrive.

I’ve been having a lot of conversations with product leads at Retail Media Networks lately, and a few patterns keep coming up. The value of the data isn’t in question. Transaction-level signals are the gold standard. The challenge is making that data usable across a growing set of partners, use cases, and regulatory environments; without creating friction or introducing risk. A few of the themes I’m hearing again and again: 🔹 Compliance and legal reviews slow everything down 🔸 Every party (retailer, brand, data provider) wants to protect their own IP 🔹 Everyone’s default is a different centralized platform (clean room, cloud share, etc.) 🔸 Matching needs to be precise but still privacy-safe 🔹 Infrastructure needs to support multiple use cases but stay simple for all parties These are the kinds of constraints I think about constantly, and I’ve seen them firsthand, both in early-stage builds and at scale. I’d be curious to hear what others are seeing, especially those building for flexibility, speed, and security in this space. Retail Media Networks need scale to make sense, and if your privacy approach prevents that, then you’re nowhere. #RetailMedia #DataCollaboration #PrivacyTech #DataInfrastructure #ProductLeadership #FutureOfAdvertising 

Leaders often treat store visits like corporate galas—suits, rehearsed talking points, and staged interactions where the store is polished specifically for our arrival. But if you want the truth, you don't walk in as a Head of some corporate office department, you walk in as a consumer who started the journey from home. I spent a day yesterday at the TBZ - The Original Kalyan and Vashi stores, and it was a masterclass in why the street always beats the spreadsheet. For years, I’ve heard the same "red flag" in every boardroom: “It’s a long weekend; everyone will be out of town. Sales will dip.” The reality on the ground? The stores were buzzing. The retail teams were fully charged, and the "missing" customers were right there in the catchment, ready to engage. It’s a reminder that while data tells us what happened, the streets tell us what’s happening. Here is what I have learned by trading the boardroom for the pavement: The Science vs. The Art: We can use data analysis and consumer insights to manage a strategy, but catching the nuance of a shifting traffic pattern due to new infrastructure is an art you only learn by hitting the streets. Agile Competition: In just one year, the competitive landscape 500 meters away can completely transform. If you aren't there to see it, your "omnichannel strategy" is already outdated. Resilience in Chaos: Seeing a team serve customers flawlessly while a store is undergoing renovation tells you more about brand health than any PowerPoint ever could. Evolving Consumers: Buying preferences, trade off between diamond and gold. The family discussions and decisions. Hearing them on the floor beats any consumer research you can conduct. A potential whiteboard for an insightful marketing campaign in future. Catchment media buying is a science, but knowing why a customer turns left instead of right is the art that saves your ROI. This visit stayed with me and made me plan my visits for next 2 months. It’s a nudge to remember that our best insights don't come from a screen—they come from the sidewalk.

In 2020, I was a freelancer working alone, feeling isolated. In 2024, I’m the CEO of a community-centric company. It all started when my friend and co-founder shared: “I miss working in coffee shops.” This simple thought kicked off everything. More than the physical spaces - the human element. So we set out to prove that remote work and community can coexist. Here’s what I learned about building a supportive community remotely: 1. Encourage creativity through teamwork ↳ Organize brainstorming sessions with diverse perspectives. ↳ Collaborate to find creative, impactful solutions. 2. Find your accountability partner ↳ Form partnerships to keep you focused on your goals. ↳ Regular check-ins ensure steady progress. 3. Build trust with your connections ↳ Invest in meaningful relationships through authentic interactions. ↳ Trust and respect are the foundation of a strong community. 4. Match actions with shared beliefs ↳ Ensure your actions reflect your core values. ↳ This alignment enhances your sense of purpose and satisfaction. 5. Support overall well-being ↳ Encourage activities supporting mental, emotional, and spiritual health. ↳ Well-being helps you and others grow personally and professionally. We need (authentic) human connections to thrive. Isolation may be a byproduct of remote work, but it doesn't have to be. How are you fostering a supportive community in your life?

After hundreds of conversations with retailers last week, four themes stood out. Between speaking at Online Retailer, chairing the Future of Retail panel, hosting our Retail Community Senior Leaders Dinner, walking the exhibition floor and finishing with Retail Community After Dark, I had the opportunity to speak with retailers from businesses of all sizes. While every business is different, these were the four themes that i kept hearing. 𝗔𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 “𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲?” 𝘁𝗼 “𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘁?” The conversation has shifted. Retailers are no longer debating whether AI has a place in their business. They’re trying to work out where to start, what delivers ROI and how to implement it well. 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. This was probably the biggest discussion at our Senior Leaders Dinner. Almost every conversation eventually came back to the same question: How do we remove friction, automate repetitive work and free our teams to focus on higher value activities? 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. Several leaders were asking, “Who is going to thrive in an AI-first business five years from now?” One retail leader summed it up perfectly: “I don’t need someone to get up to today’s level. I need them to evolve beyond it.” That mindset shift says a lot about how leaders aill hire and fire and where retail is heading. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Some of the most valuable insights I heard all week werent on stage. They happened over coffee, in the hallways, at dinners and at networking events. As AI becomes better at giving us information, I think human judgement becomes even more important. AI can help us analyse information but it still isn’t making our strategy decisions for us. As leaders, we’re still responsible for making the judgement calls. One of the fastest ways to improve our judgement is to learn from leaders who have already faced similar challenges, hear what worked, what didn’t and why. What themes stood out to you last week?

Back from Shoptalk 2024, and wow—there’s so much happening in retail right now. A few things that really caught my attention: 1. Generative AI is driving real change. It’s helping retailers work smarter and deliver more personalized experiences. The challenge now is adopting it in a way that doesn’t overwhelm teams while balancing innovation with practicality to unlock long-term value. 2. Omnichannel strategy is evolving. Customers expect a seamless experience across every touchpoint, whether online or in-store. Breaking down silos within teams is key to delivering that level of consistency. Retailers who master this will set themselves apart. 3. Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are becoming powerful growth engines. Brands are using RMNs to connect the dots between digital and physical retail, driving collaboration and results. This space is maturing quickly and offers a lot of untapped potential. 4. Social commerce is gaining serious momentum. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram aren’t just marketing tools anymore—they’re full-fledged sales channels. Live shopping and real-time engagement are giving brands new ways to connect with younger audiences. Shoptalk reinforced that the future of retail is all about the strategic adoption of new technologies and creating seamless, connected experiences for customers. Lots to think about as we move forward!

Most sales reps walk into retail meetings with their standard "let me sell you" pitch deck. Top performers walk in with market insights and thought leadership the buyer hasn’t seen. Last week, I watched a founder flip the script during a meeting with their category manager at Sprouts. Instead of leading with their standard roadmap, they kicked-off with consumer data showing how shoppers were migrating between products and categories in ways nobody had shared before. The tenor of the meeting shifted. Suddenly, the conversation wasn’t about shelf space—it was about strategy. It was electric. That moment crystallized what I’ve seen across hundreds of brand-retailer interactions: the most successful partnerships begin when brands stop selling and start solving. At Vdriven, we’ve identified what separates consultative partners from transactional brands. It comes down to five shifts in how you show up: Shift 1: From product features to market intelligence Effective partners arrive with category insights beyond their own brand—competitive moves, consumer trend data, and shopping pattern analysis. I’ve seen brands win expanded distribution simply by presenting research on how that retailer’s customers shop adjacent categories. Shift 2: From quarterly check-ins to continuous value creation Partnership-minded brands don’t disappear between reviews. They share RELEVENT articles, conference learnings, and emerging opportunities. One client sends a monthly “category pulse” email—no ask, just insights. Their buyer now calls them first when new opportunities arise. Shift 3: From defending margins to investing in relationships When tariff chaos hit this year, transformational brands found creative ways to protect their retail partners. Transactional brands just passed on costs. Shift 4: From pitching solutions to diagnosing problems The best partners ask better questions than they answer. They dig into broader challenges—labor, customer acquisition, competitive pressure—and become trusted advisors who happen to sell products. Shift 5: From celebrating your wins to amplifying theirs Observe how great brands discuss their partners publicly. Consultative partners highlight retailer innovations, store openings, and sustainability moves. They know their success is intertwined. The paradox? When you stop trying to extract value from every interaction and start investing in genuine partnership, results often exceed what any transaction could deliver. The brands we work with who’ve made this shift don’t just get better placement—they’re invited into strategic planning. They don’t just launch products—they co-create category solutions. They don’t just drive sales—they build businesses together. The retail landscape rewards partners over vendors. The question isn’t whether you can afford to make this shift—it’s whether you can afford not to. I'm curious, what insights are you bringing to your next retail meeting?

In the last 24 hours alone, the velocity of change in retail media has been astounding—and the conversation has clearly outgrown the basics. Three truths stand out: 1. Retail media isn’t incremental—it’s fundamentally #transformative. Leading voices (including Don “eCommerce” Brett) point to a future where nearly one out of every three #trademarketing dollars will flow through retail media by 2030. That’s a projected $280B market, up from $170B in 2025. The implications? 🟡 Brands that fail to unify trade and retail media strategies risk “margin compression and lost visibility. 🟡 Quoting Brett: “Trade was the old currency of influence. Retail media is the new one. Winners will master both.” 2.It’s not just the biggest players anymore—regional and convenience retailers are building their #ownnetworks at speed. Networks like Weigels Inc.’s Milk Crate Retail Media Network are proving that hyperlocal engagement is as potent as national reach. 🟡 As the Commerce Media Brand Summit put it, the competitive field is wide open for those bold enough to rethink where and how to engage. 3.Tech flexibility, creativity, and authenticity are the new advantages. From Pentaleap’s call for “#composability” (retailers no longer need to be bound to single-stack tech solutions) to Albertsons Media Collective spotlighting the power of creator-led content for 4X higher engagement, the message is clear: 🟡 Modern retail media is about agility and trust. But the most compelling lesson? 🟡 Shopper experience is the new North Star. As Matt Wurst’s discussion with Brian Monahan (Albertsons Media Collective) uncovered, the value isn’t in more ads, but in smarter, more meaningful brand interactions—gamified discovery, loyalty-driven utility, and seamless mapping from inspiration to purchase. Retail media is neither a silo nor a subset—it’s the strategic thread weaving together #commerce, #content, #technology, and #community. The winners won’t just follow trends; 🟡 they’ll set them by delivering #relevance, #transparency, #local resonance, and true #value for customers and partners alike. Are we, as an industry, ready to lead this next era—not just with bigger budgets, but with bigger ideas? #retailmedia

Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are no longer just a channel—they're becoming marketplaces. We're seeing supply and demand come together in a way that mirrors the evolution of digital advertising. Brands want access to high-intent audiences. Retailers want to monetize first-party data. RMNs are the platform where both meet—and increasingly, data is the connective tissue. As these networks mature, we're moving beyond simple ad placements. We're entering an era where data becomes the shared layer powering insights, measurement, and optimization for both sides. Looking ahead, the future of this ecosystem will be defined by Data Clean Rooms/Data Collaboration Platforms with Privacy-Enhancing Technologies. These tools will ensure that collaboration between brands and retailers is not only effective—but secure, compliant, and respectful of consumer privacy. The RMN of tomorrow isn’t just a media buy. It's a data-driven, privacy-first partnership. Let’s build the connective infrastructure for what comes next. #RetailMedia #DataCleanRooms #PrivacyTech #DigitalMarketing #RetailInnovation #AdTech

What if the most exciting breakthroughs in retail media are happening far from the spotlight of the biggest players? I sat down with Andrew Lipsman to explore how a new generation of challenger retail media networks is quietly reshaping the retail advertising landscape. While Amazon and Walmart dominate headlines, over 180 second and third tier RMNs are building powerful flywheels, capturing brand interest, and connecting with shoppers in innovative ways that even the giants are starting to notice. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲: ➤ Content sits at the heart of the retail media flywheel. As retailers look to strengthen their connection with audiences and drive growth, we are likely to see them move beyond partnerships and start acquiring media properties outright. This shift will give retailers greater control over content, unlock new audience segments, and accelerate their ability to deliver high-impact, differentiated media experiences. ➤ There are now more than 200 retail media networks in operation, with the vast majority being challenger RMNs just beginning to unlock their potential. ➤ Nearly 80 percent of consumer spending still happens in physical stores, making in-store content and video the new battleground for shopper attention. ➤ Challenger RMNs benefit from a second mover advantage, allowing them to build on established industry standards while leveraging their unique category strengths and data. ➤ Success for these networks depends on differentiation by combining standardized media offerings with category-specific value to create compelling brand packages. ➤ Even a modest share of the growing retail media market represents a significant opportunity, and challenger RMNs are poised to expand their influence through innovation in media, content, and in-store experiences. The battleground for shopper attention has shifted. Discover how second and third tier retail media networks are leveraging content, partnerships, and innovation to leap ahead of the competition. If you want to understand where retail media is headed and how the underdogs can win, this episode of 𝘛𝘢𝘱 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵 with guest Andrew Lipsman is a must-listen. Tune in for actionable insights and bold predictions about the future of retail media.