Making Data Simple - 🤖 This week, I'm the guest! Flipping the Script: Al Martin, VP WW Technical Sales IBM Talks Tech, Trust & Transformation, this time as a guest, with Ian Smith

🤖 This week, I'm the guest! Flipping the Script: Al Martin, VP WW Technical Sales IBM Talks Tech, Trust & Transformation, this time as a guest, with Ian Smith

03/26/25 • 50 min

🎙️ From Host to Hot Seat!
This week on Making Data Simple, Al Martin flips the mic and becomes the guest as Ian Smith, co-founder of Lighthouse Technology, steps in to host a fast-paced, thought-provoking episode of the Baseline Podcast.

It’s a casual convo with some serious zingers—think startup energy, AI honesty, automation truths, and even a little NFL shoutout. You won’t want to miss this one!

🕒 Episode Highlights
00:52 – How Making Data Simple got started
06:11 – IBM as a Startup?!
08:38 – Why IBM, really
11:49 – Competing with “Real-time” AI
23:20 – How to get clients to truly embrace automation
32:12 – The test AI flunked... but still got a B 🤖
33:06 – GO CHIEFS! 🏈
37:54 – The real IBM use case
47:06 – “Nothing went wrong” (famous last words?)

🔗 Connect with Ian: linkedin.com/in/ian-smith-a803701
🌐 Learn more: baselinepodcast.com

💡 Want to be featured on Making Data Simple?
Pitch us your story at [email protected]—we’re always on the lookout for brilliant minds in tech, data, leadership, and innovation.

🎧 Hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM. LinkedIn. Executive Producer, Katherine Mayne LinkedIn.
We talk trending tech, bold ideas, and big leadership—all with a focus on keeping it simple and fun.

#MakingDataSimple #BaselinePodcast #TechLeadership #AIConversations #StartupTalk #AutomationInnovation #IBMTech #DataDriven #PodcastGuest #BusinessInnovation #LighthouseTechnology #AlMartin #IanSmith #GoChiefs

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

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It’s a casual convo with some serious zingers—think startup energy, AI honesty, automation truths, and even a little NFL shoutout. You won’t want to miss this one!

🔗 Connect with Ian: linkedin.com/in/ian-smith-a803701
🌐 Learn more: baselinepodcast.com

💡 Want to be featured on Making Data Simple?
Pitch us your story at [email protected]—we’re always on the lookout for brilliant minds in tech, data, leadership, and innovation.

Previous Episode

🎙️ The GRIN Factor: Ryan Debenham on Scaling Influencer Marketing with AI

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🚀 What’s the secret to building a world-class influencer marketing program? Ryan Debenham, CEO of GRIN, joins Making Data Simple to break down the future of creator-driven marketing, AI’s role in the space, and how GRIN is reshaping brand-influencer partnerships.

💡 From Red Bull’s marketing playbook to a key conversation about the “Secret Sauce”, Ryan shares the insights, technology, and mindset needed to scale a creator-powered brand in today’s digital economy.

🔹 Key Topics:
✅ What makes a great influencer?
✅ How GRIN is redefining the industry
✅ AI’s impact on marketing
✅ The future of remote companies

⌛️Minute Markers

02:11 Meet Ryan Debenham
07:54 Running a Startup
08:46 Modeled after Red Bull
12:01 GRIN
15:44 Influencer Marketing
17:52 Who are the Influencers
18:45 Secret Sauce
22:51 The Technology
24:51 The 2-Min GRIN Pitch
31:16 AI in Marketing
34:32 GRIN's Future
36:06 A Remote Company
38:35 In Closing

📢 Listen now!

🎧 Guest: Ryan Debenham | LinkedIn | Website
🌍 Host: Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM | LinkedIn

📩 Want to be a guest? Email us at [email protected]

🔗 Hashtags:
#MakingDataSimple #InfluencerMarketing #CreatorEconomy #AIinMarketing #BrandGrowth #MarketingTech #Leadership #GRIN #RyanDebenham

Next Episode

🎙️ Marketing to the Human Brain: Scarcity, Psychology & Taylor Swift Tickets with Dr. Mindy Weinstein {Replay}

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✨ Updated April 1, 2025

What do Tickle Me Elmo, bourbon, and Taylor Swift tickets have in common? Scarcity. And in the world of marketing, it's one of the most powerful forces you can harness.

This week, we’re throwing it back to one of our most insightful interviews — a conversation with Dr. Mindy Weinstein, Founder and CEO of Market MindShift, marketing professor at Grand Canyon University, Columbia Business School, and Wharton, and author of The Power of Scarcity.

We dig into:

The psychology behind scarcity and why it drives us to act now
The four types of scarcity (you’ll want to write these down!)
How top brands — and yes, bourbon sellers — use scarcity to spark action
Why "reaching humans" in digital marketing is more nuanced than ever
How you can ethically and effectively use scarcity to boost business results

📚 About the Book:
In The Power of Scarcity, Dr. Weinstein combines her background in marketing and psychology to break down how scarcity messaging influences decision-making — and how you can leverage it to drive revenue, deepen loyalty, and create urgency without manipulation. With research, real-world examples, and interviews from brands like McDonald’s and 1-800-Flowers, it’s a must-read for anyone looking to up their marketing game.

📌 Timestamps:
01:41 Meet "Marketer" Mindy Weinstein
04:42 Technology in Marketing
07:50 One of the top women in digital marketing
09:12 The Power of Scarcity
19:16 The Four Types of Scarcity
20:41 Bourbon Scarcity
21:47 Businesses Leveraging Scarcity

🧠 Connect with Dr. Weinstein:
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mindydweinstein
📘 Book: persuasioninbusiness.com
🌐 Website: marketmindshift.com

🎧 Originally aired: Season 7, Episode 5

Want to be featured on Making Data Simple? Drop us a note at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next! Hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales at IBM — where we explore cutting-edge tech, business innovation, and the human side of leadership... all while keeping it simple & fun.