Amplifying Employee Experience: How T-Mobile Uses Podcasts to Connect and Inspire

00:00:00: What is the goal?

00:00:01: What are we trying to accomplish here?

00:00:02: Who are we trying to get it in front of,

00:00:03: and how will they access it?

00:00:05: Just think of all the FAQs

00:00:06: that could come up

00:00:07: from either employees

00:00:08: or the people you're presenting to,

00:00:10: and come with the data

00:00:11: that will help you build your story.

00:00:13: So if you're going to be presenting a podcast,

00:00:15: we came with the data

00:00:16: on the power of podcasts essentially,

00:00:18: and just showed the number as to

00:00:20: how many people are listening to it,

00:00:22: and when they're listening to it,

00:00:23: where they're listening to it.

00:00:25: And that helped build up the why.

00:00:27: And then we showed how we would do it.

00:00:36: Hi folks, welcome to the You've Got Comms Podcast.

00:00:39: I'm Samantha,

00:00:40: an internal communications manager

00:00:42: at Staffbase.

00:00:43: I'm thrilled today to speak with Blake Aviles,

00:00:46: who is a senior communications specialist,

00:00:48: employee engagement events at T-Mobile.

00:00:52: Today, I'm thrilled that we're going to be speaking to Blake about the

00:00:55: "Talking with Trailblazers" internal podcast that she produces for T-Mobile,

00:00:59: and the lessons that she's learned about employee comms from this experience.

00:01:03: So Blake, welcome to this podcast about a podcast.

00:01:07: I know very meta.

00:01:08: How are you doing today?

00:01:09: Hi, I'm doing great.

00:01:11: Just here in sunny Seattle so life's good right now.

00:01:15: I know. How often can you say it's sunny Seattle

00:01:18: instead of gray and drizzly?

00:01:21: Six weeks out of the year, I think.

00:01:24: Those glorious six weeks where the sun hits you

00:01:26: and you get the only Vitamin D that you're going to get all year.

00:01:29: You're just like "Yes!".

00:01:31: I could take it every day to survive.

00:01:34: Yes. As a fellow, I mean I'm

00:01:36: sure that we're like literally 30 minutes away from each other right now.

00:01:40: I totally get it.

00:01:41: Those sunny days are just magic for sure.

00:01:43: Yes.

00:01:45: Agreed.

00:01:46: So outside of work, Blake, I

00:01:49: understand that you're an avid theme park buff and thrift shopper.

00:01:53: So I just want to kick things off with a couple of questions,

00:01:55: get to know you better.

00:01:57: What is it about the theme parks?

00:01:58: Are you like a rollercoaster person, or do you just love the

00:02:03: theme park environment?

00:02:04: Tell me a little bit about this passion.

00:02:07: I go for the vibes, but I think it's just because ever since I was a baby,

00:02:11: I was feeling those vibes

00:02:12: just growing up, and my family working in the theme park industry.

00:02:15: And being surrounded by the magic and seeing the experience

00:02:19: for those families now as a millennial adult.

00:02:23: So it was nice to relive those slash see those memories being created

00:02:26: with other families or just people going there without kids, too.

00:02:30: But yeah, I really love the ability to go there, and it's well-lit, it's safe.

00:02:36: There's lots of food to pick from.

00:02:37: There's fireworks and thrilling rides or the chill ones

00:02:41: like the PeopleMover and Magic Kingdom in Orlando.

00:02:45: Oh, I love that.

00:02:46: I am such a theme park ride person.

00:02:51: And growing up in Vancouver always went to like Playland and the PNE and loved it.

00:02:54: And the last time I went on a ride, I got so sick.

00:02:59: And so I think they might be ruined forever and I'm like,

00:03:03: "My adult body has betrayed me."

00:03:05: Just throw some Dramamine, less drowsy, throw it in your bag, you're good.

00:03:09: I think I'll have to try again because I cannot stand the idea

00:03:13: that this is ruined forever for me. Yes.

00:03:15: No it's not.

00:03:17: And okay, that's very

00:03:19: cool that you grew up with family working in theme parks and stuff.

00:03:22: And that seems like a very special place to you.

00:03:25: Tell me about thrifting.

00:03:27: What's like a favorite thrift find that you've had?

00:03:30: Well, the favorite one is actually found in Florida.

00:03:33: I went to school in a little town

00:03:34: called Lakeland, which is between Tampa and Orlando.

00:03:38: And I got this white crew neck sweater,

00:03:40: and it says Epcot and it says the year 2000 across.

00:03:43: And it's very simple design, but it's like my beloved find for $15

00:03:47: or $20, which is expensive in the thrifting world.

00:03:50: But if you go to a vintage shop, they would have marked it up to

00:03:53: 80 plus dollars, but it's very simple, and it's the year 2000.

00:03:57: I know exactly how old it is.

00:04:00: It's just something I don't want to get any stains on ever because it's pure white.

00:04:05: That's awesome. Oh, I love that.

00:04:08: Your little like Y2K swag.

00:04:11: Thank goodness those designers are doing it again.

00:04:14: The Y2K design.

00:04:15: So keeping things simple in the theme park thrifting realm.

00:04:19: Yeah, I feel like

00:04:20: there's so much cool stuff from that era that I was a child

00:04:24: that I couldn't participate in quite everything.

00:04:28: That's cool.

00:04:29: Thank you.

00:04:31: I live like right by the world . . .

00:04:33: I don't know if it's the world's,

00:04:34: but the nation's biggest Goodwill here in Seattle.

00:04:37: So I spend a good, if I'm by myself, three hours or so,

00:04:40: because there's so much to see. It's like a warehouse.

00:04:42: So it's a good time.

00:04:44: I need to talk to you about that later because I have questions.

00:04:50: That's awesome.

00:04:52: Things that I'm learning as a Seattle transplant.

00:04:55: Okay, so let's dive into this podcast because I'm so, so curious.

00:05:03: And not a lot of internal

00:05:04: communicators get the kind of

00:05:08: creative freedom or leeway

00:05:10: or budget and things like that, buy in, to create a podcast like this.

00:05:14: But I think it's such a cool idea.

00:05:16: I think there's pieces of this that people

00:05:19: can embrace regardless of what your team looks like.

00:05:22: So let's just start at the very beginning.

00:05:25: What inspired this idea of starting an internal podcast?

00:05:29: So the "Talking with Trailblazers" series started as a in-person

00:05:32: live event series back in 2018 for employees.

00:05:36: And it's all about bringing these really inspirational leaders

00:05:39: that are outside of the company, that are influential in some way.

00:05:44: Whether they're celebrities

00:05:45: or they're just moving things along to make the world a better place.

00:05:49: And we've been seeing that the attendance rates have been going down.

00:05:53: So we're like, "What's going on?" So we did surveys and focus groups

00:05:57: and we just need to meet people where they are essentially.

00:05:59: So they don't have time to sit down in Bellevue, Washington

00:06:03: when we're literally a giant brand across the nation. So

00:06:08: we had to travel around.

00:06:09: We went to different locations, had events there.

00:06:12: Those were great because they were more curated,

00:06:14: but just the general employee can't attend.

00:06:18: So we made it more of a virtual thing.

00:06:19: So we made it more of a virtual thing.

00:06:19: We're still going to have some live podcasts on the road events,

00:06:23: but we have mainly prerecorded ones now.

00:06:26: So that gives the ability and the flexibility,

00:06:28: not just for the talent, but the person that's interviewing them.

00:06:32: It's like a fireside chat, is what we like to do.

00:06:35: It's like an intimate setting.

00:06:36: So it's just like on a stage, usually two people side by side,

00:06:40: but with the podcast, it's the person, let's just say Jon M. Chu,

00:06:43: joining from his apartment with nice lighting, a good mic,

00:06:47: which I'm sure he's a pro at. And then we have

00:06:50: a senior leadership

00:06:51: member or VP plus employee interviewing them.

00:06:54: And it's all stuff that we put together for them so they feel well-prepared

00:06:58: and not just showing up to talk to this amazing person

00:07:01: that may seem intimidating, but he's not, he's great.

00:07:05: I'm definitely going to have to come back to Jon Chu.

00:07:08: That's amazing.

00:07:09: So it started off as this in-person series.

00:07:12: You were like, "Listen, people can't just like close up shop at a T-Mobile store.

00:07:18: Or hop on over from their desk.

00:07:21: It's not possible for that many people to join in person.

00:07:24: And let's really think about

00:07:26: how we maximize the effectiveness of this sort of event." Right?

00:07:30: So it moved to a podcast.

00:07:34: Can I ask you a little bit

00:07:36: about talking with these really big names

00:07:41: and we'll go into

00:07:42: the cast of characters that you had on this podcast.

00:07:46: What kind of need are you serving for your employees with these conversations?

00:07:52: Can you tell me a little bit about that?

00:07:55: Yeah.

00:07:56: I'll go into like the need of it,

00:07:57: but also how we were able to get there for the employees.

00:08:01: So did a ton of research on other companies doing podcasts just because,

00:08:06: you, your parents, your grandparents, children,

00:08:09: anybody can listen to a podcast or find something that's appealing to them

00:08:12: because it's a different type of media to where you can be on the go.

00:08:16: You don't have to be watching something.

00:08:18: It's more accessible

00:08:19: too for people that focus on hearing or need to see the subtitles.

00:08:23: It meets everybody where

00:08:25: they're able to listen to it.

00:08:27: But the reason we do these is because people come to work, yes,

00:08:31: but we want them to be happy

00:08:33: to come to work and be like, "Wow, I get to listen to X, Y, and Z person."

00:08:37: And they're really inspiring to me and this is how it's contributing to my work.

00:08:40: Because we always tie it back into the brand in some way as to what the theme is.

00:08:46: So I usually, as I mentioned, focus groups and surveys,

00:08:49: after every single event or podcast, we do a survey,

00:08:53: and I ask them like, "Was it valuable?" And then they can go into

00:08:58: why or why not, and then what they want from the next one, and so on.

00:09:01: So that's how we kind of pick the topics.

00:09:04: But like I was saying, they are courageous conversations.

00:09:07: Sometimes the topics are hard, and we are living in a world

00:09:09: where we don't know what tomorrow will be like.

00:09:12: So just creating a community and being like,

00:09:15: "We see what you're going through, we're going through it with you,

00:09:17: may not be the same storyline, same exact way,

00:09:20: but we are trying our best

00:09:23: along with you to make the best of what we got right now."

00:09:28: Yeah, so it's about belonging and creating that community

00:09:31: and just enhancing the employee experience at work.

00:09:35: Very cool.

00:09:36: You mentioned that these are courageous conversations, and a lot of what

00:09:40: your staff might be going through is influencing some of the topics.

00:09:44: Can you give me some examples of some topics that you've covered?

00:09:47: Yeah so, some of the recent ones were standing up for impact,

00:09:52: which like we had a Magenta Giving Month, so time for volunteering,

00:09:56: so creating direct impact and then betting on yourself.

00:09:59: We had some about building winning teams and winning together.

00:10:03: Some of them are sports focused, but some are not.

00:10:05: So if there's a big company move happening or a collaboration like All-Star Week,

00:10:09: we try to find where we can fit that in if possible.

00:10:13: But those are the recent ones.

00:10:15: And then another one, similar to how T-Mobile and Sprint

00:10:19: merged back in the day, not too long ago, but it feels like a long time ago.

00:10:24: We are reimagining a classic.

00:10:27: So Sprint is this brand that we had very loyal followers, employees, and customers.

00:10:33: So bringing those along with us with the Magenta side now.

00:10:36: That's how we formed

00:10:38: the Jon M. Chu conversation was reimagining a classic,

00:10:41: and how he reimagined the Wicked Broadway musical

00:10:45: into my favorite movie ever.

00:10:48: Very important.

00:10:51: That's really interesting.

00:10:51: So you take a concept like reimagining a classic.

00:10:54: It's something that ties in

00:10:56: very intrinsically to something that's happening with your brand.

00:11:00: Do you then just brainstorm

00:11:02: like who would be a good speaker and make that happen?

00:11:04: You're like, "Let's shoot for the stars here."

00:11:08: I know.

00:11:11: We shoot for the stars.

00:11:12: We have really great entertainment marketing friends here at T-Mobile.

00:11:15: And then, if you don't have entertainment marketing team, that's totally fine.

00:11:18: There are so many websites that are talent agencies, essentially.

00:11:23: There's one called AAE, which we use pretty often.

00:11:26: So you can go on there and look for specific topics.

00:11:29: Again, they might not be as niche

00:11:30: as what I just said, but if you're looking for like

00:11:32: a, I don't want to say trouble in the workplace,

00:11:34: but working through things in the workplace . . . Oh okay.

00:11:37: Work of change.

00:11:39: I was just going to say change or transformation.

00:11:41: Yes. So you can look at that.

00:11:43: If you're like, I want a person that works in this field, like sports,

00:11:46: then it'll give you a full list and their pricing.

00:11:48: And then you can work

00:11:49: through contracting there just because there are a lot of ins and outs and

00:11:53: there can be some things you miss.

00:11:54: So I'm not a legal person, but we work with our legal partners

00:11:58: or the AAE people will help you with that.

00:12:01: I think that's a really great tip that,

00:12:03: for anyone who wants to establish something like this, or

00:12:07: even just work with professional speakers for different topics.

00:12:11: Not everybody in your company is an expert at every topic that you want to do.

00:12:15: Sometimes you have to find some people who are external and professionals at this.

00:12:19: I think that's a really great tip to just, find agencies and work with them.

00:12:22: And this is what people do for a living.

00:12:24: So you can find some great speakers that way.

00:12:29: You've mentioned Jon M. Chu,

00:12:32: and talking about re-imagining a classic.

00:12:35: Do you want to talk a little bit about that

00:12:39: episode, a little bit about what that was like?

00:12:43: Yes. He's such a people person, and I'm a visual storyteller.

00:12:48: So usually, like verbal, I'm like, "Okay,

00:12:49: I need something to go along with it." But I was there for the full ride

00:12:52: because he was spelling things out beautifully with everything he said.

00:12:57: From like starting in his father's restaurant in California,

00:13:00: which is still open to this day

00:13:01: and his dad's still working, even though he definitely doesn't have to.

00:13:06: Especially with his older age, but it's just a very sweet family story,

00:13:10: and what his family had taught him growing up as an immigrant family.

00:13:14: And working through that and letting him try things like picking up a camera

00:13:17: as a teenager.

00:13:19: Hearing how that transpired and how he'd make family videos

00:13:22: and would show them with some music in the background, and make his family cry

00:13:26: because it was really sweet and cute.

00:13:29: And that he picks the, I don't want to say

00:13:33: underdog potentially, but also people that were like, "Why would you pick them?

00:13:37: That's not a good fit for that role."

00:13:38: And it turns out it was the best fit of them all.

00:13:41: Or people that don't have much experience acting and puts them as the lead role

00:13:44: in like "Crazy Rich Asians," or hearing how he changed scenes last minute

00:13:48: just because it didn't feel right.

00:13:50: Or someone called something out and they do a whole different scene

00:13:55: and makes it a more impact like in "Crazy Rich Asians" when she says,

00:13:59: "You'll never be enough," to

00:14:02: the girl that's engaged to his or her son.

00:14:06: That part was

00:14:07: in it, I think, but there was a scene before it to show build up to that.

00:14:11: That wasn't there, and they were like, "We got to redo it and do it now."

00:14:15: So just hearing that and that was one of the most impactful scenes

00:14:19: for me seeing, and I was like, "Well, and that was a last-minute decision?

00:14:22: That's crazy."

00:14:24: I feel like knowing what's improv

00:14:27: and what's not is always such a crazy peek behind the veil of . . .

00:14:31: there are some professionals out there who really can improv and it's amazing.

00:14:35: But I also think that

00:14:38: this story of what you learned from Jon M. Chu,

00:14:42: is he seems like such a proponent of the kill your darlings.

00:14:48: Don't be afraid to kill your darlings.

00:14:49: It's sometimes even, the things that you think are going to work really

00:14:52: well or your favorite lines or your favorite pieces of writing,

00:14:56: you can't be afraid to cut them if they just don't work, right?

00:15:00: You have to be flexible.

00:15:02: Exactly.

00:15:03: And I love that.

00:15:04: And he said like the Yellow Brick Road, maybe that wasn't the path for you,

00:15:07: or something like that.

00:15:08: And I was like, "You're right." About a lot of things in life you're right. Big fan.

00:15:13: Wow.

00:15:14: No, that must have been a really cool conversation.

00:15:17: And I'm curious, who have some of the other guests been?

00:15:20: Can you tell me a little bit about that?

00:15:23: It was before my time, which hasn't been that long.

00:15:25: I've been with T-Mobile for a little over two years,

00:15:28: but they had Karamo Brown from "Queer Eye."

00:15:31: And if you're a baseball person, Ken Griffey Jr.,

00:15:35: who's a star here in Seattle.

00:15:38: It was on All-Star Week, as I was saying earlier,

00:15:39: but that was like a perfect fit just because we had it at T-Mobile Park

00:15:43: and it was a totally different setting versus at HQ in Bellevue, Washington.

00:15:48: And we went to the game after,

00:15:50: not us with Ken, but the employees got to go.

00:15:52: It was sweet.

00:15:54: Oh, you didn't play?

00:15:55: I know, right? What? You're busy.

00:15:57: Yeah, with All-Star Week, it was a good time.

00:16:01: Then we also had Padma Lakshmi from Food Network.

00:16:06: She's very interesting. Wow.

00:16:09: And she was just so elegant.

00:16:12: And same with Misty Copeland, also elegant.

00:16:14: She's a famous ballerina. Love her work.

00:16:18: And she started at the Boys & Girls Club, which was our partner for Magenta

00:16:21: Giving Month, when she came to speak.

00:16:23: So she started when she was like a teenager,

00:16:24: and they're like, "We see potential in this girl

00:16:27: that's doing ballet in the gym just for fun." That's how she started.

00:16:31: So just like the most perfect fit.

00:16:33: But those are my most memorable slash recent ones as of now.

00:16:37: I really love, it's very obvious in the way that you described this, that

00:16:41: you're looking at the topic and the person,

00:16:44: but you're also marrying the form and the function.

00:16:47: You're having this All-Star game, you're doing it at T-Mobile Park.

00:16:50: I mean like not everyone can do that, but what a cool way to bridge that gap.

00:16:55: And I think that's something

00:16:56: that we can all be thinking about when we're talking about

00:17:00: any video project.

00:17:02: It's what's meaningful that's on screen.

00:17:05: What's adding context? What's adding layers?

00:17:07: How can you make it meaningful?

00:17:08: How can you tie it into other messaging or values, things

00:17:13: that already exist, right?

00:17:14: You're working with partners and you're using

00:17:19: that to help inform the stories that you're telling as well.

00:17:22: I think that's very impactful for storytelling.

00:17:24: Yeah super impactful.

00:17:26: And if you're like, I don't have a "T-Mobile budget" or anything like that,

00:17:29: look within because you have so many talented employees.

00:17:33: You could do a panel, you could have a special topic

00:17:37: about a certain employee, and have them go on stage and talk about it.

00:17:40: Again, there is prep work for people that have spoken in front of a camera

00:17:43: a thousand times and somebody that has spoken in front of a camera, zero. So

00:17:47: there's so many

00:17:47: ways you can do it, and they could be just as impactful.

00:17:51: It's just about the content at the end of the day.

00:17:53: It doesn't matter on the name.

00:17:56: So and we're talking about

00:17:58: what you do with this podcast, which it's so cool.

00:18:01: I'm so jealous right now.

00:18:03: This sounds like such an amazing project.

00:18:05: But if we're thinking about people who are listening to this,

00:18:09: who are like, "Ooh, I've been thinking about wanting to do some creative project

00:18:13: like this," maybe it's a podcast, maybe it's a video series.

00:18:17: Let's say you have the idea of what you want to do,

00:18:19: you have this project scope, something you really want to do?

00:18:23: What's the next step?

00:18:24: Like how do you get leadership buy-in or how do you kick off logistics planning?

00:18:29: Can you tell us a little bit about maybe what you do for that?

00:18:31: Yeah.

00:18:32: So I think a good place to start, as you said, you have the idea

00:18:35: I would start a deck, and it could be however many sides you want.

00:18:38: You can move things to the appendix and just hide the signs,

00:18:41: but just so you can get all your thoughts out

00:18:43: as to what is the goal.

00:18:45: What are we trying to accomplish here?

00:18:46: Who are we trying to get it in front of, and how will they access it?

00:18:49: Just think of all the FAQs

00:18:50: that could come up from either employees or the people you're presenting to,

00:18:55: and come with the data that will help you build your story.

00:18:57: So if you're going to be presenting a podcast, again,

00:18:59: if you're presenting something else come with data regardless.

00:19:02: We came with

00:19:03: the data on the power of podcasts essentially,

00:19:07: and just showed the number as to how many people are listening to it,

00:19:10: and when they're listening to it, where they're listening to it.

00:19:14: That helped build up the why.

00:19:16: Then we showed how we would do it.

00:19:18: So if you are going to be doing it, just like

00:19:18: So if you are going to be doing it, just like

00:19:21: not with a fancy editing team or anything like that,

00:19:25: there are so many other ways you can do it.

00:19:27: Like we have Riverside, there are programs or platforms

00:19:32: like Riverside, SquadCast, or StreamYard just to kind of help you.

00:19:37: Plus, there are AI tools within those, too.

00:19:39: If you're like, I don't have an editing team,

00:19:41: I know for sure Riverside, the AI side, can pick out

00:19:45: the ums, the breaths, the coughs, and pick out the highlights for you.

00:19:50: So in other words, those

00:19:51: could be the resources you could present that are less costly.

00:19:55: And then you can create your way of getting it out to people, present

00:19:59: that as well.

00:19:59: So how they will be notified about, whether it's an email,

00:20:02: an article on your intranet, a Viva Engage or Slack message to folks.

00:20:07: And then you can show how you would measure success from there.

00:20:11: So as I mentioned, like surveys or focus groups are my thing, but you could do like

00:20:15: a little QR code or just a Qualtrics if you do Qualtrics survey link.

00:20:20: And it's anonymous, but you can see who's listening from what

00:20:24: orgs, what they're getting from it, what they want from the next ones.

00:20:27: When they'd like it to come to their ears or their eyes.

00:20:31: Whether that's like a Monday morning or Friday at 3:00 PM.

00:20:34: But not saying you can appease everybody, but at least you can see the trends

00:20:37: from there.

00:20:40: I love that.

00:20:40: Yes, get that pitch deck together, right?

00:20:43: Get your ideas on paper.

00:20:46: I love that you're thinking about the technology

00:20:48: and you're saying like, "Listen, you don't need a fancy studio.

00:20:51: You can do this a lot more DIY."

00:20:55: And I think that's where a lot of people are going to start

00:20:58: if they want to do a project like this, right?

00:20:59: Yeah, you talk a lot about access, which I think is so key,

00:21:03: how people are going to watch what you're presenting,

00:21:08: where they're going to watch it, how they're going to be notified of it.

00:21:10: I really love that.

00:21:11: But I think you work in such an interesting industry

00:21:13: that you have a different angle to consider.

00:21:15: Of course, you have desk employees and you have non-desk employees.

00:21:18: Can you tell me a little bit about how moving to a podcast

00:21:22: instead of this live event, how it's improved the experience

00:21:26: for, let's say, your deskless employees who work in T-Mobile stores?

00:21:30: Yeah, so we still do a few on the road.

00:21:34: So we can go to those people that are deskless.

00:21:36: Those that are in the stores, signature stores,

00:21:40: which is like a fancy store with extra things.

00:21:43: Or people that do have a desk, but still are really busy, like those

00:21:46: in the customer experience centers or the call centers,

00:21:49: where they're glued to the screen and phones

00:21:51: for a certain amount of time and they don't have access to go out.

00:21:54: So with it being virtual as of now, just due to contracting,

00:21:59: we have the episodes go out on Viva Engage and our intranet.

00:22:03: But we'd love for the future for them to be on an app, whether that's like

00:22:06: an employee focused app or Spotify or something like that.

00:22:09: I just don't think Spotify as of now allows you to have private podcasts

00:22:13: as in only a certain amount of people or certain folks can listen to it,

00:22:17: just due to contracting.

00:22:19: Again, that's something you can bake into a contract later on like this

00:22:21: will be accessible on LinkedIn or Spotify, Apple Music, something like that.

00:22:28: But that's our

00:22:30: focus right now, is trying to get it to be more accessible,

00:22:33: but people can still listen to it on their phone or in their back office.

00:22:38: That way, people aren't feeling like, well, they get this versus me.

00:22:41: It's more of a level playing field now.

00:22:44: Yes, like your C-suite employees are probably

00:22:48: just watching it on their phone or at their desktop,

00:22:50: and your employees in the call centers are probably doing that in the break room.

00:22:53: It's a lot more level.

00:22:55: Yes.

00:22:57: That's very cool.

00:22:57: And yeah, that's the big benefit of not having this be that big live event.

00:23:01: Definitely creates different levels of access.

00:23:04: Yes, definitely.

00:23:06: It makes the ones in person

00:23:07: a little bit bigger because we can invite a more curated list.

00:23:11: Whether it's one at a call center or a customer experience center

00:23:15: where we can have 500 people in the room versus like an HQ

00:23:19: where it's about 100 to 150 plus.

00:23:23: So it just depends on where we're going, but either way, the talent can be

00:23:27: a little bit bigger for those moments, just more splashy

00:23:30: to be like, "Wow, we were chosen for this occasion," kind of thing.

00:23:35: Oh, and

00:23:35: I really love that too, because we've seen . . .

00:23:38: I don't know if you've seen this, I'm not plugging anything.

00:23:41: I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Employee Comms Impact Survey

00:23:46: that we just did through Staffbase, it was a study that we funded,

00:23:49: and it talks a lot about how non-desk workers feel undervalued.

00:23:53: They don't feel part of communications,

00:23:55: they don't feel like they get a lot of communications.

00:23:57: And here you're saying, we saved the splashiest events,

00:24:00: the biggest speakers for when we can get 500 people at our call center,

00:24:05: people who are not sitting at HQ, who are on the phones all day.

00:24:10: You're saying that we save those really big fish for that.

00:24:12: I think that's really special.

00:24:15: We'll take them off the phones.

00:24:17: That way it feels like almost like field day when you're in elementary school.

00:24:20: It just feels like a party all day.

00:24:22: So it's a cool moment.

00:24:24: People will bring flowers for the guests and like, have interactions like we did

00:24:27: with Dawn Staley or Erin Brockovich, where people are getting to interact

00:24:31: with them. So it's just like

00:24:33: it means more.

00:24:34: Those moments are when I see the interactions,

00:24:37: like I was mentioning about the theme parks.

00:24:38: But it just makes my heart melt because it shows what the impact is,

00:24:43: or what I have contributed or what my experience has been so far.

00:24:46: It's all worth it.

00:24:49: A big community-building

00:24:50: moment for sure. And so I think whether you're watching

00:24:54: this now and thinking like, "Oh, I really want to do my own podcast.

00:24:59: It's going to be all virtual, all recorded, and things like that."

00:25:02: There's still ways to make it special.

00:25:04: There's still ways that you can add some other experiential component.

00:25:09: I love this.

00:25:09: That sounds like such a cool moment.

00:25:13: And I'm curious, so like, how I feel about it now, obviously.

00:25:17: What feedback have you received from employees about this?

00:25:21: Oh yes.

00:25:22: So employees have said that they love this.

00:25:26: This is something that they wish we had more time for,

00:25:29: whether it's like day of more time, like more time for Q&A to interact

00:25:34: or to send pre-submitted ones, which we are doing.

00:25:37: That way if it's pre-recorded, people can listen to it and be like,

00:25:40: "Oh, my question was answered towards the end."

00:25:42: And so people are enjoying that.

00:25:45: People wish that they could have it

00:25:49: come to their office or their call center, or store.

00:25:52: So we're trying to come there, but it's just like so many people,

00:25:55: and it's just hard to get everybody on board as in like the town slash

00:26:00: the person interviewing, and the stage space or the event space.

00:26:04: Because not every place is built for an event, so we really have to be picky.

00:26:08: But people love it and see it as a program that impacts their life.

00:26:14: And they go back and listen to things when they're having a hard day,

00:26:17: or they listen to the highlights that are applicable to them.

00:26:20: We try to find some that are applicable to different types of employees.

00:26:24: It's like when you're scrolling, I want it to feel like you're

00:26:26: scrolling on social media when you're on Viva Engage personally.

00:26:29: That way you're seeing all the quick reels or things like that.

00:26:32: But it's also on the intranet, too

00:26:33: so if you're like really wanting to see a certain part, it's all there.

00:26:37: I got the golden nuggets ready for them, and I think they really appreciate those

00:26:42: just because they don't to have the full 20 to 60 minutes,

00:26:45: depending on what type of episode it is.

00:26:49: That's awesome feedback.

00:26:50: I love that it feels like a really big, positive part of their job and their day,

00:26:56: and that they watch the recording and refer back to it later.

00:26:58: And I feel like that does tie back into how you do make it accessible

00:27:02: by either recording at stores or recording at the call centers, things like that.

00:27:06: Shaking it up so that it's not just a privileged thing

00:27:11: that only happens in the HQ.

00:27:13: I think that really speaks volumes to how people also feel involved.

00:27:17: And you said that people submit questions as well for the guests?

00:27:20: Yeah, so pre-submitted ones, and then we also

00:27:24: sometimes occasionally will like get the . . .

00:27:26: For other events too,

00:27:27: not just for "Talking with Trailblazers", but all-employee meetings or town halls.

00:27:30: We'll get the questions, and if we didn't get to yours,

00:27:33: we can do a follow-up potentially.

00:27:34: Not every single time, but if there's a trend of questions that we didn't get to,

00:27:38: we'll like put something out there that way it's covered.

00:27:42: That's awesome.

00:27:42: So, my next question, I feel like you've spoken to a little bit, like you've

00:27:46: taught me a little bit about the different audiences and angles that you consider.

00:27:50: When you are planning your topics,

00:27:53: how do you make sure that you are providing topics

00:27:55: that are really interesting to a really diverse mix of people because

00:28:00: it really sounds like

00:28:02: you have people in the HQ at the store, at the call centers.

00:28:04: Those are people from all over the place,

00:28:07: different walks of life, different backgrounds, different interests.

00:28:10: How do you make sure that you're

00:28:11: really having a good balanced content mix for all of them?

00:28:15: So I'm like chronically online.

00:28:17: In other words, I see what's happening in the world

00:28:19: and trying to see what's going on in the media landscape as well.

00:28:23: Not so much like always the negative things, but also

00:28:26: what's happening and what people are watching in movies and TV shows.

00:28:31: And what's happening,

00:28:32: even if it's just an influencer on social media,

00:28:34: like those people are still making an impact.

00:28:36: So I try to gather those folks into my brain slash topics,

00:28:40: and then I'll pair it with these surveys and focus groups

00:28:43: or what's going on in the business.

00:28:45: And I'll kind of marry those two together, and we'll have a list of topics.

00:28:49: Again, it could change, so if I plan one right now for July,

00:28:53: I don't know, 10th, it could change just because the world

00:28:56: or media landscape keeps spinning around and changing.

00:28:59: So just constantly being timely or finding topics that are neutral

00:29:03: enough to be like, this will be happening in this month no matter what.

00:29:07: Like we're going to be doing this

00:29:08: as a general topic like teamwork or something like that, like win together.

00:29:12: And just making sure that it's an impactful conversation for all

00:29:17: and not just a certain type

00:29:18: of group is so vital because we want to make sure employees

00:29:21: feel included and brought to the table no matter what's being discussed.

00:29:26: Oh, absolutely.

00:29:27: I love that you remember to tie things into

00:29:31: what's going on in the business as well.

00:29:32: I feel like I've heard a lot of communications professionals

00:29:35: ask questions about, how do I really show that

00:29:39: what the work I do matters and is impactful in the business.

00:29:42: How do I make sure I'm getting a seat at the table?

00:29:45: Things like that.

00:29:46: And I think when you tie it into your rhythm of business,

00:29:49: your business objectives, your overall goals or values, things

00:29:52: like that, you tie it into these things that already exist, then

00:29:55: the value of the content you're producing is really

00:29:58: just intrinsically linked now.

00:30:02: And I love that you're practicing . . .

00:30:04: So it's a term that I learned recently at the IABC World

00:30:07: Conference "horizon scanning,"

00:30:09: where you're constantly

00:30:11: looking on the horizon

00:30:12: and thinking about like, you're not just reacting to trends or moments.

00:30:16: It's like what are these bigger patterns that I can see?

00:30:19: Just be like Simba, constantly looking over the land,

00:30:22: what could be happening or coming to make it the best thing for your people.

00:30:27: I love that.

00:30:28: Everything the light touches.

00:30:30: Some other stuff, too.

00:30:34: You know what?

00:30:34: Let's dive into . . .

00:30:36: we've talked about like how to

00:30:38: build your concepts, how to pitch something like this, how to think about

00:30:43: form, function, guests, topics,

00:30:46: tying it into your business needs and goals.

00:30:49: I think we've covered quite a bit.

00:30:50: What other just advice do you have for a communications

00:30:53: professional who wants to dip their toe into podcasting?

00:30:57: Yeah, so I would say do

00:31:00: your homework and listen to a variety of podcasts.

00:31:03: Not just the ones that you want to listen to laugh.

00:31:05: I love you Brittany Broski, but I don't know

00:31:07: if you're going to teach me that much.

00:31:08: Just dig into things

00:31:10: that are a little more impactful in the space that you are working in

00:31:14: and see what they're talking about, how they're hitting things.

00:31:17: And even if it's not the same exact like, okay, we're looking at our . . .

00:31:21: I don't want to say competitor, but other brands

00:31:23: similar to yours and they're doing this, this, and this.

00:31:24: You don't copy them.

00:31:26: Have the free will to do what you think would be best for your employees.

00:31:30: And aside from doing homework, just be willing to take a risk

00:31:34: just because nobody knows what the answer is, whether it be right or wrong,

00:31:38: but the stats are there as far as what success could look like.

00:31:42: It's just a matter of building it.

00:31:44: And it won't happen tomorrow,

00:31:45: like you're going to have 100,000 views or something like that.

00:31:48: But just know that it takes some time, but life's what you make it.

00:31:54: Just make it rock, essentially.

00:31:57: Yeah, take the risk. Just try it out.

00:32:00: As long as you can build your pitch deck

00:32:02: and convince the people with the knowledge, accordingly.

00:32:06: I know.

00:32:07: 110 slides later, I brought it down to eight,

00:32:10: and that was hard because that's all I had time to present for that day.

00:32:14: So l was like, "How can I break this down until 10 or less slides,

00:32:18: months and months in advance?" So just because you think

00:32:21: everything's important, I was that kid in college

00:32:23: highlighting everything because I'm like, "is this helpful information?" But

00:32:27: you have different types of leaders, so whoever you're presenting to

00:32:30: just make a note to be like . . .

00:32:31: or ask the people that have presented to them, like, "What kind of person is this?

00:32:35: How do they want to be presented to?" Some people when you walk into a room,

00:32:39: I recommend if they're like the "gimme the meat or the data of it" kind of folks,

00:32:43: just be like, "Okay, I'm going to go over eight slides with you today.

00:32:46: Here's what we're going to go over.

00:32:47: At the end of this conversation, I'd love to walk out of here with this knowledge

00:32:50: and then fill in the blank there." That way the next steps are written out

00:32:54: and they're not like, "Okay, it's the second slide.

00:32:57: I have questions." Like yes, let them answer the questions.

00:32:59: But that way some expectations are set for both sides.

00:33:03: Yeah. You tell them how

00:33:06: it can run to really benefit all of you,

00:33:09: and make sure that the information is shared.

00:33:12: I love that you're like, know your leaders, and think about how

00:33:15: they want to be presented to.

00:33:16: And I might add, figure out like if you have 110 slides,

00:33:22: that's obviously not going to fly, but what do they need to say yes?

00:33:26: What is the bottom line that they need to say yes to this,

00:33:29: and what do you need, too?

00:33:31: Because you need to tell them right off the bat, today I'm

00:33:34: looking for the green light to begin X, Y, and Z.

00:33:38: Maybe it's the time for research, maybe it's the budget to get software.

00:33:42: You know, what do you actually need from them as well?

00:33:45: Totally.

00:33:45: What do they need to say yes to, and what do you need from them?

00:33:49: And I love what you've said about doing your homework, too.

00:33:51: You kind of have to have a blueprint in mind here of what you want to do.

00:33:56: You can't be like, "I've never heard a podcast.

00:33:58: Let's do a podcast." I think it was . . .

00:34:02: I think it was Stephen King who said it really well.

00:34:04: If you want to be a great author, you have to read.

00:34:07: You really have to read books, and I think this is exactly relevant here, right?

00:34:12: If you want to do a podcast, do your research, listen to podcasts.

00:34:16: Not just for the hehes and hahas, but for the other stuff, too.

00:34:19: I know.

00:34:20: I love the hehe and haha though, but yes.

00:34:23: And I love Stephen King, too, just because he is such a classic

00:34:26: in the horror industry.

00:34:27: I'm also a horror buff aside from theme park buff.

00:34:30: So I'm glad you mentioned his name.

00:34:32: I feel like there's a Venn diagram of people who love horror

00:34:35: and then people who like theme parks.

00:34:37: I feel like the Venn diagram has some crossover.

00:34:39: It does, yes. For sure it does.

00:34:42: You touched on this a little bit, too.

00:34:43: We've talked about surveys, we've talked about focus groups and things like that.

00:34:47: Can you give us some other ideas of how you measure

00:34:49: success for an initiative like this?

00:34:51: Just kind of beyond, we got X bodies in the room when we were filming or what.

00:34:57: Yeah, so depending where you're posting it,

00:35:00: I think if you're also posting it publicly,

00:35:01: you can see how many people have listened to it, liked it, or commented.

00:35:05: So personally, we look at Viva Engage, too, to see what likes and comments

00:35:09: like engagement there.

00:35:10: And aside from the viewership too, we could see those numbers.

00:35:13: But I also like to verbally

00:35:16: ask folks too, whether they're on my team or not.

00:35:19: And I have mentees that I mentor outside

00:35:22: of my team that work in some of the stores or work from home.

00:35:27: And they do sign language for events.

00:35:29: So I try to touch different bases and just see what was your experience

00:35:34: like listening to this or what was your experience like signing for this?

00:35:38: Because for every single event at T-Mobile, we have somebody doing ASL

00:35:42: unless it's prerecorded to where we have closed captions,

00:35:44: but if it's live event like this kind of deal,

00:35:47: we would have somebody in the corner just doing the ASL to go along with us.

00:35:51: So I try to see

00:35:52: what their experience is like and how we can make it better for them

00:35:55: for next time. I know it's not going to be a script,

00:35:57: but they can kind of see here's the direction of the conversation

00:36:00: and then go from there.

00:36:01: But just getting that verbal feedback is so helpful.

00:36:04: And sometimes I don't even have to ask for people just come up to me

00:36:06: or I talk in a meeting and we do a postmortem is what we call it.

00:36:10: But I like that because it's spooky sounding postmortem.

00:36:12: But we talk about what went well, what didn't, and with all different

00:36:15: team members and just see what we could improve on next time.

00:36:19: And if nothing, cool, but just like, what can we keep doing next time?

00:36:24: That's awesome.

00:36:25: I love that accessibility that you've really woven into this.

00:36:28: I'm such an avid user of captions in my life, so I really appreciate that.

00:36:33: And yeah, there's lots of ways to get feedback,

00:36:36: and sometimes that qualitative stuff can really mean a lot.

00:36:39: So impactful.

00:36:40: I have like whole sides of that versus

00:36:42: the quantitative and sometimes that makes more of a . . .

00:36:46: you know pull strings on the heart, just because it shows that we're doing it

00:36:49: for that reason or for that person that really needed to hear this.

00:36:53: Yeah. When the message has really landed,

00:36:55: and it's really touched somebody's day or life, yeah.

00:36:58: Oh, I love that.

00:36:59: Is there anything else that you want to just tell listeners about this project?

00:37:05: Do you think it's worth it for a lot of people to do it after doing this

00:37:10: for the time that you have been a part of this project.

00:37:12: Would you recommend a project like this?

00:37:15: Yeah, definitely recommend it.

00:37:16: Not just because it's fun and you get to interact

00:37:18: with some really cool people and influential folks.

00:37:20: But I think it's a good way to test your right and left brain.

00:37:24: And the data side slash creative side

00:37:26: and the ability to create these documents that seem so lengthy,

00:37:31: but just from a PR background and influencer work from my previous life,

00:37:36: I think that this is a good mix of that.

00:37:37: And I think it's a fun time for anybody wanting to try this.

00:37:42: I think that the briefing docs, as I mentioned,

00:37:44: it goes through the bio, the questions,

00:37:48: not red flags, but just things that might come up that we need to be mindful of.

00:37:51: And like what potentially answers just in case, if it's a live event,

00:37:54: you don't ever know what somebody is going to say when they walk up to a Q&A mic.

00:37:58: So having those questions prepared, and again,

00:38:00: we're not going to read it from the book, but if it's something

00:38:02: we're still figuring out, then that's transparency we need to put forth.

00:38:06: And the talk track's fun.

00:38:09: But I think another cool part of it is the . . .

00:38:12: similar to like the YouTube series now, show "Hot Ones," just having those questions.

00:38:16: I'm not throwing a bowl of wings in front of everybody, but

00:38:20: just having them talk about questions that are a little bit off-kilter

00:38:25: or things that aren't directly tied to the conversation.

00:38:29: So that was something that we did for

00:38:32: every single podcast slash event that I've been a part of since I started.

00:38:36: I'm like, "Why don't we do this?"

00:38:37: And the leadership was like, "Cool, do it." So again, it's another moment,

00:38:40: a small little thing that makes a big impact.

00:38:42: So similar to how you asked me about theme parks and thrifting,

00:38:47: that kind of helps warm me up.

00:38:49: But also, if we're talking about the actual events

00:38:51: and podcasts that helps warm the guests

00:38:53: and the listeners up and be like, "Oh, I'm intrigued to listen to more."

00:38:57: I think that there's always something

00:38:59: in a person's life that when they start . . .

00:39:02: when they're asked a question about that, for example, it could be their family,

00:39:06: their favorite sports team, whatever.

00:39:07: When you kick something off like that,

00:39:10: something that they're really passionate about,

00:39:11: and they could just speak off the cuff about it.

00:39:14: However nervous they felt about doing this live recording,

00:39:17: however guarded they might feel about,

00:39:21: revealing certain things or trying to get everything so perfectly.

00:39:25: I think some of that falls away a little bit,

00:39:27: and then it's just like a person-to-person thing.

00:39:29: Totally.

00:39:30: Not trying to like go ahead

00:39:31: and psychoanalyze, how I talk to you about the theme parks.

00:39:36: I'm genuinely curious about that stuff as well.

00:39:38: But you're right. It is a really great point.

00:39:41: It's a good way,

00:39:41: but also it's very personable, which says a lot about like the host.

00:39:45: It's very appreciated.

00:39:46: Yeah and that's another great point, too.

00:39:49: For the hosts you've talked about, can you bring these personal bits in as well?

00:39:54: Are there any other tips that you would give a podcast host?

00:39:57: Oh yes. I create two different docs.

00:40:00: For the hosts, it's different than the talent,

00:40:01: but for the hosts, I also bake in at the bottom,

00:40:04: like what are some things that you and this person have in common,

00:40:07: whether it's being a parent or liking the same sport,

00:40:10: or say music or movies or things like that.

00:40:14: And if you're really having a hard time, just look at like what their

00:40:18: workmanship is like, what kind of

00:40:21: leadership qualities they both share, and then dive into that.

00:40:24: And then you can share it with the talent too being like,

00:40:26: Mike Katz from the marketing team here at T-Mobile has done X, Y, and Z.

00:40:30: He was the one that like was posting our last one,

00:40:32: but just for example, just to show what's going on in the business too

00:40:36: for the talent.

00:40:37: That way the host and talent both feel like they're on the same page

00:40:40: as to what's happening in both industries slash with this person individually.

00:40:46: And how do you choose the host?

00:40:47: Because you mentioned that it's like what VP and above, or VP and just one below.

00:40:52: Yeah.

00:40:53: We try to VP plus.

00:40:54: It used to be senior leadership mainly, but due to accessibility

00:40:57: as far as like their timing and things and availability, which is hard.

00:41:01: So we still do have some SLT, but mainly VP plus at this time.

00:41:05: And we have also had employee panels.

00:41:07: So for like that person at my company doesn't have time for that, that's okay.

00:41:11: So, but we personally go off of the

00:41:15: personalities. I like to kind of matchmake.

00:41:17: So like I was saying,

00:41:18: the things that they have in common or just the way that they talk.

00:41:22: So I listened to past recordings of whoever ringing in his talent

00:41:26: and seeing what kind of energy they give off.

00:41:29: And then I go from there to be like,

00:41:30: "Okay, this person might be good to talk with them

00:41:32: because they have the same banter." And it feels like natural chemistry

00:41:35: as soon as they either log on or they step on stage together.

00:41:39: That's really cool.

00:41:40: Because I think there's

00:41:41: so many people that might be, "Oh, I really want to make a podcast.

00:41:45: I don't want to host it all myself.

00:41:47: I want to be behind the scenes or I don't want to host it at all."

00:41:52: How do you pick who's going to be hosting?

00:41:55: What qualities do you look for? How do you match make?

00:41:57: I think those are very good points. You're looking for chemistry.

00:41:59: You're looking for commonalities.

00:42:01: You're looking for things they can both connect over. Love that.

00:42:06: Yeah, that makes it like a natural fit.

00:42:07: And it feels just like very natural.

00:42:09: You're just sitting in a room with your friends talking without you

00:42:13: essentially is how I want everybody to feel is like,

00:42:15: you're just happy to be there kind of energy. But

00:42:18: it feels like

00:42:19: you're just having a very cool, calm, a conversation

00:42:23: that's impactful still for employees on topics that matter.

00:42:28: Well, then, I think,

00:42:29: the conversations we've had about the impact to employees,

00:42:32: either they've shared that they've rewatched it

00:42:35: in tough moments or it really impacted their day.

00:42:37: I think now with the added color of knowing that

00:42:41: you have these VPs who are in the room during these interviews, too.

00:42:45: I mean that's very quality face time with these leaders.

00:42:49: So they're having these really impactful moments, these really special moments

00:42:54: and it is including your leadership too, in a way that isn't

00:42:56: just top-down communication.

00:43:00: Yeah, it's nice seeing them in like that light, too,

00:43:02: because it just makes them even more personable.

00:43:04: Because sometimes I've seen at companies, not T-Mobile,

00:43:07: but that they just celebritize them.

00:43:08: And I'm just like, "They're going back home, going to sleep just like you are.

00:43:13: And they are coming into work to do work,

00:43:15: but they're all humans

00:43:16: at the end of the day." So some people might be a little bit intimidated,

00:43:20: and if you are intimidated, I would do what I do for a talented host

00:43:24: is I try to find a commonality between you and the host.

00:43:27: That way it feels like you can open up the door, and it's less pressure.

00:43:31: So if it's about their pets, if it's about their kids

00:43:34: or just about living here or wherever you live at

00:43:37: and just kind of ease the ice down just to melt.

00:43:43: Yes. Melt a little bit.

00:43:44: It's true.

00:43:45: There can be that veneration of those very high-level employees.

00:43:48: But at the end of the day,

00:43:51: as a communicator, you're

00:43:53: responsible for shaping

00:43:56: how employees build trust with these leaders, how these leaders

00:43:59: can build relationships with these employees at scale essentially, right?

00:44:03: So this is a very powerful moment that you've used really well.

00:44:06: Very cool.

00:44:09: Well, I think that actually does exhaust my list of questions.

00:44:13: Perfect.

00:44:14: It has been so fun talking about this and so meta.

00:44:17: Oh, I think this is comfortable. I know.

00:44:20: So meta, because we're currently literally doing a podcast and I'm hosting it.

00:44:24: And I'm also just taking notes in my brain

00:44:27: for how to do this even better next time.

00:44:29: So thank you.

00:44:31: You were great.

00:44:31: This was awesome.

00:44:32: I'm glad that this opportunity and podcast itself exists for people to listen

00:44:36: to and to learn and better what they're doing in their current industry.

00:44:40: I think it's so exciting to just have these very creative project ideas

00:44:45: and just break them down and talk to people

00:44:47: how you can be doing things a little bit differently

00:44:50: and give these really cool examples.

00:44:51: Because sometimes . . .

00:44:53: we know so many communications pros who are like a team of one or two, right?

00:44:56: And sometimes there's not a lot of time

00:44:58: to be creative, and maybe you just need a little inspiration.

00:45:02: Totally.

00:45:03: Thank you for choosing me for this.

00:45:04: This was great.

00:45:06: Yeah, thanks so much for spending time with me.

00:45:08: We loved to have you on You've Got Comms.

00:45:11: It was great to chat with you and learn a lot more about this project, and yeah,

00:45:15: wish you all the best with your next episode.

00:45:17: Thank you.

00:45:18: Any hints on what it's going to be?

00:45:19: I guess that's a secret, isn't it?

00:45:21: Yes, it is a secret.

00:45:22: We'll see.

00:45:23: But we have a few funny folks coming in the funny space.

00:45:27: That sounds great.

00:45:28: Oh my gosh.

00:45:29: Well, wish you all the best with that.

00:45:32: We'll see you.

00:45:33: I'll have to see you at the next big Seattle theme park that

00:45:38: I haven't been to yet, because I've been too scared of the rollercoaster thing.

00:45:43: I know. We'll do it.

00:45:45: But yes, thank you so much for everything.