Host Kory Grushka catches up with long-time colleague, Jeremy Bolian, President of Four Peaks Brewing Company. They explore the invaluable lessons Jeremy learned while working at corporate giants, like McKinsey and Anheuser-Busch, in roles spanning from strategy to insights to sales.

Jeremy recounts how his non-linear career has shaped his approach to business, marketing, and consumer understanding—and how he now applies them at a smaller scale in the craft beer industry at Four Peaks.

Jeremy breaks down how to get closer to the consumer, why simple and actionable insights matter, and why empathy is the key for successful cross-functional teams.

What You’ll Learn:

• The best insights come from being out in the field

• Insights, marketing, and sales must work together to drive real business change

• Understanding your customers (and your team) leads to smarter decisions

• Small businesses must be scrappy with insights

• Marketing needs to be fun and unexpected

Jeremy’s Bio:

Jeremy is the President of Four Peaks Brewing Company. He worked for Anheuser-Busch across a variety of Global Strategy, Marketing Strategy & Insights, and Sales roles. Prior to Anheuser-Busch, Jeremy spent time as a consultant with ZS Associates and McKinsey & Company.

More from our guest: Jeremy Bolian

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Kory Grushka, Founder of Stories Bureau

Samrat Saran, Head of Client Solutions at Neuro-Insight

The role of insights teams is shifting and it begins with the mindset of industry professionals, says Kendra Speed, Director of Consumer Market Research at LinkedIn.

Kendra discusses how insights professionals today must possess a diverse portfolio of skills, moving beyond traditional gatekeepers to become forward-thinking consultants. Discover how Kendra fosters a culture of collaboration within her LinkedIn team and across the company, ensuring that insights are not just delivered but are actionable and relevant.

We delve into the emerging function of foresight within insights teams, emphasizing the need to think about alternative futures and the strategic implications for brands.

Kendra shares her perspective on integrating AI into market research, highlighting the importance of experimentation and the potential for AI to enhance our capabilities while allowing us to focus on human-centric tasks.

Tune in for valuable insights that will inspire you to think bigger and push the boundaries of your role in the insights space.

What You’ll Learn:

• The need for diverse skills in insights

• How to shift the mindset of insights professionals

• Taking a long-term view for teams’ success

• Foresights as a core function

• AI integration in insights

Kendra’s Bio:

Marketing and strategy leader Kendra Speed excels in steering executive teams toward disruptive innovation. Kendra's collaborations with BET and P&G resulted in groundbreaking insights that fueled the Black Men Love campaign. She played a pivotal role in the foundational understanding that undergirds the national CROWN Act. She has ignited over $2 billion in product and marketing pipelines for brands like Dropbox, Toyota, Olay, and JM Smucker. Currently the global director of consumer insights at LinkedIn, she oversees an international team focused on consumer understanding for LinkedIn Flagship and Premium, Brand, Equity, Trust and Belonging.

More from our guest: Kendra Speed

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Stories Bureau, a creative agency focused on B2B marketing and internal corporate storytelling across media

Kory Grushka, Founder of Stories Bureau

Samrat Saran, Head of Client Solutions at Neuro-Insight

This week, Samrat sits down with Todd Sussman, Chief Strategy Officer at FCB New York, to discuss the intersection of creative strategy and data-driven insights. From his early days in CRM strategy to his leadership roles at renowned agencies like Wunderman, Grey, and McCann, and culminating in his current position at FCB New York, Todd's reflections on the ever-evolving relationship between insights and creative teams offers real insight into how storytelling can bring data to life and influence brand growth.

What exactly is the importance of creativity, not just as an output but as an essential part of the strategic process? How can organizations harness audience data to drive creative breakthroughs? And how does one balance structure and messiness to foster innovation within teams? All that and more on this episode of Inspiring Insights.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to foster better collaboration between creative and insights teams
• The role of storytelling in driving brand strategy
• The balance between data, creativity, and intuition in marketing
• Navigating career transitions in the creative industry
• How FCB New York applies data creatively to drive brand growth

Mentioned in this Episode:

• The Hathaway Eyepatch Campaign
• FCB New York's work with Microsoft and Budweiser

About Todd:

Todd Sussman is the Chief Strategy Officer at FCB New York, where he leverages his extensive background in CRM, digital strategy, and brand planning to drive creative excellence. Over his career, Todd has worked at top agencies such as Wunderman, Grey, and McCann, collaborating with global clients like Intel, Microsoft, and Diageo. His passion for combining data with creative storytelling has helped transform brands and launch groundbreaking campaigns.

Inspiring Insights is powered by Stories Bureau.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

Stories Bureau, a creative agency focused on B2B marketing and internal corporate storytelling across media.

Kory Grushka, Founder of Stories Bureau

Samrat Saran, Head of Client Solutions at Neuro-Insight