This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with @Gerri Phillips, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer of @Cue Gravity - a company that’s built its niche helping retailers tell their story successfully by blending the physical and the digital.

While Cue Gravity is already working with top-tier brands across the U.S. Gerri is now leading the U.K. charge, focusing on bringing that U.S.. experience and success to the UK.

🌟 Some of the most interesting parts of our conversation were:

✅ Why UK businesses are more sceptical of tech innovation than the U.S.

✅ How content, technology, and storytelling combine to drive retail performance.

✅ What Gerri’s learned about building a support network when you’re starting out.

✅ What it’s like launching in a new country with no team, no pipeline, and no profile.

✅ Why “tech for tech’s sake” is a problem, and how to avoid it with a strategy-first approach

This week, I had a fascinating conversation with @Rajeev Nandan, founder and CEO of @Pierian, about the evolution of Marketing technology and the impact of AI on digital marketing strategies.

We covered:

✅ The move from traditional marketing to AI-driven, data-led strategies.
✅ The transition from a consulting business model to a scalable SaaS offering.
✅ The financial metrics that drive e-commerce success and sustainable growth.
✅ How businesses, big and small, can use AI to improve customer acquisition and retention.
✅ The importance of balancing creativity and data in a world increasingly shaped by automation.

This week, I sat down with @Alistair Roman, Founder and Managing Partner of @Cost Optimisation Consultancy, to explore cost optimisation for small businesses and discuss how you can reduce costs in your business sustainably.

We discuss the model that Alistair has developed - the cost transformation maturity map - why most businesses fail to retain cost savings, and explore how SMEs can build cost efficiency into their company culture.

🌟 Some of my favourite parts from our conversation:

✅ How Alistair helped John Lewis drive major cost efficiencies - and what smaller businesses can learn from it.

✅ Understanding the difference between cost optimisation and cost savings and why one is more sustainable.
✅Why Finance Teams must be front and centre leading cost optimisation efforts, regardless of their size.
✅ How cost optimisation fuels growth rather than just being a defensive strategy.
✅ How SMEs can leverage technology to streamline finance and operations.

ACCA Scale Up Success Article: https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/professional-insights/Scale-up/pi-scale-up-success-SMEs.pdf

Alistair Roman Contact Details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistairroman/
• Website: https://www.costoptimisationconsultancy.com