Rock n' Roll Research Podcast

Michael Nevski, Global Insights Director at Visa, merges consumer research with economic forecasts while showcasing his exceptional table tennis skills. He shares insights about transitioning from marketing to the insights industry and offers a unique perspective on the rise of pickleball as a community builder. Michael discusses the future of marketing, emphasizing real-time insights and ethical concerns in data analytics. He also reveals his top three albums for surviving on a desert island, intertwining personal anecdotes from his upbringing in the Soviet Union.

How does one go from art museum management to market research to DEI and storytelling consulting? Just ask Mary Hunter from Data Larks.Mary has always been one to question the status quo, and one of her core strengths is understanding context – history, society, culture, economy and more. It has helped her at every stage of her career which includes working for the Museum of Contemporary San Diego, Kantar, GfK and The Kaleidoscope Group before starting her own consultancy.Mary shares her unique journey from studio artist to researcher to consultant. Along the way, she covers the importance of storytelling, inclusive insights and the indie music and artists that move her.

After considering careers in medicine and law, Suann Griffin took a statistics class and decided upon a career in market research.She has built a great career with roles on the client- and supplier-side, most recently as Sr. Director of Insights at Serta Simmons. She is a frequent and highly engaging speaker at industry conferences and is a University of Georgia MMR alum.Outside of work, Suann has long been a serious and competitive rower, starting the day early on the water with her crewmates and regularly traveling to competitions.Suann shares her journey and perspective on research and takes me to school on what rowing is all about.

Experienced human researchers vs. AI. How does AI stand up right now, today? The results may surprise you like they did for me.In this special “Open Mic” episode of the Rock n’ Roll Research Podcast, our guests share the results research-on-research that address that very question.Julie Leonard and Brennan Held (colleagues of mine at MarketVision Research) conducted a live, robust study to determine the relative quality and efficiency of human analysis vs. employing AI. Is AI ready to replace human analysis? Is it complementary? Does it make the research process more efficient? What can we conclude today? What’s next?

Once fairly traditional, the market research industry is now teeming with fresh thinking and ways to discover insight. Someone needs to help make sense of it all. Graeme Ford is leading the charge by bringing a punk rock ethos to the game with his new consultancy, PunkMRX. Prior to PunkMRX, Graeme had a ‘boomerang’ career at YouGov, returning as Global Head of Innovation after leaving to co-found a conversational tech company which YouGov later acquired. We discuss Graeme’s journey from a young lad fascinated by culture and geography, to a graduate student researching punk culture to his professional career in insights. We talk plenty of punk rock along the way including who has the best punk rock tradition – the UK, the US East Coast or the US West Coast?   [I also continue my sponsorship of Magic Mind . . . if Green Day can sell Keurig machines, I can pitch performance enhancement shots – ha!]

Step aside Adam Levine, Joseph Wylie will take the mic now.Joseph is a goal setter and a planner. He knew in undergrad that market research was his ticket, so he got his MSMRA from Michigan State, took a position at Precision Sample and got involved in the Insights Association (smart moves!). Today, he is Precision’s Global Director of Supply and President of the Insights Association South Central Chapter.But, oh, what a voice!  We talk research and we talk music where Joseph has been part of an a capella group, a solo artist and a band frontman for the past several years. In fact, his new EP, “Frontal Lobe Development” drops TODAY wherever you stream your music!

Jim Lake is President of Michael Walters Advertising where he has been for over 30 years. MWA boasts an impressive client list including Hunter Douglas, Paul Mitchell and the Chicago Cubs.But Jim is also a fellow drummer who discovered his penchant for songwriting in his 50s and in 2023 was named a Songwriter to Watch by the Nashville Songwriters Association.We discuss his career, the heartwarming inspiration for his first song and the enduring importance of making emotional connections with advertising. You can find Jim’s music here: lakecountrysongs.com. 

Second time’s a charm. After starting out in banking, Dr. Rachel Baghelai pivoted and has thrived in her career as Industrial/Organizational psychologist and business consultant focused on employee research. She is currently VP of Assessment and Analytics and The Kaleidoscope Group, a leading DEI consultancy based in Chicago.We discuss Rachel’s career journey and her perspective on research, her passion for riding horses and dressage, and our shared love of punk rock.

Rob and his business partner / wife, Toni, are giving new meaning to the term ‘house band.’After starting his insights career with classic firms like Market Strategies Int’l and Elrick & Lavidge, Rob has been running his own firm, Klein & Partners, for over 20 years focused exclusively on supporting healthcare clients.Rob and Toni are partners in the business and may soon become bandmates with Rob on guitar and Toni holding it down on the drums.We discuss Rob’s research journey and the lessons he’s learned from the greats. And, of course, we talk some rock n’ roll along the way.

Victoria Sakal is currently the Head of Growth for the on-demand research platform company called Wonder (askwonder.com), who is applying AI and a whole lot of innovation to secondary research. Really cool stuff!But, if you would have told a young Victoria she would make a career in research, she most certainly would not have believed you. Much of her spare time as a kid was spent helping out in and around her mother’s bakery and becoming a highly competitive track athlete.Victoria and I chat about her upbringing, how she initially made the leap to research with Kantar and the dynamics of owning/managing a vacation rental property on the side. She also shares the music she would want to keep her company if stranded on a desert island.