Barefoot Business
Barefoot Business conversations with event professionals and segments from the Club Ichi Telethon Membership Drive, held December 12th, 2024!
Episodes
29 episodes
AI vs Humanity: Darcy Gabriele on Why the Future of Events Is Still Deeply Human
What happens when AI gets smarter… and events get more human? In this episode of Barefoot Business, Liz sits down with Darcy Gabriel from BW Events Tech to explore the tension between automation and authentic connection. They dive into AI copil...
Before Cvent, There Was a Typewriter: Jill Rasco on The Wild Origins of Event Tech
What do mimeograph machines, floppy disks, and early HTML have to do with modern event registration? Everything. In this episode of Barefoot Business, Liz and Jill Rasco of Attendee Management trace the evolution of event tech from litera...
Kill the Badge Scanner: The Future of In-Person Leads with Bryce Alsten
What if your biggest event headache, lead capture, didn’t have to be a headache at all? In this episode of Barefoot Business, Liz talks with Bryce from Popl to unpack how AI is reshaping in-person go-to-market, from ditching outdated badg...
Conversations to Content Gold: How AI Is Capturing the Real Value of Events with Vamshi Velmajala
What if every conversation at your event didn’t just happen… but actually worked for you afterward? In this episode of Barefoot Business, Liz sits down with Vamshi of Snapsight to unpack how AI is transforming live event content ...
Off the Clock, On Her Terms: Steph Couch on Freelancing with Freedom
Liz and Steph dive into the messy, honest reality of getting laid off, rebuilding confidence, and turning freelancing into a sustainable, joyful career. They talk boundaries, rest, client juggling, and rediscovering your spark, proof that...
Be Present > Network: Designing Micro-Moments that Matter with Marisa Cali
Liz and Marissa unpack designing for real connection, why “be present” beats “network,” how to build white space into agendas, and using micro-retreats, mindful facilitation, and digital wellness to help entrepreneurs align to their North Star....
From Rock Bands to ROI: Dax Callner on Smarter Event Measurement
Liz and Dax get real about event measurement: why attribution is shaky, how to prove behavior change and brand lift, the one survey question that matters, and replacing “dwell time” with right-time throughput, plus honest reporting that wins tr...
Spas, Soundboards & Slack Bots: Anca Platon Trifan on Real-World AI and Fit-for-Events
Liz and Anca go from women-in-AV war stories to practical AI you can use today, think Slack task bots, Atlas-powered workflows, and “vibe coding” without writing code. They also dismantle performative “wellness,” swap pizza-for-crew for real fu...
From Shoulds to Showtime: Heart-Led Speaking with Regan Walsh
Liz and executive coach/author Regan Walsh unpack how event pros and aspiring speakers can ditch people-pleasing, shed the “shoulds,” and trust their gut on stage. They get tactical on rehearsal reps, cutting a talk on the fly, simple slides, a...
Bring Back Corporate Theater: Turning Sessions into Shows with Heather Long-Dills
Liz and Heather swap war stories on production, mentorship, and why attention isn’t the problem, distraction is. From AI’s “good enough” graphics to a Wicked-inspired opening that electrified the room, they make the case for intentional enterta...
Selling Less, Solving More: David Childs on Exhibits, ROI, and Human-Centric Sales
Liz kicks off a new season with David Childs (SWX Global) on why exhibits still deliver ROI, and why modern sales is “consultant, not closer.” They cover 2025 floor trends, budget realities, good/better/best proposals, in-person outreach,...
Inside InEvent: From College Project to Global Event Tech Powerhouse with Pedro Góes
Liz talks with Pedro Góes, founder of InEvent, to trace how a scrappy college idea became one of the most innovative event platforms in the world. From Y Combinator beginnings and pandemic pivots to AI-powered registration and photo matching, t...
From Behind the Lens: Capturing Emotion and ROI with Brooke Bryand
Liz chats with photographer and former event planner Brooke Bryand about what it really takes to translate the magic of an event into images that drive marketing and sponsorship ROI. They dive into the power of planning content early, how...
What If It All Goes Right? Angela Gargano’s Leap from Lab to Ninja
Liz and Angela Gargano, former biochemist, six-time American Ninja Warrior, and keynote speaker, unpack her ACL-on-TV setback, the comeback, and how she turned resilience into a stage-ready message. They dig into attention-grabbing storyt...
Building Community with Nunify: SMB-Smart Event Tech That Scales, with Matthew Petmecky
Liz sits down with Matthew Petmecky of Nunify to unpack how an 11-year-old platform is winning over small-to-midsize teams (and agencies) with unlimited-events subscriptions, true white-label branding, easy badge printing, and plug-and-play int...
From Clipboard to CEO: Nicola Kastner on Career Leaps, Leadership, and the Power of Community
In this episode of Barefoot Business, Liz Lathan and Nicola Kastner, CEO of Event Leaders Exchange, talk about the journey from event logistics to boardroom strategy. Nicola shares how trusting her instincts, embracing data, and ...
The Art of Personalization: Live Event Calligraphy & Engraving with Jenny Blaschke
Jenny Blaschke, a live event calligrapher and engraving artist, and Liz Lathan discuss the high-stakes world of personalizing luxury gifts, from engraving $300 cameras to hot foiling leather goods. Jenny shares how she transitioned from wedding...
Event Marketing, Audience Growth, and the Power of Advocacy with Tamar Beck
Liz Lathan and Tamar Beck, CEO of Gleanin, talk about her journey from trade show organizer to tech entrepreneur. Tamar shares how Gleanin helps event marketers scale audience acquisition through advocacy and network effects, plus insight...
Building an Event Business That Thrives with Heidi Hiller
Liz Lathan and with Heidi Hiller, founder of Innovative Party Planners, discuss building a successful event business from the ground up. Heidi shares her journey from graphic designer to event mogul, covering topics like scaling a business, man...
Building Wellbeing in Events: How to Shine Without Burning Out with Mark Mohammadpour
Liz Lathan is joined by Mark Mohammadpour, founder of Chasing the Sun, to discuss creating a culture of wellbeing in events. Mark shares his journey from PR executive to wellness advocate, offering actionable tips on reducing burnout, set...
Creative Sponsorships, Corgis, and Cybersecurity Bathrooms: MK Granados Brings the Ideas
In this episode of Barefoot Business, Liz Lathan chats with MK Granados, the brilliant mind leading sponsorship innovation at Informa Markets. From orchestrating trade shows and brand activations to finding new ways to create meaningfu...
Adventures, Camels, and Castles: Nicole Matthews and Nicole Osibodu Share Their Event Journeys
Today's Barefoot Business episode is full of laughter, wild stories, and incredible event adventures with not one, but two Nicoles! Liz Lathan is joined by Nicole Matthews of The Henley Company and Nicole Osibodu. From Bedouin camps in...
Hospitality vs. Service: Paul Tramonte on Creating Personal Connections in Events
In this episode of Barefoot Business, Liz Lathan welcomes Paul Tramonte, principal designer of Paul Tremonti Events. Paul's journey in events began with a family tradition of gathering around the table, which evolved into a thriving ca...
Storyboards to Wow Moments: Ronnie Anderson's Eventful Journey
In this Barefoot Business episode, Liz Lathan chats with Ronnie Anderson, a Philly-based event producer with roots in broadcasting and videography. Ronnie shares her journey from high school party planner to seasoned event pro, creatin...