The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast

40:28

Building the case for research before anyone asks for...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/10/06

What does it take to build a research function that leadership actually uses? In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie Vance and Molly Strawn-Carreño sit down with David Yin, a fractional research and marketing leader who has built insights functions at companies including Fitbit, Ancestry, Eventbrite, and Poshmark. David shares how researchers can build credibility from scratch, understand stakeholder problems, earn leadership buy-in, translate research data into business action, and

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42:05

Quantifying the gut with Will Leach

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/09/29

For the longest time, market research has been focused on understanding why people behave the way they do. But what happens after the insight is delivered? In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly sit down with Will Leach, founder and CEO of Mindstate Group, to explore why researchers need to move beyond insights and recommendations and become behavioral designers who can help brands turn research into action.Will breaks down the say-do gap, explains why behavioral science and

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30:55

Fixing the neighborhood: what's actually broken in...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/09/22

Data quality isn’t just about better fraud detection or securing individual surveys. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie Vance and Jonathan sit down with Karine Pepin to explore what’s actually broken in the research ecosystem and why fixing one survey at a time can only go so far. Karine shares how researchers can establish their own “ground truth,” interpret conflicting fraud signals, question unrealistic sample claims, and rethink what’s possible when researching hard-to-reach

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32:34

The signal in the noise: how researchers can...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/09/15

Turning research insights into action requires more than delivering good data. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, strategic foresight practitioner Mina McBride explores how researchers can build credibility, understand the political and emotional realities of their clients, and prepare stakeholders to act on uncomfortable insights. She also shares how foresight can help researchers distinguish meaningful signals from noise, take calculated career risks and stay focused on the work that

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36:35

Research the needs, not the roadmap with Preeti Talwai

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/09/08

Researching products that do not yet exist requires looking beyond the technology itself. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, UX Research Leader and Product Strategy Advisor, Preeti Talwai, discusses how researchers can anchor early-stage work in enduring human needs, separate the experience from the technology enabling it, and measure impact even when a product never launches. She also shares why AI should augment rather than shortcut qualitative research and how teams can move faster by

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31:30

The skill of what's worth knowing with Sasha Mitts

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/09/01

AI can accelerate research, but it can also make flawed conclusions sound convincing. In this episode, Sasha Mitts, an independent researcher, joins Stephanie Vance and Molly Strawn-Carreño to explore how researchers can use AI without surrendering their judgment. They discuss validating AI outputs, breaking analysis into smaller tasks, documenting assumptions, and preserving the human perspective behind meaningful research.

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24:26

The coupon deal that revealed retail media's power...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/08/25

Retail media has become a powerful tool for brands to connect digital communication with physical purchases. In this episode, David Glaza, founder and CEO of Digits Agency, discusses the rapid rise of retail media networks and how first party data is removing the guesswork from advertising. David shares insights on the challenges of network fragmentation and why the best strategies prioritize relevant customer experiences over simple promotion.

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33:00

AI cannot replicate the research journey with Tom Rich

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/08/18

Technology is changing the pace of research but the core of understanding people remains a human task. Tom Rich shares his perspective as a self-described carbon-based qualitative researcher. He explains why artificial intelligence serves as a sophisticated probability calculator rather than a source of wisdom. He also reveals how moral frameworks and techniques borrowed from the world of psychics help uncover what people truly value. Tom highlights why the journey of research matters more than just

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26:32

Why business constraints spark the most exciting...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/08/11

Andrew Embry of Eli Lilly explains how to innovate when the walls feel small. He shares how his team uses synthetic respondents to move faster and why regulatory boundaries actually fuel creativity. The importance of change management and the need for researchers to get in the mud with the business comes out through this conversation. Andrew highlights why human judgment remains the most valuable asset for insights professionals in a world of increasing automation and provides a framework for

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55:30

Re-learning the audience in an age of distrust with...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/08/04

Examine the tension between AI automation and the need for human closeness in consumer insights. Martin and Katie, Managing Partners at Basis Research, share why businesses return to custom models for strategic decisions and how brands can deal with a growing culture of consumer distrust. They address the potential gap in junior researcher development as technology absorbs entry-level tasks and why mentoring matters more than ever for the next generation of strategists.

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47:39

Why your research needs a “thinking cave” with Sarah...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/07/28

Sarah Kling from Amazon explains how her team uses generative AI to scale global insights without losing the human touch. She highlights how she went from initial skepticism to using internal tools for massive data sets. The conversation covers the necessity of human rigor to prevent hallucinations and explains why the thinking cave is essential for quality. Sarah also details the evolving nature of consumer privacy and describes what the next phase of interlinked enterprise workflows might look

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21:28

Data quality is not a filter, it's a discipline

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/07/21

Data quality is often treated as a checkbox, but the impact of bad data reaches far across an organization. Insights teams must move from accepting claims to demanding proof. The hosts discuss the hidden costs of poor quality, including the erosion of stakeholder trust and slowed decision velocity. By explaining a framework centered on prevention and proof, they show how the industry can move toward a more disciplined approach where transparency becomes the primary buying criterion for research

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46:45

Why trust is the ultimate metric in market research...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/07/14

Data can inform decisions, but people make them. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Molly Strawn-Carreño and Stephanie Vance talk with Bill Salokar, Director of Business Development at Gazelle Global. They explore the critical role of human relationships and trust within the research ecosystem. Bill shares his journey from statistician to relationship builder, discussing how to maintain the human element as technology scales. The conversation highlights why active listening, contextual

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35:33

Human in the decision loop with Elle Park

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/07/07

Market research is evolving as AI automates traditional tasks. In this episode of the Curiosity Current, Elle Park from Arcutis Biotherapeutics discusses why a broad background in data and strategy provides a unique advantage in a world favoring specialization. She explains the critical difference between being a human in the loop and being a human in the decision loop. The conversation explores how researchers can maintain their edge by focusing on foundational methods and strategic judgment within

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35:14

Social media is your new decision engine with...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/06/30

Social media has transformed from an entertainment platform into a sophisticated decision engine. In this episode, explore how the linear consumer journey has collapsed into a dynamic loop where discovery, validation, and conversion happen simultaneously. Vladimer Botsvadze explains why brands must shift from broadcasting to listening, the importance of human-centric marketing, and how high-growth companies use social intelligence to build lasting cultural relevance.

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43:38

What second by second phone data reveals about human...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/06/23

Understanding human behavior requires embracing complexity. In this episode, Byron Reeves who is a pioneering Stanford researcher and has spent decades studying how humans interact with technology. They discuss why traditional research methods struggle to keep pace with fragmented digital lives. The conversation explores how AI simulations might help predict consumer behavior and what remains irreplaceable in a landscape driven by machines.

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40:37

From insights to foresights: predicting what...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/06/16

Market research is often focused on the present, but staying ahead requires a shift toward the future. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie Vance and Molly Strawn-Carreño speak with Kerry-Ellen Schwartz, Director of Consumer Insights for Predictive Intelligence and Platform Innovation at PepsiCo Foods North America. They discuss the critical difference between insights and foresights. Kerry-Ellen explains why human empathy is the foundation for any successful brand strategy and

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44:26

Your tools aren't broken, your processes are with...

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/06/09

The research profession is transitioning from hands-on execution to strategic orchestration, yet many organizations struggle with adoption. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Zontziry Johnson, Head of Learning and Research at the Insights Career Network, explains why new tools often fail to deliver promised results. She discusses the gap between tool adoption and process transformation, the importance of business literacy over technical execution, and how leaders can build teams that feel

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31:51

The cheese factory theory of research with Alec Levin

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/06/02

Alec Levin discusses the evolution of professional learning and explains why structured curriculums are failing modern researchers. He shares how his community, Learners, fosters a more effective and chaotic ecosystem for growth. The conversation examines the impact of ai on the research field and uses the cheese factory analogy to distinguish between artisanal work and automated insights. Alec explains why researchers should view themselves as study designers to remain essential as the volume of

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45:59

The coming qualitative renaissance with Deborah Mendez

The Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast ·

2026/05/26

Deborah Mendez joins The Curiosity Current to discuss why discrepancies between consumer claims and actual behavior are signals for market innovation. Drawing on her leadership experience at major brands like Kraft Heinz and Mars, she explains how agile research allows teams to identify patterns rather than isolated data points. The conversation explores how to maintain high research quality under budget constraints and why the rise of artificial intelligence is sparking a qualitative renaissance

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