Nicole Astra: Hello and welcome to the live streamed event of The Force of Influence, a Talk Lab experience. Tonight's live stream is sponsored by our partner, NUTRALYS Plant Protein by Roquette. NUTRALYS Plant Protein by Roquette offers the world's largest line of pea protein ingredients, and contributes to developing new plant based foods. I'm Nicole Astra, and I'm here in the Talk Lab booth located in one of our nearly 20,000 square feet buildings in the heart of Aurora, Illinois, just one hour west of Chicago. We're here to celebrate the launch of Talk Lab, a new division of Bureau Gravity. Bureau Gravity is a subscription-based marketing agency. They help leaders develop visually strong and data-driven marketing plans.

As a Talk Lab host, I'd like to personally welcome returning fans and new viewers. Talk Lab is thrilled to officially launch Talking Plant Protein here tonight. We're also introducing a second platform, Talking Cities. Through innovative work with Talk Lab, we are changing the way you are seen and heard. We are creating new ways to exchange information, and we are just getting started. So sit back, you're going to see what The Force of Influence is all about. We begin by hearing about Talking Plant Protein from Talk Lab producer, Jessi Scurte.

Jessi Scurte: Talking Plant Protein was designed to elevate brands, report on the plant protein market, support startups, and highlight a sustainable industry through visual content. Breaking away from written articles, Talking Plant Protein is the world's first video-based industry news platform. We turn a brand's news, press releases and more into visual shareable content that is published on our site and promoted on social media to all. Through Jimi Allen's vision, this platform is becoming more than just a newsfeed. It's creating a community for companies that contribute to a common goal, the advancement of plant protein towards better nutrition and sustainable living across the globe.

Speaker 3: Talking Plant Protein cultivates content for your company to share. As the world's first plant-based video newsfeed platform, we curate the conversations that are top of mind for startups and industry insiders alike. Turn your talking points into headlines by breaking news with us. Our platform was designed to deliver thought leadership. Setup an interview for your CEO to be a contributor. Schedule a featured series about your R&D. Present your products through a sponsored demo. Advertise to the industry through digital ad space. We have all the media solutions to fit your needs. Talking Plant Protein is industry journalism, your market's future.

Nicole Astra: Welcome back everyone. Our first guest this evening is Jim Bozikis, and he is here to talk about influence and industry communication. Jim, we are inundated with information, even with relevant content, how do we cut through the noise?

Jim Bozikis: Well, I think content is king, right? So it's having that really catchy message, that headline that's going to grab people, the sound bite that's going to get their attention, and making sure that you target it and pinpoint the right audience. It's a lot easier to reach the people you want to reach when your message is really meant for them.

Nicole Astra: Speaking of getting in front of your right audience, what are some of the challenges, because we consume media at such a mass level right now, what are some of the challenges that you've found getting in front of the right audience?

Jim Bozikis: Yeah. I mean, it's time, right? Everybody has constant alerts on their phones, and constant emails, and being able to kind of break through that. That's the biggest challenge, and it really is people have such a short window of time to get your message, to read your headline or hear your sound bite, and decide, "Yeah, that is something I want to click on and hear more about."

Nicole Astra: You've been a communicator in your career for years. How has it changed the way you communicate with the industry?

Jim Bozikis: Gosh. From the time I was a kid, I wanted to be a newspaper man. So I was a reporter for many years, and newspapers don't really exist the way they used to. My kids don't know what it's like to go to the end of the driveway and pick up the newspaper, and even if they did, if they got that, by the time they read it, it's already old. I mean, the news happens so fast and we're able to communicate it so quickly now that it's streaming, it's video, it's that instant kind of content, instant message that you have to get through to people. Otherwise, things have already changed.

Nicole Astra: So when you were a newspaper man, did you ever think the delivery of information would change so drastically?

Jim Bozikis: Never. I mean, you try to anticipate what's the future going to be, what's it going to be like, how are things going to change? I thought, "Oh, the news is the news. That's never going to change." Sure, there's TV, there's radio, but people are still going to want that in-depth story to sit down and read. That's not how it works anymore. People want to ... They'll watch a video, they'll read the story, but it has to be able to be updated that quickly.

Nicole Astra: And I'm excited about the platforms we've launched because they really are a niche market bringing that information that matters to a community, that matters to an industry. What was it first about Bureau Gravity, how did you even make that introduction?

Jim Bozikis: Sure. We found Bureau Gravity and talked to them and we said, "Look, we want to make sure that we can get the messages about NUTRALYS and our pea protein out to our market." And we wanted to be able to do that in both the creative way with content and with the technology that exists at the time, and also was about to exist. And everything we talked to them about, they were really on the cutting edge and just had great ideas and really seemed to think kind of beyond the horizon at whatever was going to be next, and really push the envelope on things.

Nicole Astra: Have you seen any success thus far being part of the platform?

Jim Bozikis: Absolutely. Absolutely. We're already seeing it. We're seeing that our message is getting to the people we want to reach. We're seeing that the customers that we want to work with know about us and see us as an influencer in the market.

Nicole Astra: Okay. So let's talk about influence, that's really why we're here tonight. What does that mean to you?

Jim Bozikis: Well, that's kind of being recognized as the people that set the standard and innovate what the next standard is going to be. To really be recognized as, for us, a company that leads the way on the products that can be developed and help our customers get their products to market faster.

Nicole Astra: And why do you think video is important in that space? Is it the next thing?

Jim Bozikis: There's no better way than to see it, to see it firsthand, to be there. You can read about something and imagine what it's like, but when you see it, when you see a video, you ... I don't know if it's the next thing. There's probably something even beyond that, and I'm sure Bureau Gravity is working on it.

Nicole Astra: You've said before, it really is a two way street with Bureau Gravity and Roquette, and you've been able to sharpen each other's ideas and really push forward to what's next. So, just tell me a little bit about your experience with Talking Plant Protein from the sponsorship side.

Jim Bozikis: Sure. It was a cool idea and something that we thought, "Well, this could work." And it wasn't just that nobody's doing it right now. It's kind of that nobody's ever done it. So that was intriguing for us because it was, "Hey, we can get onboard on kind of the ground floor." And really Roquette has a history of innovation, and this was a chance for us to kind of be one of those leaders and an innovator in the way we deliver our message.

Nicole Astra: Did you expect it to blow up? I mean, Roquette has been a pioneer for 40 plus years, and you certainly have innovation industry news cutting edge to share with the world, but did you expect the other contributors to really want to be a part of this platform in the way that they've turned out for it?

Jim Bozikis: Yeah, it's fascinating. And I don't know if I expected it, but I'm certainly not surprised by it. The boom in plant protein and the interest from consumers has just been exponential. So it's no surprise that everybody kind of wants to tune in and to learn more about it.

Nicole Astra: And again, I want to talk about that trust, because Roquette has turned over really the voice of their business to Talking Plant Protein in a way. So internally, what's the buzz about that with the success you're seeing?

Jim Bozikis: Sure. It really is in the truest form a partnership. I mean, we don't see Bureau Gravity as a vendor that's working for us or as an agency. They're really part of our team, and they've contributed as a part of our team, and worked with us, and pitched ideas, and we're able to work very transparently. "Yes, we like this. No, we don't like that," and come up with what will work best.

Nicole Astra: What's do you think is next?

Jim Bozikis: I wouldn't dare to presume. I wouldn't dare to predict. But I'm sure, I mean, the Bureau Gravity team really has a good handle on kind of seeing around the corner and being able to predict what's on the horizon. So, I'm sure we'll be leading the way.

Nicole Astra: Well, it's really exciting for all of us. If there was anything that you could predict for tonight from the launch, what are you hoping?

Jim Bozikis: I think it's going to be a lot of fun. There's a buzz here, an energy, and I think people are really excited about this.

Nicole Astra: Well, the room is certainly filling up. So I want to turn you over to it so you can mingle-

Jim Bozikis: Sounds good.

Nicole Astra: ... and enjoy your evening, but we are so glad you joined us.

Jim Bozikis: Thank you.

Nicole Astra: Valued voice in this industry, for sure.

Jim Bozikis: Thanks so much.

Nicole Astra: Thanks so much, Jim. We'd like to thank NUTRALYS Plant Protein by Roquette again for being our founding sponsor of Talking Plant Protein, as well as our live stream this evening. NUTRALYS is a giant in the industry, and through their support, has allowed all of you to extend your influence on this groundbreaking platform. We'd also like to thank our early contributors who helped introduce Talking Plant Protein to the world. We're going to hear from some of these individuals about how our Talking platform helps them flex their influence.

Rebecca Bradley: I'm Rebecca Bradley from Terra Bio, a new ingredient supplier for the alternative protein industry. Our plant-based protein comes from brewers spent grain, which is naturally broken down in our bio fractionation process. By sourcing from local breweries and being able to produce in most food manufacturing plants, Terra Bio is shrinking the supply chain. Best of all, our protein product, Protina, retains the functional traits that are critical for the use in meat replacement products, especially that meat-like texture. And if you're in the business of fermentation, we're also working to create a spent grain derived sugar feed stock that offers the same zero waste story.

Rebecca Bradley: We look to partner with spent green suppliers, food manufacturers, and our customers to fill the gaps in the protein alternative industry. But we can't do it alone, and that's why working with the world's first video-based news platform is helping us to reach out to those potential partners. Talking Plant Protein helps to bring the industry together so that companies like Terra Bio can find those connections with great innovators to help us create tomorrow's sustainable economy.

Karen Tay: For Classic Fine Foods, as a multinational distributor supplying to the best restaurants and retailers, we see it as our mission and responsibility to bring the best plant-based protein options to customers and consumers. We want to work together with all the critical players in this ecosystem towards a more sustainable future for food. And a platform like Talking Plant Protein is an extremely valuable part of this journey.

Hugh Williams: At Noblegen, we recognize that solving the world's food problems is not something that can be done alone. It's all about collaboration between scientists, producers, customers, and investors to help us meet this global challenge. Talking Plant Protein is a welcomed media addition and has done an excellent job of covering the events specific to the plant-based space, such as the Future Food-Tech challenge. As a contributor, it's really helped us to deliver our specific message to the audience most interested in listening, such as potential customers, partners, and investors.

Joey Thurman: Hi all, Talk Lab host here, Joey Thurman. I've brought you stories on Talking Plant Protein about uncooked, the plant, and most recently, the professional performance nutrition talk session. I've also teamed up a time or two with another familiar face on Talking Plant Protein, Annette Licitra. Annette is just outside of our soundproof Talk Lab booth here tending to our guests right now. She's serving chocolate orange truffles and coconut lemon truffles, yum. And you know what? Annette concocted this recipe using NUTRALYS Plant Protein by Roquette, specifically NUTRALYS S85 Plus N. In fact, I have a couple of those truffles right here. Let me try it. Coconut. Who doesn't love food on a stick? Well, Annette would have loved to be in the Talk Lab booth with me right now. She prerecorded this clip for us to share on her behalf. Let's take a look.

Annette Licitra: Hi, my name is Annette Licitra, the CEO and founder of Passionette Palate, and I'm a certified holistic health coach and wellness chef focusing on plant-based and gluten-free lifestyles. And I'm just so excited that Talking Plant Protein is providing an amazing platform to highlight and bring to the forefront so many beautiful plant-based protein sources, because a lot of times we hear protein and we think of animal protein, and this planet offers so much more than just animal protein. We've got a lot of medicinal plants that have a higher sources of protein, and I'm just really happy that I'm able to utilize this resource through Talking Plant Protein for my clients, and also just for the community, to really bring out this beneficial information, because I know that as one person, I'm not able to really highlight and bring forth all of it. So, it's an amazing resource to have to cascade out to all of my clients, to be such an inspiration and an influence in the plant-based community.

Joey Thurman: We're closing out our Talking Plant Protein feature with a bite from another cornerstone to Talking Plant Protein's success thus far, Future Food-Tech and Rethink Events. Here's Oliver Katz, Future Food-Tech's conference producer.

Oliver Katz: Future Food-Tech is a global series bringing together leaders and pioneers within the alternative protein space. We found that it was a fantastic fit to work with Talking Plant Protein and bring them on board as a media partner. So then we could leverage and use that platform and expert media skills to share all of the news and buzz around both our events, but also all of the amazing companies that we work with.

Joey Thurman: Early on, we forged a media partnership with the thought leaders behind Future Food-Tech, and together are helping you be heard and seen in your industry. That's The Force of Influence with Talking Plant Protein. Before we take a quick break, thanks again to our NUTRALYS Plant Protein Roquette for sponsoring our live stream event. After the brief break, Nicole will welcome you back for our second half.

Nicole Astra: If launching two things in one night wasn't exciting enough, Talk Lab and Talking Plant Protein, let's increase our velocity here a bit. It's my honor to share with you the introduction of our third piece and our trifecta this evening, Talking Cities.

Speaker 11: Informative, engaging, entertaining, Talking Cities is the voice of the community. There's always talk around town, and we report on it.

Joey Thurman: And we're also going to speak to the business owners who make a living here.

Speaker 11: Delivered through a newsfeed platform, we produce news and entertainment that connects with our audience.

Speaker 12: One of the things that we want to make sure we're doing is being a welcoming place for everyone.

Speaker 13: I want you to come here and be inspired, right? I want you to come here and be like, "I want to take that and replicate that in my community."

Speaker 11: Our editorial content covers news, business, health, economic development, and lifestyle.

Speaker 14: It's delicious.

Speaker 15: There's so much. I can't list them all.

Speaker 11: Talking Cities is excited to announce that our first newsfeed is launching in Aurora, Illinois. Introducing Talking Cities Aurora.

Nicole Astra: Small businesses have a huge circle of influence within a community. It might seem like just a storefront, but PreMil is so much more. Founder, Gio Rodriguez, said it is also a mentality. Gio, explain that for me.

Gio Rodriguez: PreMil, which is short for Predestined Millionaires, it's often misinterpreted, right? People think it's about the money. It's not really about that. It's more of a just going into that journey. It's going into that journey. So a predestined millionaire thinks of himself of who he intends to become and goes in pursue of that journey, right? So we use it more as a metaphor. It's a belief, an idea, a cause, a purpose, and we break it down in simple steps. We believe in having a definite purpose backed by a burning desire, a definite plan backed by continuous action, our mind closed on all negative influences, and working with others in a harmonious environment to encourage both your plan and your purpose.

Nicole Astra: I love it. I've been inspired. I love this too. Tell me how you think, you're a young guy in business already, how do you think a small business can impact, influence a community?

Gio Rodriguez: Well, so we want to inspire others, right? We want to inspire. It's almost like, "Hey, he can do it. So can I." So that starts a ripple effect. And you might not always see where that ripple effect lands, but if you just throw that pebble, you hope it lands in a good spot, and that's how you impact, by inspiring others.

Nicole Astra: So all businesses need finances to make their dreams come true. Also joining us is Marc Wiers, Vice President of Commercial Banking at First Secure Bank. How did you first get introduced to Gio and the PreMil brand?

Marc Wiers: Oh man, that's a great story. The owner of this building, Jimi Allen, is a long time business associate of mine. And he has a nice protégé, Gio, here and he introduced me to him, and he trusted me with guiding him to become the business that he is today and help him along the way. I've done some consulting with him, talked about his business plan, talked about how he can become the business that he wants to be. He wants to be that over a million dollar business, if I'm interpreting the PreMil correctly. And sometimes what that needs is the proper space and the proper brand awareness, and I've tried to find a place for him to where he can park his brand, and I think he's going to find his place on this road, I hope, on Lasalle Street here with Mr. Allen. And Gio is an up-and-coming person here in the community and I think he's going to do great things.

Nicole Astra: Every time I hear about his brand in the community, everyone says, "He takes care of me," or, "He taught me." I mean, really, there is an aspect to your business that is so community focused. But we don't know what we don't know, right? You I'm sure are never going to run a t-shirt and kicks shop, and you went into business not knowing. So how did that partnership between the two of you really develop so you could bring them along?

Marc Wiers: Yeah. Like Gio teaches me stuff I have no idea. Like you mentioned, brand awareness, but banking to him is Greek. He doesn't understand what needs to be done in the cashflow, or what does he need to buy that building. Well, you need down payment, you need cash, you need longevity. You need experience in what business that you're doing, and he's getting there. He's been doing this for two or three years. He's got a branch where he can not only have his brand, but he's printing t-shirts, he's doing other stuff. He's bringing in people to work for him in the community and people know him now. And he's just one of those guys that's got the drive and the personality to make it successful, and I believe in him.

Nicole Astra: That's the power of influence. That's exactly why we're here talking today. And you're using that platform for the Aurora community, and I think that's fantastic. So Marc, would you say Secure is a community bank? Do you do a lot of small businesses?

Marc Wiers: We do, yeah. Over the last two years, we've really done some nice things for local businesses here. If you're familiar with the payment protection program loans, we were able to do our bank 50 million of those loans for people in the area. Me personally, I did five million on the first round and four million on the second round. So there's two of those government programs and we were able to help out small sole proprietors, small 1099 employees, small real estate investors here that didn't have an outlet, but our bank put out advertisement, "Come and see us. If you're not a customer of ours, we'll take you on and we will help you get the money to keep your people employed." And that's what the program was made for and that's what they did. And they came in, we provided them the money, and now they're getting the loan forgiven.

Marc Wiers: And people have been more than happy with the product, and hopefully more than happy with our bank, because we were able to provide non-customers government money where the bigger banks weren't even asking them if they needed it or not. Because all the big banks wanted to do was look at their top clients and make sure that they got their money, rather than the little guy, like Gio, or anybody else, that was a small time community business, be able to get the money that they had no other resources for. So, yeah, we do a lot of other small real estate transactions. In fact, I helped Jimi finance this building 12 years ago when it was just a shell of a building. Now, today-

Nicole Astra: And look at it now.

Marc Wiers: ... it is the Taj Mahal of the South Street. I mean, it really is. I helped Jimi also finance the property right next door, and that's potentially where Gio may move into. So, Jimi himself-

Nicole Astra: Listen, there are such big things happening in our city. So please stay tuned to Talking Cities. We are going to be reporting on all of it. Gio, tell me a little bit about the task of approaching the bank. Was that scary for you? I mean, I heard him say Jimi's mentoring a little bit, which is fantastic. Someone who's walked in your footsteps before, but tell me about that process.

Gio Rodriguez: You know what? At first, it was just nerve-wracking, but getting to know Marc, he felt like my neighbor, he felt like I can go next door to my neighbor and just talk to him, ask him. He never felt like I was a small guy. He never made me feel like a little guy. He just educated me, he informed me, and I was able to continue working with him and just be educated. And one of my favorite sayings is great ideas get funded, and that's by Under Armour's own CEO. So if we have an idea, if we have a plan, we have to go and get educated on it, or else we're going to build a weak foundation, and they help you build a great foundation.

Nicole Astra: That's right. Well, I am so pleased that you saw the potential of this guy, and I know there's good things happening in Aurora.

Marc Wiers: Absolutely.

Nicole Astra: Thank you both for joining us.

Marc Wiers: Thank you.

Nicole Astra: Please enjoy the rest of your evening-

Marc Wiers: Thank you, Nicole.

Nicole Astra: ... and our launch party here today. Gio lists continuous improvement as a skill on LinkedIn. And I can honestly tell you that he and Marc both want that for our community as well. Accomplishing the mission takes strategic partnerships, and partnerships are stronger through building relationships. People are at the heart of how Bureau Gravity communicates. Another Aurora native with a heart for relationships is Don Beebe. After a dream career, spanning nine years in the NFL, our next Talking City contributor could have taken his influence anywhere, but he brought it home to Aurora. Using football to shape the lives of young men, making our community stronger, let's hear from Coach Beebe and how he exercises influence on and off the field.

Don Beebe: Influence is when you stand before the Lord one day, you long to hear those, "Well done, my good faithful servant." So I take those words and say, "Well, if he says those, I must have been a good influence." And so if he says, "I never knew you," yeah, those are scary words to hear from somebody. It'd be like your father telling you that. And so that's how I kind of take the word influence, is I hope that I'm being held accountable in this area that I'm of influence, and I'm not here to win football games, I'll be honest with you. That's a secondary to being the influence that God's allowed me to be.

Nicole Astra: Just like education, healthcare facilities have the power to change and grow a community. Joining me now is Vice President of Philanthropy and Communications with VNA Health Care, Chrissie Howorth. Welcome back to the show Chrissie.

Chrissie Howorth: Thank you. I'm pleased to be here.

Nicole Astra: So first, VNA is a force in our community. How do you leverage influence through healthcare in Aurora?

Chrissie Howorth: Well, VNA has been in Aurora for over 100 years. And so we have deep roots in this community, and as such, really a trusted provider of care for the population we serve. And VNA serves a population that is under and uninsured, and so some of the most vulnerable members of our community and our neighbors who are at increased risk of health disparities. And so VNA works with being really the largest community health system in the Western suburbs. We have deep connections, not only to the community, but to other safety net providers in the community and entities like the City of Aurora that we partner with to really put our mission into action every day.

Chrissie Howorth: So examples of that would be the work that we've been doing throughout the pandemic. So VNA has been working alongside our hospitals and public health agencies to really make sure that people are receiving good information and timely care at this critical time. So we've provided 60,000 vaccines. So we serve 30,000 residents of Aurora. So it's easy to see how with that sort of penetration of service, how that influences people on a day-to-day basis, whether they're getting primary care services, or wellness services, or needing care during a pandemic.

Nicole Astra: And how did you connect to Bureau Gravity?

Chrissie Howorth: VNA has been working with Bureau Gravity now for about five years. We seek opportunities to have messaging shared in creative and innovative ways, really that breaks down some of those barriers to communication. And so Bureau Gravity helps us with that. We're looking for a partner that had values that aligned with our organization, really providing equitable care and breaking down some of those barriers, and Bureau Gravity has been a great partner in those communication efforts.

Nicole Astra: And what do you see Talking Cities helping to resolve as far as communication being a barrier to proper health care?

Chrissie Howorth: I think Talking Cities really is a platform that is going to be a trusted voice within the community. And so we have our providers, our staff, our community health workers, working in the community, working with the church community and in the schools, and we have three health centers right here in Aurora and 16 across our service area. And so really being able to have another opportunity to reach people where they're at, if they're at home and working with their kids, or just taking time out to be finding another place to find accurate, timely, reliable information. There's so much misinformation in communications right now, and so this is a great opportunity. I see Talking Cities being able to be part of it.

Nicole Astra: Yeah. We've talked already tonight in the booth about there used to be one trusted source for news. Then years would go by and it was nightly news with a couple of options, but there's so much information, and along with that comes misinformation. So we really are looking forward to just being an objective news source on the ground and really helping our communities. We appreciate your time today so much.

Chrissie Howorth: Thank you, and we're looking forward to partnering with you for that initiative. Thank you.

Nicole Astra: Yes, thanks for coming back on the show.

Chrissie Howorth: Thank you so much.

Nicole Astra: We enjoyed seeing you again.

Chrissie Howorth: Thank you.

Nicole Astra: VNA offers so much to our community. They've even helped keep my own kids healthy. Communication should not be a barrier to receiving healthcare. It's been an honor to work together for their mission to get them in front of members of our community who need their services the most. That's what Talking Cities is about, information that's important to you, the Aurora community. Earlier this week, I sat down with the City of Aurora Chief Information Officer, Michael Pegues, to learn why he is so excited about Talking Cities, and he even says it's history in the making.

Michael Pegues: This Talking Cities platform is going to show people what the future looks like. We do a very good job of saying, "Here's what's happening on our community meetings," or what's happened with the city budget, or the mayor is out and about and he's talking about a new development. But what we miss is the average citizens, right? And I think that's where Bureau Gravity will basically have that silver sword and go out in the community and talk to the different people and really get what their opinions are. And it's 100% uncensored, it's real, it's out there.

Michael Pegues: The biggest difference, as this is a content video managed platform, is that it's interacting with people, right? And those memories, they'll see them visually versus having to read and interpret it. I know that there's innovation happening here, right? And I know it's just ready to blow up, and I just can't wait to let everyone else see what it is. It's going to be something that's going to be real. It's something that's going to be part of the City of Aurora's DNA. And I think it's going to be much bigger than we anticipate, right? I think it's history in the making, and it's going to be awesome.

Joey Thurman: We'll now turn our attention to my guest, Joel, here, Joel Ortega. Joel is the director of freshman enrollment at Aurora University, just up the street from us. We invite him to talk tonight about the influence in marketing communication. Joel, how are you?

Joel Ortega: I am doing extremely well. Thanks for having me.

Joey Thurman: Extremely well, I love that, man. That's good.

Joel Ortega: Oh yes.

Joey Thurman: Now, how does influence affect communication?

Joel Ortega: Well, I think to answer that question, we kind of got to break down both influence and communication as a whole. So communication, getting information from one person to the other, right? Influence I think is much broader than that. When you're looking to influence, you're looking to move forward an idea, put something into action. And in order for you to do that, you have to have some buy-in, both from that person that you're looking to do, or a particular group. And in my opinion, in order to have that buy-in, a lot of things need to take place. It's not just simple communication. That is me saying something to somebody else and they automatically do it. They can order for you to have some true influence.

Joel Ortega: What you're going to need to do is make sure that somebody has a reason to believe in what you're saying. If you don't have that buy-in from them and they don't believe you with that authenticity and honesty that you have, I don't think you're going to be able to have some strong influence. So I think having that foundation and building that relationship with the individual is for you to get true influence.

Joey Thurman: That's great. Influence can affect change, right?

Joel Ortega: Absolutely.

Joey Thurman: Perfect. Now, from a business perspective, how do you interpret the force of influence?

Joel Ortega: Well, that's another interesting concept. I think from a business perspective, you look to accomplish certain things based on whatever business you're in. So let's say that you're looking to enroll or recruit within a particular area. In order for you to do this, you're going to need to really understand your audience. It always comes down to understanding what somebody values. And once you understand what that individual values, what that customer, if you will, values, then you're going to be able to have that influence on them.

Joel Ortega: But I will say, one of the most important things within all of that needs to be the business itself has to be founded extremely well, and it needs to believe in what they're doing. If you're having somebody in there that's trying to influence you and really doesn't believe in what the company or the institution is doing, you're not going to have positive results. You have to have that person truly believing in the mission of what you're doing in order for you to have that influence upon others.

Joey Thurman: That makes perfectly sense. Now, how do you see marketing communication shifting as influence becomes even more widespread?

Joel Ortega: Well, I've seen this happen more and more as the years progress. I kind of think about it when before the internet was really at where it was at now, we saw consumers just purchasing things without really having an understanding of what they were purchasing. And by that, I mean, customer reviews, right? Right now, if somebody goes on Amazon, they look something up and they make sure they've vetted extremely.

Joey Thurman: I know I do. My wife would yell at me if I don't. "You bought that?"

Joel Ortega: Exactly. You need to make sure that others believe in what you're doing too. So what I'm getting at is that we're seeing influence play a different role now in that there's a community of people that are sometimes supporting this idea, whether that would be a product or service. And you need to very much to leverage that concept for you to be successful within business.

Joey Thurman: Amazing. I see why you're so successful yourself and you're a rising star. Joel, thank you for joining us.

Joel Ortega: Absolutely. My pleasure.

Joey Thurman: Now, earlier today, actually about an hour ago, we held a press conference in Aurora to kick off today's event. Let's watch a clip now of Jimi Allen, CEO and Founder of Bureau Gravity, as he talks about how this newsfeed platform is going to change communication as we know it today.

Jimi Allen: Talking cities is a platform that is really global at this point. If you have access to the internet, you can see a Talking Cities program. And because we're starting in Aurora, it goes pretty deep, but the idea that communities all over America have resources and opportunities, particularly America, because it's the country that's going to design the future. So if you are a startup in Israel or in Singapore, and you want to come to America, Talking Cities can invite and create economic development simply because everybody's online and they can see what's going on here.

Joey Thurman: Hello again, everyone. I'm here with our final guest, CEO and Founder of Nazaru, Toyin Umesiri. As a policy advocate, impact-driven entrepreneur, business transformation consultant, and retail and international trade expert, Toyin joins me for a talk about influence and change. Great to see you, Toyin.

Toyin Umesiri: Thank you for having me, Joey.

Joey Thurman: It's great that you're here now. How does influence affect change?

Toyin Umesiri: I think influence is power, and it allows you to be more effective in delivering your message, right? So for me, you have a clear message and you have your stakeholders, be it in business or government that you want to communicate with. So influence allows you to deliver your message to them with power.

Joey Thurman: I like power. I'm kind of a powerful guy.

Toyin Umesiri: Yeah, use it carefully though.

Joey Thurman: Now, how do you think Talk Lab will influence communication as we know it?

Toyin Umesiri: I think the ability to help people deliver the message to their niche, I think that's really the game changer, right? Because what we have today is that people have a message, but they're not able to get that message across to their stakeholders. So being able to filter that message through the noise and get it right to the stakeholder, I think that's incredible.

Joey Thurman: Right. So you have that clear, concise message to a specific niche?

Toyin Umesiri: Absolutely.

Joey Thurman: That's great. Now how can Aurora prepare to be globally-minded?

Toyin Umesiri: I think for me, I've written about this before, global and trade always lands at the local level, right? So people talk about global. Yeah, global is actually local because when people from diverse culture seek to bring their products or their services across the world, somebody in the local community has to receive that. So I think it's going to be important if Aurora wants to be a part of that global economy, to be open to transformation, to be open to diverse people, because those people, they are coming in with their products, with their culture, with their heritage, and that's really how to be a global community.

Joey Thurman: Right. So we open up, we embrace the community, and in turn we can become more global?

Toyin Umesiri: Absolutely.

Joey Thurman: Well, thank you so much, Toyin. I really appreciate it.

Toyin Umesiri: Thank you. Awesome. Good to be here. Thank you.

Joey Thurman: Now it's time for our final reveal this evening, and it's really the cherry on top of our launch party sundae, ice cream. I highly recommend you turn up the volume. Without further preamble, let's go.

Speaker 24: In the heart of downtown Aurora, something groundbreaking is coming. We are literally raising the roof to build Aurora's first soundstage. News studio, production offices, creator spaces, food and culture hub, big production meets global contents. We are opening the film and television industry in Aurora. This is Talk Lab Studios.

Joey Thurman: Well, I don't think we can top that, Nicole.

Nicole Astra: As a born and raised Aurora girl, I am so excited about the things happening in my hometown.

Joey Thurman: Thank you for joining us for this Talk Lab live stream experience of The Force of Influence.

Nicole Astra: To flex your influence on Talking Plant Protein or Talking Cities, please be in touch through the contact information on the screen. Joey and I look forward to talking.