Five lessons from a year of market research conversations with Stephanie and Molly
March 17, 2026
Research, trends and insights do not stand still, and neither do the people who practice it.
In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie and Molly step away from guest interviews to reflect on five lessons from the past year of conversations with researchers, strategists, and marketers. They share what surprised them, what made them uncomfortable, where they disagree on speed versus rigor, and the open questions they are still wrestling with about influence, measurement, and the future of insights roles.
In this episode of The Curiosity Current, Stephanie Vance and Molly Strawn-Carreño turn the microphone inward. After months of conversations with researchers, strategists, product leaders, and marketers, they pause to reflect on what has shifted in their own thinking.
They revisit unexpected takeaways, from the regulatory complexity behind pharmaceutical naming to research on sports fandom that reframes loyalty as social connection rather than team allegiance. They explore how LEGO Serious Play challenged assumptions about what rigorous research can look like and why creative expression can surface insight in ways traditional methods cannot.
The conversation also moves into more uncomfortable territory. Stephanie reflects on repeated themes around researcher influence and the limits of “letting the data speak for itself.” Molly considers what it means to move fast in marketing without mistaking motion for progress. Together, they debate the ongoing tension between speed and depth, where rigor matters, and when action cannot wait.
They also offer advice to their younger selves about curiosity, business fluency, and building influence beyond technical skill. The episode closes with the big questions they are still sitting with: what is truly worth measuring in a world flooded with data, and what the insights professional of the next few years will need to know in an AI-augmented environment.
What You’ll Learn:
- How influence in research depends on storytelling, not just strong data
- Why speed without clarity creates noise instead of impact
- How creative methods like LEGO Serious Play can surface deeper insights
- When the risk of inaction outweighs the risk of imperfect action
- How to decide what is truly worth measuring in a data-rich world
- Why business fluency is as critical as methodological rigor
- What insights professionals need to consider about AI and the future of their roles
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