6 Powerful Lessons You Can Learn From Sam's Club Director of Marketing Planning and Strategy, Laura Vanderslice, That You Can Start Implementing Today.

Tona Haywood: 0:02

The we Pivot podcast is for you if you're a woman who has recently pivoted into entrepreneurship. You'll find digital marketing tips, trends and strategies to help grow your business in today's digital world. Join Tona and Al Haywood as we have fun breaking down all things digital marketing. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Welcome back everyone. Today I have a special guest and her name is Laura Vanderslice. And guess what? She leads the charge in marketing strategy at Sam's Club, focusing on how to make members feel right at home with the brand. Laura crafts the kind of campaigns that resonate deeply, showing how membership goes beyond savings to offer real value and quality. Her magic lies in creating connections, making sure every Sam Club member feels like part of something bigger. Welcome to the we Pivot podcast, laura.

Laura Vanderslice: 1:11

Thank you so much for having me. This is so much fun.

Tona Haywood: 1:15

Yeah, you're welcome. I know when we got this connection, I was like you know, I never thought about someone coming on the podcast from a bigger corporation, because most of the people that we have on there, smaller solopreneurs, have their own businesses and things like that. To get to know what you guys do and to really kind of get some takeaways on how we can take that information and possibly use it for our own businesses.

Laura Vanderslice: 1:50

Wonderful. Yes, hopefully no. I really enjoyed listening and I think storytelling is applicable to anyone, with any brand and anything that you know, anyone that has anything to say, so looking forward to the conversation.

Tona Haywood: 2:14

Yes, and so am I, so let's dive right on in there. Can you tell or share your journey into the role of director of marketing planning and strategy at Sam's Club, and what drives your passion for member engagement and brand storytelling?

Laura Vanderslice: 2:26

Sure, yeah. So I spent the first I would say good 10 years of my career on the agency side, working for a marketing agency that specialized in building customer relationship management, management programs and customer loyalty programs. So from an early, early career point I had to learn very quickly what kept not just my clients engaged in how their business ran, but what kept their customers coming back. How did they engage with their brand, what drove them to engage with their brand, and how do we then use that information to extend their customer's lifetime value. So it taught me just a lot about data. It taught me a lot about talking to customers and to members on the Sam's Club side and it taught me a lot about going deep and digging deep and really understand the motivators and the drivers of customers and why they engage at all and how we can use that to keep them coming back.

Tona Haywood: 3:33

When it comes to engaging with the customers or talking with the customers. What does that specifically look like? Is it you're stopping people who are coming in and asking them questions, or is it that you're putting together panels, or is it through email? What is the specific way that you get that feedback and that build those relationships with the customers?

Laura Vanderslice: 3:59

Yeah, it's all of the above, I would say. At Sam's Club specifically, we talk to our members all the time. Every week we do focus groups with them. They're very vocal with us. They will tell you exactly what they love and don't love and where they see opportunities and where we see opportunities. So there's very much a two-way dialogue. Consistently, that's happening through the means of focus groups. You can also go online too. Don't underestimate the power of ratings or reviews or social chatter or what's happening with your comments on social. Really, keep your ears and eyes open, because the information is there in addition to talking to them directly.

Tona Haywood: 4:42

Okay, and how would someone participate in a focus group Like, how would you select people? What is kind of the process that that would entail?

Laura Vanderslice: 4:54

Yeah, we do outreach to them. They have the opportunity to opt in to a panel that we have. So post-purchase we send them an invitation to ask them would you like to participate? And the take rate's pretty good. I think they really enjoy it and they enjoy being heard and they enjoy being listened to.

Tona Haywood: 5:15

I kind of like that, because it kind of goes along with just being a small business owner, solopreneur, really getting to know what your customers want through surveys or Facebook groups if you have a Facebook group or things like that just getting feedback or asking people if they would be interested in giving feedback, and it helps you to kind of move the needle forward and what you should be providing for people.

Laura Vanderslice: 5:48

Yeah, and I think it it allows you to have that two-way dialogue. I we use a lot of data. I love data, I love surveys. You know there's all of this, this information that you can collect that lets you understand their rational need. You know, I think that's sometimes when you get survey responses back it's like this is how I plan to shop, or this is what I like, or this is what makes me feel valued. But when you're talking to them directly, you can ask them why. And then the more you start to ask why and continue to ask why, ask it three or four times then you'll really start to get down to that emotional need. And so the combination of the two understanding rationally why they're participating in your brand and engaging with your brand, but then getting into that emotional connection is what really enables that powerful brand storytelling, kind of that nice blend and mix of the two things.

Tona Haywood: 6:51

Yes, that makes total sense to me. So how would you approach developing marketing strategies that resonate with the Sam's Club members and encourage them to engage more deeply with the brand?

Laura Vanderslice: 7:07

Yeah, it goes a little bit into that, asking why, I think, always going for the pursuit of the feeling you're wanting, as a brand, to resonate with versus the action you want them to take.

Laura Vanderslice: 7:19

So I'll give an example for back to school.

Laura Vanderslice: 7:23

You know, it would be very easy, as a large retailer, to say you know, your Sam's Club membership lets you buy more snacks for back to school for a great price, like, sure, of course, that has come through or can come through. Is that, you know, by saving your members money, what you're really enabling is you, you know, for example, to throw an extra snack in that kid's lunchbox to share with that new friend they just made. So you're enabling those moments of togetherness, you're enabling this their livelihoods, you're enabling these, you know, benefits that are beyond the tangible aspect of saving money. So keep pushing and keep asking and saying why is it important for you to save money? Why is it important for you to buy or whatever? Just keep asking and what you'll really get to is that strong feeling of I don't have to think twice about putting the extra snacks in the lunchbox because my friend can take it, they're so excited to share it with their new friend or whatever. So that's an example of how, how we would approach it.

Tona Haywood: 8:34

I like that, especially with the emotional, emotional needs and digging deeper, because sometimes we find it's kind of hard to do that because even with the surface level questions you only get so much. And so trying to get to that extra layer of why is that important to buy this in bulk and save the money, what's the deeper meaning behind that Right right? So in a world saturated, as you know, with advertising, how do you ensure that Sam's Club brand storytelling stands out and connects with your audience on an emotional level? And I think we kind of tied into that with some of those digging deeper. Is there anything more that you can say that helps you stand out from some with all the noise that's out there?

Laura Vanderslice: 9:25

Yeah, I think there's two parts to this. I think there's a messaging component and a frequency component. So, from a we talked a little bit about the messaging dig deep, understand why, create the layer that's going to resonate deeply and that, in its own right, will break through If your message is clear. It doesn't matter how many other things they're seeing. That's what they're going to. You know your customer, your prospect, whoever. That's what they're going to remember because they felt it.

Laura Vanderslice: 9:55

There's a frequency component to I think you know understanding where your customer is and I would say the marketing funnel with you. So, for example, your prospects or someone that isn't as engaged with your brand so they're very much in the like just awareness part of that funnel. You might need something a little splashier. You might need something a little bigger, a little more PR worthy. You might be trying to get some earned media out of whatever you're doing to capture that audience. So that could be doing things like pushing the envelope on how they shop with you, how they engage with you. That could be trying new exploratory channels. That's something a little bit bigger.

Laura Vanderslice: 10:38

But I think, in terms of breaking through understanding that some of your customers who are a little further down in the funnel, like they already are considering you or they're already engaging with you, they actually might not need all the razzle dazzle, they might just need a steady drumbeat of relevant, consistent messaging that's in the channels that they already are, to remain top of mind.

Laura Vanderslice: 11:02

And so I think that's what I mean when there's kind of a frequency component of understanding really who you're talking to and where they are and how frequently you need to be talking to them, but also breaking through with just that really crisp, clear messaging and copy and content that is important to them. I think sometimes in advertising it's very easy to get caught up in the big Super Bowl moments which are important I mean, look, they're there for a reason and they serve a really strong purpose for a brand. But that's not the strategy alone, right? You can't just have a big splashy and then kind of leave it and forget it. You've got to continue to follow up and nurture that relationship with the frequency of messaging that matters to them, depending on where they are with you.

Tona Haywood: 11:48

So would you classify frequency when it comes to small business owners and solopreneurs? Would you classify that as how often you show up like the consistency that you're showing up in the various channels that they may be a part?

Laura Vanderslice: 12:07

of Exactly, Exactly, Continuity, consistency.

Tona Haywood: 12:12

Just I kind of call it that steady drum beat of content, and I guess that is probably one of the most difficult parts. When you are a small business owner, a solopreneur, because you have to be in all, it's almost like you feel like you have to be in all these different places at the same time. When it's just you, and it's very difficult to do that, it's probably going to be better for people to decide to, instead of trying to be everywhere, be somewhere where you know the majority of your audiences and you can pretty much develop more content for that specific area, for those people, and just keep being consistent there 100%.

Laura Vanderslice: 13:03

Could not agree more. It it's. It's not content for content sake, it's just consistency in messaging. And if that's one channel, great, if it's 10, even better. But like, stay with where you can do what you can, but do it well and do it consistently. You know, and that, and I think that's that that's a great point and I couldn't agree more.

Tona Haywood: 13:26

Yes, okay, well, thank you, because that does that makes total sense. Is it possible to walk us through the process of planning and executing a campaign across the marketing calendar, highlighting how you tailor your strategies for different times of the year?

Laura Vanderslice: 13:46

Sure, data and insights always first, always first. And you know, I think, if there's not a lot of access to rich data, use what you've got you know, use what's online, use what's out there, read the white papers. Right, like data and insights doesn't have to be owned data that comes from your own company. It can be extracted from anywhere. But from a calendar perspective, I would say one of our learnings over time, as we've gotten to know our members even better over the years, is that seasonally, there are certainly tentpole moments, right, you've got kind of the holiday moments and you've got the summer moments and you have these things and these events that are important business drivers and they're important to our members. But what's equally important is that really, on the day to day, what members and customers and people are thinking about by and large is their families. What are they going to have for dinner that night? What are they going to do on the weekend? How are they going to plan just the next week? What is? How do we start to plan for what our next vacation is going to be? Right, they're really just, they're not really thinking yes, it's about summer, but they're not really thinking in these tentpole calendar moments that I think, as marketers, we tend to center our business drivers around, so what we've really done is taken a step back and say, sure, like, seasonally, we've got it. You know tailgating is going to come up and they're going to be celebrating, but how do we also reinforce that we're here for them throughout their everyday lives? How do we make dinner a little bit easier during?

Laura Vanderslice: 15:35

I mean, I don't know why I keep going back to school. I don't know. You know it's yeah, the kids are going off, but the parents are also strapped to. So how do we start to talk about that instead? You know, in addition to you know, back to school, snacks and lunch boxes, but you know, how do we talk about dinners Maybe? How do we talk about whatever curbside pickup that makes it easier for you to save time so you can get back to the routine, right? Like there are just these different moments that as we look at our calendar and as we plan how we're going to talk and when we're going to talk to our members, we didn't, we didn't want to think about it just in those cyclical kind of timeframes. We wanted to think about that evergreen timeframe too.

Tona Haywood: 16:23

And I guess that's kind of how it seems that we do it when we're marketing, because the first thing that you see is, you see, you go into Walgreens and you see, oh man, the Valentine's Day candy is already out, or oh, the Easter candy is out now, or oh, they have the Christmas stuff up. And so you just think about it in the in seasons and not like, what about the in between? There is in between. It's not just, oh, I got to get all of this stuff together just to market this one season specific, but keeping an eye on everything in between, those seasonal moments on the calendar.

Laura Vanderslice: 17:09

Exactly exactly. I mean, there's definitely a time and a place for, you know, the Easter dresses under 25 bucks or whatever it is, but and certainly it's super relevant. But you're exactly right, it's how do you sustain their everyday life, how do you help them live their best everyday life? You know, how do we, how do we start to talk to that? And, yes, think beyond just those tentpole moments, because our members are, our members are thinking beyond that.

Tona Haywood: 17:40

That is very true. Now, something that I don't know if I've seen before with your company or not, because maybe I'm just not in the right spaces to see it marketing to gain more members at Sam's Club and how do you have many brand ambassadors and things like that? Is this part of your marketing strategy Because I know this has been a really big thing lately is using influencers to market your company. So just wondering, is that something that you guys have been doing?

Laura Vanderslice: 18:23

So just wondering, is that something that you guys have been doing? Oh yes, oh yes, I feel like the influencer world has gotten. I mean, it's just blown up, it's wild and it's really complex and kind of the best way. But yes, we absolutely use influencers. I would say a couple of points on that. We, looking at influencers, we do invite influencers that are already fans of the brand. So you know, it's pretty rare that we would partner with someone who hasn't shown some sort of engagement or affinity towards the brand in general and from an authenticity standpoint, that makes the most sense. They're going to be able to talk about our brand in a way that they already know and love. So that's kind of step. One is understanding just who's already engaging with you and how do you start to leverage that and sort of harness that power and collectively go at it together and collectively go at it together.

Laura Vanderslice: 19:26

From an ambassador perspective, we use our associates quite a bit, and I'm not talking about them as influencers, it's more just making sure that they have a voice and a seat at that social table, because no one knows our brand better than our associates and people that are engaging with our members all day, every day. So we do talk to them quite a bit, and sometimes you'll even see them in our content on our own platforms or on their own pages. And the one thing we're also seeing when we're partnering with influencers is algorithms are changing. So it used to be the more followers you have, the more your content will go up to the top. So, like followers was the name of the game and, by and large, still is. But what some of these platforms are now doing are prioritizing really good content, really really good content.

Laura Vanderslice: 20:18

And so what, what we've sort of pivoted from or what we're thinking about or how we're approaching it is, you know, look, we've sort of pivoted from or what we're thinking about or how we're approaching it is, you know, look, we'll sort of partner with our fans of the brand to say this is kind of what we're thinking, this is kind of our objective, this is how our calendar is shaping up, and we're actually letting them sort of lead more of that narrative and dialogue in their style and how they would do it versus some other brands I've worked for in the past where it's been like we have this product and I need you to go talk about this product.

Laura Vanderslice: 20:49

And here are the talking points about the product, and this is what we need you to say. It used to be a lot more rigid, and so at SANS, I think our team's done a really nice job of letting the creator be the creator. Let them do their thing, let them own that content. They already have shown a passion for us. So like let's just partner in that organic way, versus like using them to sell hard in a way that might not be as authentic to that person's channel.

Tona Haywood: 21:18

And it's probably not at the. I mean it's probably not going to resonate as much with their audience anyway if it's not authentic to them, because then it's going to feel forced and it's going to feel like this doesn't seem like them.

Laura Vanderslice: 21:34

So Exactly, I think people know when they're getting sold and sometimes they don't mind it, but I think when it exactly, you're exactly right. When it's not authentic, it just doesn't work for for anyone.

Tona Haywood: 21:46

No, not at all. So in order to really be an influencer marketer for Sam's, it's basically you have to have already been a member, like you have the card and you shop there, is that?

Laura Vanderslice: 22:05

what I'm hearing. Yeah, well, we like to see that you have an affinity for the brand. I don't want to put too sharp of a point on it, but most of the time I would say that organically happens. Anyway, we don't actually comb through the data and make sure that you've shopped, but if you're already talking about us on your channel, I mean by and large you've probably already shopped with us and you're engaging, or you know.

Laura Vanderslice: 22:29

Sometimes we see, like we see these channels pop up, that these influencers on their own, there are Sam specific accounts and they did that on their own accord. So we're just, people love it, people love us. And so, yes, we do look for that and to see, you know, are you, are you already talking about us and do you like us? And have you shocked before? I mean we like. I said, we're just, we're looking to see if the sentiment is there and if it's a good fit. You could have shocked once or a hundred times or none, and maybe you just like us. I don't know so, but if the affinity is there, we'll start looking at it.

Tona Haywood: 23:09

I think that's a really good point because I know for us we have a Christian online boutique and so early on, probably a couple of years ago, I was trying to get influencers to wear my t-shirts, talk about it and things like that. But it seems like if they don't already know you and interact with you and engage with you, it comes across differently than if they actually if they would do it without having to be an ambassador or an influencer or something like that. So kind of the thought process behind it has kind of changed. It's changing now so that you know, I might have to think differently about that moving forward, which that's good to know from your company and how you do it.

Laura Vanderslice: 24:02

Yeah, and I would say. I would say there's maybe room for both. We typically start with those that are fans of the brand, but it doesn't mean that we wouldn't ever send out a PR box or anything like that. We send stuff to our members, we send stuff to people we think could be fans of the brand. So I think it's two pronged. I think that there's there's room for both, because there's room for growth in both areas.

Tona Haywood: 24:29

Yeah, well, that that's a really good point. I'm glad I asked that question. What are some challenges that you faced in your role, particularly related to member engagement, and how do you overcome them?

Laura Vanderslice: 24:46

So every day I mean at Sam's Club we're a membership business and so every day when we go to work we are talking about how we earn that renewal of our member and I don't use the word earn lightly we know that we've got to consistently deliver for them, and that's not just marketing, that's as a brand We've got to show up. We've got to consistently deliver for them, and that's not just marketing, that's as a brand We've got to show up. We've got to be consistent. We have to have an experience across all of our touch points, not just in our club. That's clean and clear and crisp and easy and all of the things. And so a lot of that is driven from a deep understanding of how they entered our brand. So, for example, if someone, if a member, joined, you know, on a discounted rate, you know we're going to need to nurture that relationship a little differently than if they joined at a regular rate. Or you know how they, how they first came to us, will help us give an indication of. You know how we need to nurture that. Nurture them and I wouldn't. You know how we need to nurture them and I wouldn't. It's a challenge. I mean it's hard. It's something we think about and talk about every day.

Laura Vanderslice: 26:01

I would say another challenge is around data in general. When I worked on the agency side, one of the biggest sort of internal reasons that brands would come to us to build a loyalty program for them is because they didn't have customer data. So at Sam's we're very lucky because it's a membership. You know we can, we have, we have a lot of data, but a lot of brands don't, and so especially retailers, you know they don't always know who's shopping with them, and so this loyalty program helped them get that data. But in the absence of that and I kind of mentioned it earlier if you don't have the means to go build a loyalty program, use what's there.

Laura Vanderslice: 26:38

I see a lot of brands, a lot of you know a lot of different companies that really struggle with. They think they know who their customer is and they think they know what they're doing, who their customer is and they think they know what they're doing. But there's an apprehension there because they don't know, know and I would say go for it. Go with what you know, double down on what you know, supplement with industry, supplement where you can. There's a lot of. There are a lot of insights out there. You just have to go get them. So I would say that it's been a challenge in the past, for sure.

Tona Haywood: 27:13

Yeah, that's really good. And this is a question that I have because when, as a small business, solopreneur, we're inundated with lots of things that other brands like us are doing, and sometimes it can be paralyzing because we fall into the trap of comparisonitis and we compare ourselves and where we are with other brands. You know, I was supposed to have out my collection today I don't have out my collection.

Tona Haywood: 27:49

Oh, look what they're offering. I like that. Maybe I should do that too over here. So the question is do companies like Sam's Club because I know the other one would be do you guys suffer with the same thing? Does, does that kind of? How does that work in that, in that world?

Laura Vanderslice: 28:14

No, that's a great question. I was just thinking about this the other day, really. Yes, yes, you know, and I think it's human nature to always be looking around and it's business nature and it's human nature, um, we, we are very passionate and emboldened in our mission of being member obsessed, and we keep, you know, our head down to deliver on that every single day. Do we look up every once in a while, if not more so? Yes, of course. Okay, of course we do. I think you have to. I think you've got to know kind of what's going on around you. But I don't think that it's everything. I think stay strong in your mission, stay strong in your, be convicted in what you're doing and don't deviate, because the plan will work and you know, I think it's okay to look around, I think it's okay to know what's going on. I think it's human nature, but don't let it sway you too hard on pivoting from what you believe is your strategy and your mission and where you should be going. I would say stay true to that.

Tona Haywood: 29:28

Okay, all right. Yeah, I just kind of felt that, like you know, because we, like I said, we a lot of small business owners and solopreneurs, we always talk about this in trying to get over that, you know, compared to the tinnitus. And yeah, you have all the social media and you know certain feeds look like this. Or you know, and you know certain feeds look like this. Or you know, you're always saying, man, am I? You know, am I good enough to be here?

Tona Haywood: 29:59

or in this space, cause my stuff does not look like that, or you know all of these different ideas that come in your head and I was just wondering does that happen at a? You know, at a?

Laura Vanderslice: 30:05

Yeah, yeah, oh yeah. I mean, I think it's interesting to hear that side of it too. Comparison is such an interesting topic. I think I'm kind of speaking more personally than professionally. Oh, that's fine, but it really is. It can be such a thief of joy and I think if you're using that comparison to motivate and to add fuel and to have even like a personal benchmark, or sometimes you can use it as a goal, I think it's super healthy in that way. I think when it becomes demotivating is when I would say, like put it down, move aside and focus on what you're trying to do.

Tona Haywood: 31:14

I would like to know if you have how you said you like numbers and I know you're probably all about the KPIs and all of that. Do you guys use Google Analytics and things like that for your finding out results, and just why do you feel like the data is so important, especially for business, for business owners?

Laura Vanderslice: 31:36

Yeah, the data will guide you. The data is is kind of that first indicator. I would say the data is the starting point, the why is the next. So when it comes to KPIs and measurement, it kind of just depends on what we're trying to do. So there are definitely times where it's XYZ season and we've got to move Halloween costumes and we need to know how many we sold. I'm making that up. So there are definitely metrics where it's like where did we convert? And that's where the data will start. But then you again going back to well, why Was the inventory right? Did we set it at the right time? Did we have the right messaging? Did we did, we did? We did we right? And so that's when you really start to get the insight.

Laura Vanderslice: 32:31

So we use data. I mean we again it kind of varies by campaign or initiative or what we're trying to do. There are some some things we're doing where it's just like do we have the awareness that we need? Do people remember Sam's book? Do they remember seeing something? Do they remember? And you know. So we have certain things that are just geared towards that. But then you know, just depending on what the campaign is, we definitely use the data to measure. But then we start asking ourselves why was it successful? Why was it successful? Why wasn't it successful? How do we start to learn? So, yeah, I mean the data is the indicator, but it's not the sole sort of, it's not just the KPI, it's taking it a step further and asking why.

Tona Haywood: 33:15

Why? Ok, I like that, so it's not just looking at the numbers only, but trying to figure out the what happened kind of what happened and why did it happen here?

Laura Vanderslice: 33:26

Right, the critical thinking around the numbers, I would say, is one of the harder parts than getting the numbers. But yeah, yeah, we, we look at all kinds of data all across the funnel. It just kind of varies by campaign. But, that being said, we're very intentional from the start of what we're trying to do and I think, as we you asked a question earlier about, like, the execution of campaigns, I think before you put anything into the market, you've got to be very, very clear about what do I need this to do for me? And then, at the end, did it do that thing? Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in. I need to, you know I need to put something out, or I need to do this or I need to do that. Well, but but why? Why do you need to do that and what do you need it to do for you? And asking those questions at the front and at the end of whatever initiative you're doing is super critical.

Tona Haywood: 34:20

And I guess sometimes for different brands it's going to be different based off of whatever season you're in. You might, your goal might be sales right, and you want more money, but because your brand is still in the awareness phase, that might not be a good thing to measure right now. Instead, maybe it would be better to just say you know, I'm gonna put this out, let's see if I can just get, let's see if I could put this thing out on Facebook's, see if I can just get, let's see if I could put this thing out on Facebook and see if I can get people to engage with it, and that might be the first thing and then build conversations around that, but not with the focus on selling selling, you know. So it just has to be a little different, based off of where you are with your particular business at the time.

Laura Vanderslice: 35:11

One hundred percent yes.

Tona Haywood: 35:14

So, lastly, for entrepreneurs looking to implement similar marketing strategies in their own business, what do you think are the key principles of brand storytelling and member engagement from Sam's Club that they could apply to their own businesses?

Laura Vanderslice: 35:37

Yeah, I would say dig deep, dig deep. Continue to understand exactly, not just what your customer needs, but why they need it. And I was thinking about it this morning. I saw this ad and it was like I don't even know who the company was. Like we provide end to end solutions for blah, blah, blah, blah, and I was like I didn't even know what that means. And so it's going beyond just saying here's what I offer, you know, here's what I can do. But it's tapping into that.

Laura Vanderslice: 36:14

Why of like, you know this is what I can enable for you, this is what you know the benefit to your life I can bring to you and leading with that. And there's a huge amount of work that goes into understanding that and it requires a very deep level of thought and sometimes it's hard to get to. So I would just say, in terms of when you're talking about your brand, your offering or your company or whatever it is, really really dig deep in understanding that customer. You know who you want to go after, like most likely, you know who your customer needs to be or is, but but like, why are? Why are they choosing you and why? What else do you have that you know they can benefit from. So, digging deep, I would say it sounds a little trite, but it is true it's it's. It's a pretty sophisticated practice that I really believe that any business person can do.

Tona Haywood: 37:15

Yes, but I also think with digging deep, it takes time, so you have to have patience because it doesn't come like oh, I just asked this question and then, okay, that's good, I got it, got the answer. I think it comes over time because even when you have groups that you felt like were your target audience, but you notice that people, there are some people that they will purchase from you no matter what and you're trying to figure out well, what is the why? What is it about this brand that keeps them kind of coming back and purchasing? What is that? What is that thing?

Laura Vanderslice: 38:00

Right, right, the emotional thing and the rational thing. Yes, you know, it might be that you have great prices on your thing, but it's. There's probably something more to it.

Tona Haywood: 38:14

Yes, and exploring that something more is important, right? Yes, indeed. Well, is there anything else that you would like to add, any other things that you've learned over your time with Sam's Club that would be beneficial to the women entrepreneurs that are listening?

Laura Vanderslice: 38:35

Yeah, I would say one's a little more personal and one might be a little more professional, but I would say, just in my career in general, find the women and be the women, be the woman.

Laura Vanderslice: 38:48

You know that helps the other women. I think I have benefited so greatly from having amazing women, mentors, amazing career women who have helped me, amazing women who I could go to and say I don't know what we're talking about. Can you please explain it to me and know they, they and they want that, they, they encourage that, they want you to ask questions, um, and open up. And I would say, um, the more you can surround yourself with women like that, I would say do it, um and and be it, can, um, it's just, it's been such an incredible journey with me, with some of the mentors that I've had, so I would say that's been amazing.

Laura Vanderslice: 39:39

Professionally, I would just say you know, I want to go back to one of the content things we talked about a second ago and what content could look like. I would say from a content perspective, I want to give an example it's not maybe a great example, but it's a recent example of this company I was looking at renting a boat from in Austin we are doing a girls get away and I'm like I want to rent a boat. Well, I don't know the first thing about renting a boat, much less in Austin. I don't live there and so I was online and this company had put out an article about the different bodies of water and the you know the differences of. You know, if you want this experience, go here, this experience, go there. And at the end of the day, I was like this was so valuable because I didn't even know where to start, and so this company had put out this con about something that helped me.

Laura Vanderslice: 40:34

And so I think, when we talk about content in that way, think about those kinds of tenants. You know that that can kind of come off of your core offering and see where you can help your customer who might not even know that what, where to start or what they need, and be there for them in that way. But yeah, I think so. So just two things, very drastically different answers, but I would say two things. You know, keep doubling down on content. Think about where you need to be, think about you know how you can create content that's an offshoot of your brand to help your customer, but at the same time, you know how you can create content that's an offshoot of your brand to help your customer. But at the same time, you know personally just keep grinding and find those people that you know you can surround yourself with. That will, that will help you.

Tona Haywood: 41:20

Yes, that will help support you in your journey. Right exactly Big time, because that's what you need. Well, laura, this has been an amazing episode podcast interview. It's been great. I've learned so much. I'm going to go back and listen to it and take notes and try to apply as much of this as I can, and I hope that the audience who are listening were also encouraged in this episode as well. But I just want to thank you for being here today and we will or I will see you next time Sounds great.

Laura Vanderslice: 42:05

Thank you, you're welcome.

Al Haywood: 42:07

We're so excited that you tuned in to the latest episode of the we Pivot podcast. Thank you for joining us Now, whether this is your first time or not, please make sure to subscribe and share with a friend who can also use some digital marketing guidance as well. Until next time.