EP.87 STORYTELLING THAT BUILDS BELONGING with Naomi Crellin, CEO Storycraft Lab

ABOUT NAOMI CLARE CRELLIN:
Naomi Clare’s LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/naomi-clare-crellin

Websites:

storycraft.education (Company)

belongingplaybook.com (Company)

storycraftlab.com (Company)

Email: [email protected]

BIO:

Naomi Clare Crellin is a visionary leader who excels in transforming intent and insights into actionable, accessible strategies. 

As the Founder and CEO of Storycraft Lab, she specializes in refining big ideas and concepts into meaningful and measurable experiences. Naomi is adept at mapping strategic processes that guide both teams and clients from development through delivery, helping to define goals, refine messages, and measure the impact of the stories crafted. 

Her expertise lies at the intersection of spatial experience and messaging, having collaborated with a diverse range of organizations including Microsoft, Motorola, Bloomberg, the IFC, the Smithsonian, the Human Rights Campaign, and many more.

Beyond her work at Storycraft Lab, Naomi has served as an adjunct faculty member, bringing her passion for education into the classroom. She partners with organizations dedicated to making the world a better place, inspiring students to harness their creativity and curiosity. As an empowering educator and experience strategist, Naomi is committed to helping others succeed. 

She finds immense joy in co-creating with teams, generating engagement, and telling stories through interactions. Her dedication to collaboration and innovation is at the heart of her work, and she loves the impact she and her teams create together. 

Naomi Clare Crellin is not just a leader but a catalyst for change, fostering an environment where ideas flourish, and meaningful experiences are crafted.'

SHOW INTRO:

Welcome to Episode 87! of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast…

In every episode we follow our catch phrase of having “Dynamic Dialogues About DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.” 

And as we continue on this journey, we’ll continue to invite guests on our journey that are thought provoking futurists, AI technology mavens, retailers, international hotel design executives as well as designers and architects of brand experience places.

We’ll talk with authors and people focused on wellness and sustainable design practices as well as neuroscientists who will continue to help us look at the built environment and the connections between our mind-body and the built world around us.

If you like what you hear on the NXTLVL Experience Design show, make sure to subscribe, like, comment and share with colleagues, friends and family.

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is always grateful for the support of VMSD magazine.

VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. I think the IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing us to keep on talking about what makes retailing relevant. 

You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.

Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. 

SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org 

Today, EPISODE 87… I talk with Naomi Claire Crellin is a visionary leader who excels in transforming intent and insights into actionable, accessible strategies. Her work uses story as a vector towards belonging. 

Naomi believes that a well-told story builds trust and genuine peer-to-peer connection in audience advocacy. This in turn bolsters personal growth and psychological safety; encouraging participants to take calculated risks towards innovation.

We’ll get into all of that in a minute but first a few thoughts...

 

ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:

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

Websites: 

https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)

vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)

Email: [email protected]

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/

Bio:

David Kepron the Retail Studio Principal for the architecture and design firm Little (https://www.littleonline.com). He is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why’, ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. 

David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. 

In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. 

As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. 

David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation’s Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.

He has held teaching positions at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  

In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. 

 

 

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.