Stephanie 0:01 Actually, this will be fine.

Raina 0:03 Am I

Stephanie 0:03 I just

Raina 0:04 know where you want me? Is that okay? Okay.

Stephanie 0:11 Usually, the guest is on the other side for me and because then I can see them while I'm looking at my camera and looking at my guide. Do you have a way to, like, flip where because I'm on my left and Raina's on my right. Could I do oh, look. I have a layout button. Let's see. I can make this work. It is not gonna be a problem. So and what I can do, I can move my camera over. Oh, you did it? Thank you. Hey, to be fair, not this technology company. Alright. Let me hold on. I've got a some funky stuff on my screen. Okay. There we go. Okay. I forgot we already counted down. So here we go, Reyna. I promise it's gonna get totally, uh, fluid from here. Um, alright. Today on the Curiosity Current, we are thrilled to be joined by Reyna Rusnak, Head of Market Research and Business Intelligence at Starkist. Reyna brings a wealth of experience in leveraging both qual and quant research to enhance customer experience and drive brand loyalty, particularly in the food industry, where she's worked to optimize everything from product flavor profiles to cross functional innovation. Prior to her role at Starkist, Reyna led consumer insights at Ahold Delays USA. Oh, see. I messed that up. I'm a judiam. Prior to her role at Starkist, Reyna led consumer insights at Ahold Delays USA where she shaped strategies across a wide range of platforms from e com to sustainability. She's also, in her spare time, the CEO and fractional, uh, chief research officer of seven fifty Research, delivering tailored research solutions for businesses of all sizes. Today, Raina is here to discuss how research can be leveraged for mental health, the role of qualitative techniques in our groundbreaking work, and how we can foster resilience in high pressure industries. Rayna, it is so great to have you with us today and I'm really looking forward to our conversation.

Raina 3:02 I'm thrilled to be here.

Stephanie 3:04 Thanks so much. Well, we are gonna jump right in. Before we do that, actually, um, and dive into, like, your current work at Starkist, I would love for our listeners just to get to know you a bit better. You've had this dynamic career in consumer insights. How did your journey in the field begin, and what sparked your interest in becoming one of us?

Raina 3:26 Yeah. I will tell you that my journey is somewhat similar to how a lot of people get into the field, and that's stumbling into it.

Stephanie 3:35 A 100%.

Raina 3:36 I had no idea what market research was when I started. And, um, and as I think back, I mean, this is pre Internet days where, you know, I I mailed in a paper resume, and I was just looking for research jobs. So I was shortly out of college, and I said, uh, I'd like research. And I got to the interview, and they were talking about focus groups. And I you know, not being shy, I asked, what is a focus group? So that just demonstrates how little knowledge I had in what I was stumbling into.

Stephanie 4:08 Yeah. h jobs. So I was shortly out of college, and I said, uh, I'd like research. And I got to the interview, and they were talking about focus groups. And I you know, not being shy, I asked, what is a focus group? So that just demonstrates how little knowledge I had in what I was stumbling into. Yeah.

Raina 4:08 But, uh, but I quickly found that I loved it. And leading with curiosity in my personal life, I that was a natural extension into this field, and and I never looked back. This this was the right fit for me.

Stephanie 4:25 Um, you've also I wanted to talk about just another aspect of your life before we jump into the guide. You are a passionate mountaineer, which is fascinating. And I'm curious, what has mountaineering taught you about resilience, determination, leadership that you've applied to your insights career? In that same vein, do you have a moment to talk to us about, like, a memorable mountaineering experience? I'm sure you have You are a passionate mountaineer, which is fascinating. And I'm curious, what has mountaineering taught you about resilience, determination, leadership that you've applied to your insights career? In that same vein, do you have a moment to talk to us about, like, a memorable mountaineering experience? I'm sure you have

Raina 4:51 a few. I can talk all day about mountaineering. You're you're you're speaking to my heart right here. But I would say from a professional standpoint, three things come to mind, uh, that translate over really seamlessly. And and the first is teamwork, the power of teamwork. And, you know, when you're going through your academic career, it's often more comfortable to only work by yourself and to demonstrate what you're producing independently. But as you start to collaborate with people, it becomes clear that you can make a better, more creative product when you bring all of your talents and skills together. So, similarly, you know, on the mountain, it's you can go farther with people. Sure. You can do it by yourself in a lot of cases, but it's more fun. You often have better success and better results when you when you leverage the power of teamwork. Okay. The the second thing I will say, and it kinda feeds off of the the teamwork aspect, is communication. If I am climbing up a glacier and I start falling, it's not enough for me to self arrest and and stop myself from falling. I need to also communicate that to my team. So, one, so they don't get taken down the mountain as well. But, two, so they can help mitigate my risk and they can help stop my fall. And together, we can do that. And so bringing that same principle into the working world, you know, if I'm just operating in a silo and I'm doing things, I it it could be brilliant things. But if I'm not communicating that and bringing other people along for that journey, it's it's not nearly as powerful. And then I would say the third thing is a growth mindset. And, uh, you know, when I think about starting a mountain, you're always thinking, oh, it's gonna be perfect weather, and I'm envisioning no injuries and not getting lost. And so just the perfect scenario and summiting and then coming back down, and and it very rarely looks that way. Yeah. And similarly, I come in on Monday morning, and I'm thinking my week is gonna look like this. And this is my vision, and it's gonna be perfect. And it almost never does. So it's keeping that growth mindset and just keeping the the resilience, the the ability to pivot really quickly and to say, okay. This is what I'm dealt right now, and how do I stay positive about it? And how do I make the most of this and keep moving forward? sion, and it's gonna be perfect. And it almost never does. So it's keeping that growth mindset and just keeping the the resilience, the the ability to pivot really quickly and to say, okay. This is what I'm dealt right now, and how do I stay positive about it? And how do I make the most of this and keep moving forward?

Stephanie 7:29 That makes so much sense. And, uh, I can think of the so many things that are like that. Like, for me, it's endurance running and, you know, not nearly as cool as not nearing, but it's it is the exact same thing. Right? It's like teaching you that endurance and that, like, uh, that growth mindset and all those things that keep you plugged in when things get hard. So I love that. Um, to jump into sort of, uh, you know, some of your current work, interestingly enough, I think you are the first sensory researcher that we've had on the podcast, and I've always really loved sensory research. I don't do it myself, but I love to talk about it. Could you walk us through how you approach integrating sensory research and consumer feedback into flavor development and kind of in particular how these insights shape what products make it to market? Because I feel like sensory research is a is an aspect of consumer insights that a lot of people are less familiar with.

Raina 8:27 Yes. Uh, and and certainly before I was in CPG, it wasn't anything I ever had the opportunity to do. So I very quickly raised my hand and and got involved in in this, and it's it's a lot of fun. It it keeps the energy high, but it also makes you feel very connected with the customer. So so I will say so to backing up a little bit, our process is internally, we we start developing flavors that we think might be good. And and we'll do an internal sort of sensory that it's not what it is, but it's an internal tasting to offer direction on where we might go. So if maybe we start out with six flavors, let's say, that's too many to to bring to the customer, too many to bring to market, We can narrow that down and say and and throw out a couple right away. And when we narrow down that playing field to what we think are really solid options, we will conduct traditional sensory research where we bring in outside customers to tell us, did we hit on these metrics? Is this is the salt level where your expectations are? You know? Is it the proper level of sweetness and the texture? So we we look at all of the different aspects that go into our tuna pouches, for instance, and and develop what we think and what the customers tell us will be the best flavor that we should then bring to market. And if our customer if all of them fail, we won't we won't pursue it. But if, you know, there's one clear winner or even two clear winners, we'll we'll keep working on that until we get it right and and then bring it to market.

Stephanie 10:09 Very cool. Yeah. I bet it's so powerful to get to hear that feedback kinda firsthand. mer if all of them fail, we won't we won't pursue it. But if, you know, there's one clear winner or even two clear winners, we'll we'll keep working on that until we get it right and and then bring it to market. Very cool. Yeah. I bet it's so powerful to get to hear that feedback kinda firsthand.

Raina 10:16 It's it is a lot of fun. And it's it's also fun when you know, because I bring my own set of biases to it. You know? I'm tasting it, and I either love it or hate it. And and then I get my my confirmation bias sometimes. See? See, I was right that this is we should say no on this one or this is the winner. But, yeah, it's it's a lot of fun, and it's, um, it's also a reminder as researchers to keep our own biases in check as we are conducting traditional and proper research.

Stephanie 10:48 Absolutely. So in a in a similar vein, I would love to talk to you about qualitative research more generally. And I'd love to hear how you think about both the value, um, as well as the challenges that qualitative techniques can bring to identifying those deeper emotional and sensory connections that consumers have, you know, first with products, but then ultimately with brands?

Raina 11:14 Yeah. I mean, there's some reason I I grew up really mostly on quant with a little bit of qual, and now that's shifting. Because depending on the industry you're in, there's a a time to pull out certain tools. And and leveraging qual is so powerful to understand things that you won't see with numbers, you will be able to probe and ask, well, what is it about that flavor? Or, you know, how how are you feeling having just eaten that? You know, is is the aftertaste what you expect? And and tell us more about that. So these are things that you wouldn't necessarily get, but with a traditional quant and just asking people to type it out and having the ability to with a moderator to probe and to dig in and to see the person to meet people where they are, that can help businesses drive forward. That ultimately, at the end of the day, delivers the product that customers want, and and you're seeing them. And that that's a fun experience as the researcher. and having the ability to with a moderator to probe and to dig in and to see the person to meet people where they are, that can help businesses drive forward. That ultimately, at the end of the day, delivers the product that customers want, and and you're seeing them. And that that's a fun experience as the researcher.

Stephanie 12:23 For sure. I I think too in quant, it's so interesting because, you know, it allowing for open ended responses, it's it's kind of a precious commodity you have in quant. So you might wanna ask that why question and your choices are, I can use this real estate in this, like, cognitively taxing moment or I can generate a list. But when you do that, you're making assumptions already, like out of the gate about what the why is. And so qual just circumvents that all together and that could be really nice. Yeah. Um, well, to change topics a bit, I'm really excited to get into this with you today, Rayna. Um, your book, uh, Sampling Life, 100 Ways to Find Joys in Unemployment is this wonderful blend of personal development and research methodology. And before we get into it, I kind of just wanted to say, I love that you wrote this book, uh, because I have often, often, often thought, you know, in the context of my own periods of unemployment, unemployment, friends, family members, that this could be this most amazing time of your life of personal development, self care recharge, but it's often not because people are so uncomfortable, you know, with uncertainty. And we're so focused on getting to the security of that next gig. So for you, what was the impetus to to write the book?

Raina 13:50 Well, so first of all, the financial pressures are very real.

Stephanie 13:54 And Yes. Of course.

Raina 13:55 Yeah. Absolutely affect your mindset. I mean, you have an emotional runway. You have a financial runway, and you've gotta figure out the balance between those. But what inspired the book, I I was just talking to as many people as I could. I I realized I did have this gift of time. And and it's as you're talking to all of these other mostly unemployed people in your networking, you start to think when you're doing yeah. I was 20 or more people per week having one on ones. And, um, and my daughter to me, it's it's like you're employed, you're just not getting paid. Right. But, um, but as you I I lost my train of thought on this one. We gotta come back to that. Emphasis. Yeah. So I'm so as you start connecting with people who you're just you're chatting with them, one of the okay. Let me Yeah.

Stephanie 14:52 Of course. 's like you're employed, you're just not getting paid. Right. But, um, but as you I I lost my train of thought on this one. We gotta come back to that. Emphasis. Yeah. So I'm so as you start connecting with people who you're just you're chatting with them, one of the okay. Let me Yeah. Of course.

Raina 14:53 No worries. So one of the, uh, people that I connected with during my time of unemployment, uh, said to me at the end of our discussion, I almost canceled today because I was feeling so depressed, and this just didn't seem worth it. And at a certain point, you know, you're talking to all these unemployed people, and it's like, well, what can they do for me? What can I do for them? I can't offer them a job. They can't offer me a job. And it starts to feel useless, and it starts to feel like you're just beating your head against the wall. But, ultimately, I landed my current role through two unemployed connections. And so you're you're sowing these seeds, and you don't really know what's going to take. So it's it's hard to keep up that that energy and that that grit. But, um, but so when that person said that to me of, you know, I almost canceled, I thought, well, that makes me it makes me feel really good. One, that I was able to bring some positive energy someone's day. Yeah. But then I started to hear that echoed back to me. When that number got to double digits, I paused. I reflected. I went for a walk, And I thought there's gotta be a way. There's 6,500,000 unemployed people in the country right now at that point in time. I can't possibly talk with each one of them individually. I wanna do something to help. I can help. How can I reach a broader audience? And and writing a book, that was never part of my bucket list, and it just flowed out of me as I was talking. I was having all of these these conversations. I was seeing similar themes, and and this was my way to give back. And and I feel if I can help just one person through this book, it was completely worth it.

Stephanie 16:45 How did you translate the findings from all of this research that you were doing into what it were is ultimately, like, really practical advice and and missions that kinda guide your readers through that unemployment process?

Raina 17:01 A lot of that was qualitative experience. It was Yeah. From being an in-depth interviewer, being a moderator, and it translated rather naturally for me. It was like I said, the book flowed out of me, and I started seeing the themes right away.

Stephanie 17:20 Yeah. h that unemployment process?

Raina 17:01 A lot of that was qualitative experience. It was Yeah. From being an in-depth interviewer, being a moderator, and it translated rather naturally for me. It was like I said, the book flowed out of me, and I started seeing the themes right away.

Stephanie 17:20 Yeah.

Raina 17:20 And some of the ideas that I put forward, they truly are not mine, and and they are with proper attribution. But I'll I'll give you one example, uh, that never would have made it in the absence of connecting with someone else, and that is the donating blood. And, you know, I I've personally had an ex I've donated blood in the past. I've passed out from donating blood. And so that never would have entered my consideration set of let me encourage people to do this, that it just wasn't top of mind for me. But when I connected with another peer who was also unemployed, she said to me, this, you know, quote, unquote gift of time that I have is not something I would have asked for.

Stephanie 18:05 Right.

Raina 18:05 But since it's here, this is something that I can do to help give back to my community. And not only is she donating blood, she's donating platelets, which is a far more involved process. Mhmm. And it's supporting local cancer patients, and it has a very short shelf life. So as often as she can, she's there donating platelets. And that to me, that was really powerful.

Stephanie 18:26 Amazing. Yeah.

Raina 18:27 You know, I'm in this situation that's that's pretty rough emotionally. How can I help someone else in my community and then then in turn feel good? So a lot of this, it's kind of comfort food for the soul. It's it's comfort food for your mental state.

Stephanie 18:46 For sure. And it also feels like a sense of agency. Right? Because I think that's the another part of unemployment is that there's a sense of almost powerlessness. And so to be able to retake some of your power in your agency and say, there are productive ways that I can use this time that do give back to my community or whatever is such a like a bomb for the soul. You know?

Raina 19:07 Yes. And so much of our identity is tied to our jobs. So we feel a sense of, uh, you know, a separation from who we are as people, and it takes a little bit of grounding and figuring that back out of who am I and what am I doing and how can I maximize my time right now? It it truly is a time period where we are time rich. And if we can Yeah. Keep that keep focused on the positive Yeah. It will be a good time. separation from who we are as people, and it takes a little bit of grounding and figuring that back out of who am I and what am I doing and how can I maximize my time right now? It it truly is a time period where we are time rich. And if we can Yeah. Keep that keep focused on the positive Yeah. It will be a good time.

Stephanie 19:39 Makes a lot of sense. Um, another thing in your book, you talk about using qualitative techniques to find the collective voice of people experiencing unemployment. Um, as I've said, I I love this application of research to addressing this deeply emotional and and often overlooked topic. Uh, how did you ensure in that process that your research is was representative of more diverse experiences? Um, was it just a matter of, like, going broad and doing as many as you could, or were you intentional in thinking about, like, I want this to be reflective of the population, not just people I know or people who I can easily access?

Raina 20:21 I interviewed as many people as I could. And and I I will say as a researcher, it was not a truly unbiased sample. It was not a random sample.

Stephanie 20:32 Sure. Of course.

Raina 20:33 There's some of that that that comes into play. But, um, but as you think about I mean, there there are constantly new people flowing into the various networking groups, and and I always made it, uh, an objective to walk away with at least three new connections in person connections set up from each of those meetings. And once this book started taking shape, I charged forward with it, and and people who who felt supportive of it, and most most did, I will tell you. Uh, they they gave permission to share their ideas and, um, and were really happy to support the initiative. And the other thing that I'll say is that I searched for this type of resource to help me through the time, and nothing existed. So I said, well, I I'm time rich. I have the gift of time. Let me be the one to help put this out there. So it's you know, in talking with this non biased sample, a non random sample, um, I I was able to there is some diversity of thought that comes into there. There it's representative from people across the country. It is all US based, but it's representative of of professionals who have lost their their jobs and things that have kept them positive and kept them going. And and some of them are even still unemployed going, you know, over the two year mark at this point. So it's it's a very tough job market. And so to be able to to have that voice reflected, um, give give them some power. ionals who have lost their their jobs and things that have kept them positive and kept them going. And and some of them are even still unemployed going, you know, over the two year mark at this point. So it's it's a very tough job market. And so to be able to to have that voice reflected, um, give give them some power.

Stephanie 22:08 For sure. I think I just really love the idea of you know, there's there are books written by people who are experts at, like, you know, understanding unemployment. And you took a different approach of, I'm an expert at at developing an understanding of people's experiences. And so the culmination of that book is the culmination of all these different people's experiences. That's really cool. Um, To stay with the topic of mental health a little bit, um, it's going to be a theme in this one, which I love. Um, you know, working in the research industry, like a lot of industries, it can be mentally taxing, um, as we know, especially in leadership roles. How have you personally navigated the pressures of high stakes research and decision making environments? And how do you maintain a healthy balance while staying productive in a field that often requires constant innovation, of course, but also critical and and quick decision making, decisions that have implications for, you know, product road map and, you know, what ends up on the shelf, things like that.

Raina 23:15 Yeah. It it's it's about recognizing your mental capacity and your boundaries, and it's also a reminder daily to do something for yourself, to take that self care into account. And for me, that is walking. I make sure that I get outside and you know, walking on the treadmill is okay. Much prefer even in the heat or the extreme cold, the extreme temperatures. I I try to to get outside when possible. And there's research studies out there that that you can look up the extensive research studies. And one of them took a look at the minimum amount of time that people need to be outdoors each day in order to reap the benefits. And that number is 10. Ten minutes Just ten minutes. Just ten minutes. And, of course, it's it's better to to have more than that.

Stephanie 24:10 More is better. Yeah. earch studies. And one of them took a look at the minimum amount of time that people need to be outdoors each day in order to reap the benefits. And that number is 10. Ten minutes Just ten minutes. Just ten minutes. And, of course, it's it's better to to have more than that. More is better. Yeah.

Raina 24:11 But if you can leave your phone inside, that's a key piece of this too. Get it's it's a screen time break. Get outside, walk around, take a look at nature and and what's happening around you, and that will serve to reset your brain, recharge. It activate walking activates both sides of the brain, so it it gives you the white space to help process through challenges that you've just faced in the day, upcoming hurdles that might be headed your way, and it it helps you to be a little bit more nimble. So and and you have the benefit of moving around. You get the physical exercise, and and you're just away from the screens, away from the distractions. And and, uh, as an example, just last week, I had a very high stress, high adrenaline day. It was one of those days where you're just vibrating at this high frequency Yeah. Very real deadline that couldn't move with high visibility, had to be met. And it was one of those where, oh, I don't know if this is gonna happen. Yeah. And so from the time I walked in the door until 3PM, it was go. And then at three p met the deadline. 3PM, I crashed. And I said, I, you know, I can dumbly stare at my computer and just be a shell of a person, but that's not going to serve anyone. So I walked out of the building, and I I said, you know, let's just I'm gonna go for a walk. I left my phone inside. But but in the elevator as I was descending, this other person who I don't know got on on a different floor and asked me, how's your day going? And I'm thinking, you know, don't normally ask me that, and yet people, you know, stare at the they've got this Right. Looking forward.

Stephanie 25:59 Sure. Yeah.

Raina 25:59 I thought I must be this is the first time a stranger in my building has asked me how my day is going, so it must be just giving off that energy. But by the time I came back in, I felt reset and and recharged, and I was able to still be productive for the remainder of the day. So it's setting those boundaries for yourself. It's giving your it it doesn't have to be walking. That's what it is for me. Some people um, one of my friends is a therapist, and I asked her, how do you reset during your day? You know, you're all these people are telling you their their problems and their challenges, and you're probably holding a lot of that. And her response to me was gardening. She come and she has the most beautiful gardens. So she she comes home, and that's her way of shedding it, and it's something physical. So so I'm seeing two themes here. Right? Being outside, doing something physical, and and separation from screen time to help increase that balance and to help support mental health. . She come and she has the most beautiful gardens. So she she comes home, and that's her way of shedding it, and it's something physical. So so I'm seeing two themes here. Right? Being outside, doing something physical, and and separation from screen time to help increase that balance and to help support mental health.

Stephanie 27:04 Yeah. No. That makes a lot of sense. And I even find, uh, similar to that. Not this is not necessarily resetting in that, like a recharge reset. But anytime I feel stuck in my work, I will often find that if I just step away and go for a run where my intention is not to think about it at all, that it just sort of reorganizes in my brain. And when when I come back, I have some solutions in my pocket and it is a really good feeling. So I couldn't agree more. It's so beneficial. Um, in the same vein, your leadership approach, I would love to talk about that a little bit. Um, I've read that you emphasize the importance of collaboration, of course, and really connecting with your team. How do you think about and ensure that your team's mental health and well-being remain a priority amongst all these other priorities that you have? Do you have any specific strategies, uh, that you've implemented to create that sort of culture of support?

Raina 28:03 Yes. Yes. My personal feeling is be a person first. The the work will always be here for you. Like, that will always be here. But if you have some kind of personal emergency, personal crisis, or just something you need to deal with in life, go. Go do it. And because if you think about it, as a manager, if you're holding that person back and saying, no. No. I I really need you to to be here. They might physically be there, but they're not going to give you their all, and their morale is going to plummet, and the project will suffer. But if you give them that space to be a person, to go take care of life, go take care of clear the deck on what's on their mind, get shed that, they will find a way to meet the deadline, and they will come back with higher morale and ready to walk through fire for you. And it's, you know, see them, meet them where they're at, and they will come back and and knock the project out of the park. And so that's that's always and the other thing as a manager I will ask is, how can I if somebody's leaving in an emergency, what can I do to support you?

Stephanie 29:22 100%.

Raina 29:23 That that throws people on their heels because they're not expecting that from from their manager.

Stephanie 29:29 Right.

Raina 29:29 And but they appreciate it. And and I'm I'm be completely genuine. As a manager, be genuine if you're going

Stephanie 29:34 off the line. Of course. 0:29:23] Raina: That that throws people on their heels because they're not expecting that from from their manager. Right.

Raina 29:29 And but they appreciate it. And and I'm I'm be completely genuine. As a manager, be genuine if you're going

Stephanie 29:34 off the line. Of course.

Raina 29:36 Yeah. Your people likely won't take you up on it. But if they do, you'll find a way to make sure that support them. They support you. You make a better work product together. So I will you know, if somebody's rushing out the door for an emergency, I will ask, you know, what can I do to keep this moving? What what do you need from me? And and together as a team, you do come together and and make that happen. But but, yes, the the ultimate end product, you get loyalty. You get connection. You you have demonstrated empathy with your people, and they will show up for you in just the same way.

Stephanie 30:15 Absolutely will. I think that point right there is such a good one. And it something that strikes me in all of that is that there's a foundation of trust there that allows all of that to happen, and I really I love that. I mean, that's such an important part of of cultivating a strong team. Um, to broaden that out a little bit, um, I find that the insights world, and again, that's the world that we live in, and I don't mean to imply that there aren't many other work worlds that are the same, uh, but it can require long hours and a high level of emotional intelligence because it's this highly cross functional function, you know, and the stakeholders, they are many. Um, in your opinion, how do organizations in the insight space and beyond need to evolve to better support the mental health of their employees in the workplace? And are there any particular changes that you would like to see in the industry to help people avoid burnout?

Raina 31:12 Yeah. I would say flexibility is key, and the pandemic did wonders for most companies in that regard in demonstrating that it is okay to have people work remotely, that employees will get the job done, and we don't have to be staring right at you in order to verify that that is in fact what's happening. But I I would say beyond flexibility, it's paying attention. It's reading the room. It's seeing where morale is and being ready with maybe a surprise morale boost. And, you know, bring in frozen treats for your Clowns.

Stephanie 31:52 Just kidding.

Raina 31:55 Or or in wintertime, bring in some hot chocolate.

Stephanie 31:57 Totally. Yeah.

Raina 31:59 But something unexpected. I mean, if it's a regular there's somebody in our building who brings in bagels every Wednesday for employees and which is nice. Employees start to expect that. So bring in the unexpected. Bring in the

Stephanie 32:12 I like that. Totally. Yeah.

Raina 31:59 But something unexpected. I mean, if it's a regular there's somebody in our building who brings in bagels every Wednesday for employees and which is nice. Employees start to expect that. So bring in the unexpected. Bring in the

Stephanie 32:12 I like that.

Raina 32:13 That employees haven't gotten used to as part of their routine. And, um, you know, or surprise and say take an hour off on Friday. You know? Kind of take your leave early and just be there ready to support the needs of the employee, and especially companies where there are ebbs and flows. Sometimes you're charging forward to meet a deadline, and you're working around the clock to make that happen. Allow for that space once you've met the deadline for employees to recharge. So it's it's reading the room. It's paying attention to morale and then giving employees morale boosts and support to

Stephanie 33:00 Um, I am gonna just switch topics on you now to, uh, a question that we on this podcast tend to we just like to to get a pulse from basically everyone we talk to. So you are someone who has spent, you know, your career in in insights and you've had a front row seat to how the industry has evolved over that time. Um, thinking about the integration of new technologies, how do you see the role of advanced technologies like AI automation, um, in the future of qualitative research? Do you think it's going to replace human insight? Will these be complementary sort of human in the loop, um, always to create the best product? How do you think about AI when you think about the work that you do and that and that your team does?

Raina 33:48 Well, from a qualitative perspective, AI can be a blessing. Things that used to take weeks to achieve now can be done in minutes. So I just think back to twenty five years ago, having hundreds of pages of focus group transcripts to sift through.

Stephanie 34:07 Coding them. Yes.

Raina 34:09 Coding and trying to pull together the story from eight different focus groups and and tell that to the client, give them a strategic road map based on all of this volume of information, those days are are a thing of the past. Uh, but it also it I mean, that kind of foundational work does prepare you. It helps you to understand how to pull it all together and how to think through the story. So it's it's good training to know how to do that, but we don't always have to be doing that grunt work. So to the extent that we can leverage technology to do that for us, that's a fantastic thing. And and I've blending quantum qual together into the same platform is also something that our industry will benefit from greatly. But I do have have some feelings of caution. You know? I I see AI as I kind of see it as a knife. Right? Where a knife, you know, we can be using that to chop vegetables in preparation for dinner, or we could use it to stab a person. So it's all about how it is a tool

Stephanie 35:18 It's a tool. Yeah. greatly. But I do have have some feelings of caution. You know? I I see AI as I kind of see it as a knife. Right? Where a knife, you know, we can be using that to chop vegetables in preparation for dinner, or we could use it to stab a person. So it's all about how it is a tool It's a tool. Yeah.

Raina 35:19 That we have that we can then choose to use for good or for bad. So it's it's something that we we need to consider how we're applying it and be thoughtful and intentional about it, but it has propelled our industry forward and and will continue to do so.

Stephanie 35:38 Absolutely. Uh, so then I guess as a closing question, um, looking ahead, what do you see the role of or how do you see the role of consumer insights evolving, you know, in this context over the next five to ten years?

Raina 35:54 I would say it's going to continue to accelerate. I I looked as I look back at the industry from twenty five years ago when I entered, we mail surveys were very popular. Telephone surveys were the gold standard,

Stephanie 36:13 and

Raina 36:14 media outlets would not pick up online surveys because the margin of error was not a precise translation from what they could get from a phone survey. So it's you know, we think back to those days and then the days of reading through the hundreds of pages of transcripts from focus groups and and and where we are now, where technology is forefront, you know, online surveys are accepted or in app surveys are even better. You know, take a five question survey to give immediate feedback to a brand that can then digest that and implement something you know, fix a problem, fix a pain point for customers or delight them in some other way. Yeah. So it's sped up the the feedback loop, and and I see that as simply continuing. I I I see an acceleration of the use of technology in our future, and and it will continue to help make brands smarter, help the industry as a whole smarter, and and then reap the benefits for for customers who then have you they get to see the end result of of that, um, increased sped up feedback loop, and and they get the products that and products and services that they would like to have and and deserve.

Stephanie 37:34 Right. Absolutely. And then create creating that loyalty and that, you know, return purchase and all those things that, you know, as a business are the outcomes that we are measured on. So, yeah, makes a lot of sense. Um, well, Reyna, this has been an absolutely joyful conversation for me. There's a lot that I'm gonna take away, I think especially in terms of showing up as my best self at work and also as a leader at work and a and a team lead. So I really appreciate this time with you today. It's been great.

Raina 38:03 Thank you so much for having me.

Stephanie 38:06 Thank you. And then, Tiff, did you hello?

Raina 38:30 Uh