Ep.12 The Consumer Is the Brand with Jay Norris, Co-Founder & CEO - Guesst

ABOUT JAY NORRIS:

Website: https://guesst.co 

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynorris007/

Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/jaynorrisvision/

Bio:

• The Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Guesst Software since 2017,
• The Guesst software platform allows "Host" retailers to find and connect with complementary brands aka "Guesst" to display, merchandise and or sell their products or goods in their "Host" retail location. This simple process allows retailers to lower their monthly fixed cost, increase revenues and maximize both parties' brand awareness, return on investment and customer experience in a brick and mortar location.
• Jay Norris is a true go-to-market strategist who utilizes his innovative marketing skillset, invaluable relationships and keen understanding of the retail landscape to curate partnerships and experiential activations between retailers, landlords, media partners and brands in all sectors of retail.
• Mr. Norris found early success as a strategic marketing executive at Arista Records from 1994 to 1997, developing marketing strategies for Notorious BIG, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Deborah Cox, TLC, Pink, Alicia Keyes, and a long list of music artists who have scaled their careers through groundswell campaigns.
• Before Arista Records, Mr. Norris worked in the promotions department of Sony Music Entertainment from 1993 to 1994.
• Mr. Norris has further flourished as the co-founder of Detroitbuiltco.com since 2016. Norris and his partners vision was to curate a retail platform for Detroit makers and innovators.
• Norris's Growth Business Incubator Lifestyle Equities is a management consultancy specializing in innovative solutions for small, and medium to large size companies who aspire to either expand, streamline or become re-imagined.
• 2015 to 2016 and both the founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Tastemakers Media from 1997 to 2007, which was a national and international guide highlighting the best lifestyle offerings in each market.
• Constantly in the pursuit of helping other entrepreneurs get their ideas out into the world,Mr. Norris's favorite quote is "one's imagination is everything!! If one can use it wisely, it can become a brief snapshot of life's coming attractions."
• In addition to his primary responsibilities, he dedicates his time to volunteer at his local soup kitchen and with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Mr. Norris holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
• Mr. Norris received a scholarship for swimming and in the 1980's Norris held city and state records in butterfly and freestyle from his high school, Cass Technical, in the state of Michigan.

SHOW INTRO:

My guest todaylaunched his multi-faceted career in the promotions department of Sony Music Entertainment (from 1993 to 1994). 

He was then quick to succeed as a strategic marketing executive at Arista Records (from 1994 to 1997). While at Arista, he developed marketing strategies for Notorious BIG, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Deborah Cox, TLC, Pink, Alicia Keyes, and a long list of music artists who have grown their careers through some of the insight and strategies he created. 

Given this, you might think that he fits neatly into the Arts part of the NXTLVL acronym DATA but that would mean we stop looking at his career in 1997. 

With a vision to curate a retail platform for Detroit makers and innovators, He co-founded of Detroitbuiltco.com in 2016.

If that isn’t quite enough, his Growth Business Incubator Lifestyle Equities is a management consultancy specializing in innovative solutions for small, and medium to large size companies who aspire to expand, streamline or become re-imagined.

When not constantly in the pursuit of helping other entrepreneurs get their ideas out into the world, he dedicates his time to volunteer at his local soup kitchen and with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

He is a true go-to-market strategist who utilizes his innovative marketing skillset, invaluable relationships and keen understanding of the retail landscape to curate partnerships and experiential activations between retailers, landlords, media partners and brands in all sectors of retail.

I believe that with his new company GUESST we have the emergence of a new paradigm in retail experience making. 

One of Jay Norris’ favorite quotes is "one's imagination is everything!! If one can use it wisely, it can become a brief snapshot of life's coming attractions."This discussion will be like sitting through the “coming soon” trailers at a blockbuster (retail) movie.

Jay Norris holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Howard University in Washington, D.C., received a scholarship for swimming and in the 1980's (Norris held city and state records in butterfly and freestyle from his high school, Cass Technical, in the state of Michigan.)

ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:

Website: https://www.davidkepron.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b/

Instagram: davidkepron and NXTLVL_experience_design

Twitter: @davidkepron

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound. 

The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.

Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.