Season 2, Episode 10: Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Art, and Design (FCAD) at Seneca, Kurt Muller

SHOW NOTES Let’s say you ran a business.  I’m not going to tell you what kind of business.  I’m going to let you guess.In this business, your customers spend a lot of time, and consideration choosing which of your products they’re going to buy from you.  Often they select only the components, and leave you to assemble it in its final form.  There’s often a lot of emotional investment involved in making their decision.  And needless to say the final result has got to be perfect.In choosing the component parts, your customers can choose among hundreds of options, and leave it to you to put it all together.  To add to the complexity of this business, you never really know how busy you’ll be.  That said, all of your inventory needs to be completely rotated about every three days.  After about 3 days, you can’t use it.  And finally, your customers will often never see what they finally buy.  They select the components, pay you for them, and the work you’ll do with them, and walk away, and it’s your job to make sure they somehow feel good about their choice to work with you, without seeing what they actually bought!How are you possibly going to keep those customers coming back to you?Have you guessed the kind of business I’m describing?  It’s a florist.  Think about it.  Think of those times you’ve ordered flowers.  You may never see the final result unless someone sends you a picture.  So what is it about that that makes it a great experience for you?  Now to add even more complexity to that….What if you’re the founder/ceo of one of the largest florists in New York City, serving all of the major hotels, where you have to get it 100% right every time?  Managing that kind of complexity is trickier than any juggling act I think I’ve ever seen.  And our guest today, Nic Faitos, let’s just say he’s damn good juggler.About Our GuestNic Faitos is the owner and founder of Starbright Floral Design, Inc. He goes by the title of Senior Partner, and he started the company in 1994.Prior to Starbright, Nic has lived, worked and studied in California, Greece, Florida before finally settling in NY.  Nic has always been entrepreneurial, and his career has included publishing, technology and financial sales.  But it makes sense that he found his home in NY.  Nic is part of that enery, that sparkle, that puts the pizzazz in NY.  If you’ve been to NY, you know what I’m talking about.Nic’s dedication to this industry, and as well as his dedication to delivering a five-star service experience, helped set a new standard for the floral industry.  Specifically in his interactions with hoteliers, travel and tourism, which is a market he soon dominated.  We spend some time talking about that.Since its start in 1994, Starbright Floral Design has grown from a single employee to seventy-five non-seasonal team members. Never has the company experienced a down year in revenue and is by every measurable standard the largest and most well- known floral brand in New York City.Nic has been featured on ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s Business and at a presser with former Mayor Bloomberg, and now, this podcast.Nic and I connected over Zoom late this summer.  And we started our conversation talking about what has set Starbright Floral Design apart from other florists, and what has made them the florists of choice for hotelliers in NY who have the highest standards in the world. Click

24 Marras 202027min

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with Seneca College President David Agnew.  As Seneca College continues to hold most of its classes remotely, Seneca is also embarking on an ambitious project of transformation, known as Au Large.   President Agnew shares the goals of the Au Large initiative, which is designed to prepare Seneca College for an exciting, post-pandemic future.  A future that is not only technologically advanced, but also, one that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.  Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  What noticeable changes students, and staff, will experience upon returning to Seneca College (once it's safe to do so). 2.  What innovations and changes that are necessary during the pandemic, will carry over into a "new normal," after the pandemic is behind us. 3.  Personal reflections on how leading during a pandemic has deepened President Agnew's relationship with staff, students, and faculty. About Today's Guest, President David Agnew With extensive experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors, David Agnew became the fifth president of Seneca in July 2009. Under his leadership, Seneca has experienced record growth in enrolment and expanded its offerings in both undergraduate and graduate programs. One of the largest colleges in Canada, Seneca is growing its applied research, broadening international and corporate partnerships, investing in capital expansion and adopting an innovative academic direction to increase experiential, cross-disciplinary and flexible learning opportunities. Mr. Agnew was Secretary to the Cabinet and head of the public service in the Government of Ontario, Canada from 1992 to 1995 after serving as Principal Secretary to the Premier. In 1995, he led the Public-Private Partnerships Project and was seconded to Massey College at the University of Toronto where he was a Senior Resident.  He was the President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, the first head of the organization recruited from outside the international development sector. As Principal for the consulting firm Digital 4Sight, he led the firm’s global research initiative on Governance in the Digital Economy, an exploration of the impact of technology on government and democracy. In the co-operative sector, he was the Executive Vice-President and Corporate Secretary for the Credit Union Central of Ontario. Mr. Agnew was the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, the national dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses. Mr. Agnew’s working life started in high school as a newspaper reporter in Toronto and he continued his journalism career in St. John’s, Ottawa and Edmonton. He was the gold medallist when he graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a B.A. in political science. Following his studies, he was a Parliamentary Intern at the House of Commons of Canada. In 2012, Mr. Agnew received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the community. Important Links and Contact Information Youtube Labrador Sensations, Olive and Mabel, can be viewed here. All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts.   Click here to subscribe. While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment.  It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening!   Pat Perdue

10 Marras 202031min

SHOW NOTES About Today’s Episode What would it take for you to go to a brick and mortar, say clothing store.  Would you browse through the clothes on the hangars?  Would you try stuff on?  Stuff that other people might have tried on?  And what would THAT be like?  In a small change room that someone else had just left?  Being all breath-y and everything?   While a year ago you may not have given it a thought, today, it might set off all kinds of alarm bells for you.  What we look for in a retail experience is fully, and perhaps forever, transformed.  These are historic times. In Today’s Episode We Discuss: * What brands need to do TODAY to stay competitive in the new post COVID-19 economy. * What does the future of retailing look like? * The key approach that’s allowing retailers to deepen their relationship with their customers. Today’s Guest Ann-Marie Clendenin is a top leader of some of N. America’s most iconic brands, with a solid track record for driving massive retail growth globally through traditional expansion, as well as Omni channel (which basically means connecting meaningfully with your customers on every channel possible – brick and mortar, online, social, heck – graffiti on the side of a wall if that’s how your customers want to communicate).  Ann-Marie’s career spans 30 years, and if anyone is poised to think retail, outside of the box, it’s our guest today. Ann-Marie’s leadership extends to The Limited, Ann Taylor, Aeropostale and most recently, holding executive roles as Global Head of Retail and eCommerce Operations for Kate Spade and President US Retail for Aritzia. At Kate Spade, Ann-Marie drove physical store expansion, tripling the business from 68 stores to 225 stores in North America and from 445 to 680 stores internationally, while scaling volume from $300M  to $2.1B. With responsibility for 3 brands and 6 channels in Kate Spade, Jack Spade and Kate Spade Saturday, she Architected and drove a 13 pronged Omni Channel Solution with more than $350M in sales. Ann-Marie is also an expert on “clientelling” – which is kind of like how it sounds.  Rather than subjecting your “customer” to individual transactions, clientelling is about creating retail clients, which means a much more profound relationship than the individual, and often forgettable, transaction at the cash register, and the result is lifelong brand relationships and phenomenal, individualized customer experiences.  You can just imagine that this is a disruptive force in traditional retail.  So who better to re-envision and disrupt retail today than someone who’s been doing it for 30 years. For Further Listening on the Importance of Brand Reputation Click here to listen to my interview with Stephen Hahn-Griffiths from The Reputation Institute on the importance of safeguarding the Brand Reputation. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I’ve been receiving on …

22 Heinä 202044min

SHOW NOTES Today we have two guests: Henry Iversen, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of Boost.ai (one of Norway’s leading Natural Language Processing AI companies, and Ramtin Matin, Lead Technological Strategist at SpareBank 1 SR-Bank, one of Norway’s oldest, and most respected, financial institutions. Specifically in today’s episode we cover: The crucial role Boost.ai has had in helping SR Bank stay in contact with their customers, with zero wait time, even during the COVID-19 pandemic (when other companies force their customers to wait hours to speak with a customer service representative * The difference stages of Artificial Intelligence, and how understanding this can guide your organization today, and in the future.* The pretty surprising ease with which the Boost.AI solution can be deployed (Hint: It’s way easier, and way less expensive, than you might think)* We also get to learn how nice Norwegians are! (in case you didn’t already know that) About Our Guests Henry Vaage Iversen Henry Vaage Iversen is a Co-Founder and the Chief Commercial Officer at boost.ai, a Norwegian-based software company specializing in AI-powered customer interactions. Boost.ai is the inventor of the world’s most complete software for building, implementing and operating virtual agents powered by conversational AI technology. Henry was instrumental in establishing key relationships with the company’s early clients, helping to cement boost.ai as a major player in the Nordics. Today, Henry continues to flex his business acumen, fostering existing relationships while expanding boost.ai’s vision for conversational AI into new markets. When not at home in COVID-19 isolation, Henry is based in the company’s US office in Los Angeles where he leads boost.ai’s global sales team. Henry holds a Master’s Degree in strategy and management from the University of Stavanger. Ramtin Matin Ramtin is Lead Technological Strategist at SR Bank, and is an authority on implementing technology that helps drive efficiency while maintaining the company vision. With more than 13 years of professional experience Ramtin’s main area of expertise is within the intersection of technology, strategy and business development. He has a broad industry background from more than 10 years of consulting ranging from industries such as banking, insurance, telco, public, utility and transportation. He is a seasoned professional and thought leader on topics such as digital transformation, technology, strategy and in general how to use technology as an enabler for driving change, both internally and externally. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I’ve been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that’s always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Contact Pat Perdue on Twitter

22 Huhti 202035min

About Today's Show For this episode, we decided to do things a little differently.  Rather than booking a new guest with a new conversation, we revisited each of the Season 2 interviews, to see if we might be able to uncover common threads, some common ideas, that make up what it is to be #SenecaProud.  In this episode, we discover: 1.  The value of having passion for what you do.  That might mean hard work and some long hours, but when we have passion, we're not counting hours, we're measuring contribution. 2.  The importance of being interdependent.  Success on our own can only take us so far.  When we rely on, and contribute to, the success of others is when our contribution grows exponentially. 3.  The essential role caring, and love, play in finding and living our passion (and how that is often about food!) 4.  The confident optimism that sustains Seneca College today, and will continue to do so long into the future. Today's Guests: Kelly Mathews: Manager, Sport Venue Operations, and Community Recreation Programs (Episode 2) Professor Nafeesa Jalal: Honours Healthcare Management Program at Seneca College (Episode 5) Charanpreet Deu:  Seneca Student Federation President (Episode 6)  Peggy Pitawanakwat: Coordinator at First Peoples @ Seneca (Episode 4) Nancy Gilmour: Executive Chef for Aramark at Seneca College (Episode 9) Peter Moscone, Professor in the School of Electronics & Mechanical Engineering Technology (Episode 3) Joy Gooding: Seneca College Senior Development Officer (Episode 7) Chris Dudley: Seneca College HELIX Director (Episode 8) Kurt Muller, Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Art, and Design (FCAD) at Seneca (Episode 10) Kevin Frankish, Professor School of Journalism (Episode 1) Michelle Dakin: Director of Security and Emergency Management Services at Seneca (Episode 11)  Important Links and Contact Information All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts.   Click here to subscribe. While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment.  It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening!   Pat Perdue

15 Huhti 202035min

About Today's Show In today's episode, we speak with Michelle Dakin, who, as Director of Security and Emergency Management Services at Seneca, is in charge of the Seneca College COVID-19 response.  We learn the specifics of Seneca College's COVID-19 response, and what Seneca College is doing now to keep the school safe and functioning during this very challenging time.   Also in this episode, we talk about: 1.  What steps will be taken to bring normalcy back to Seneca College, once COVID-19 is behind us. 2.  What it's like to be always thinking about, "what could go wrong," and how to prevent it before it happens. 3.  What steps Michelle has taken to protect Seneca College campuses from other threats to our safety. About Today's Guest, Michelle Dakin Michelle Dakin is the Director of Security and Emergency Management Services at Seneca and is responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction with respect to ensuring the safety and security of community members across all campuses. A highly motivated professional, she has experience in developing and sustaining emergency management and security programs in various industries including healthcare, the energy sector, and post-secondary education. Michelle has led the response for organizations to several high-profile emergencies including the H1N1 Pandemic response in a major GTA hospital, the 2013 Toronto flooding, the Ontario winter ice storm, and a natural gas explosion and oil spill. She is passionate about educating individuals on how to be prepared for emergencies particularly Active Attacker and Crisis situations. In her spare time, she can be found on a baseball diamond or any other sports field. Michelle is an active member of the Alumni Association and was Seneca’s 2013 Premier’s Award nominee. Important Links and Contact Information All COVID-19 related information, questions or concerns should be sent to health@senecacollege.ca For Updates on Seneca's Policies Regarding COVID-19, visit here: https://inside.senecacollege.ca/health This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts.   Click here to subscribe. While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment.  It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening!   Pat Perdue

1 Huhti 202027min

About Today's Show In this episode, we visit Aramark Executive Chef Nancy Gilmour, who oversees all of the food options at Seneca College.  Ever wonder how they decide on what specials to offer?  This episode introduces you to one of the people who make Seneca College such a delicious place to work and study.   Also in this episode, you will learn: 1.  How Seneca College menus differ from campus to campus. 2.  How Nancy gets the input of our international student communities and staff to help her dishes stay as authentic as possible. 3.  You will also learn that if you make chocolate cake with eggplant, it's actually really good!  :) About Today's Guest, Nancy Gilmour Often times the most rewarding journeys aren't made in a straight line, and that's certainly the case with Nancy Gilmour.  Being a successful food professional wasn’t always the plan she had for her life.  She originally set out to be a painter and sculptor, and like many with a passion for the arts, she supported that passion with work in the restaurant industry.  While living in Spain in her 20s she discovered her passion for cuisine.  Living with a group of artists, money was understandably tight, but despite that, they always managed to eat well.  With beautifully set tables, and beautiful food, Nancy discovered that she could combine her love for art, and a newfound passion for excellent food.  That journey led to her owning and operating her own restaurant for eight years, as well as working with some top chefs, before accepting her role as Executive Chef at Aramark. This Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! #SenecaProud Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, which means it's available pretty much wherever you get your podcasts.   Click here to subscribe. While you're there, please give us a rating and leave a comment.  It really helps get our podcast found. Thanks for listening!   Pat Perdue

2 Maalis 202026min