The Road to AxoniCom 2023

To celebrate AxoniCom 2023 taking over Nashville, host JD Dillon invited some of the conference’s movers and shakers to ITK.

Foot Locker’s former CEO Dick Johnson discussed what attendees can expect from his fireside chat with Axonify Co-founder and CRO Christine Tutssel. Then, Dessy Daskalov, Axonify’s SVP of Development, shares three nuggets about Axonify and AI. And Vijitharan Nageswaran, podcast host, Axonify’s Principal Solutions Consultant—and the big show’s mainstage MC!—shares what to look forward to as a first-time AxoniCom attendee.

This episode also takes a short detour with a look back at our past conferences and some of the unforgettable frontline insights from AxoniCom since it started in 2015.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the proven frontline enablement solution that gives employees everything they need to learn, connect and get things done. With an industry-leading 83% engagement rate, Axonify is used by companies to deliver next-level CX, higher sales, improved workplace safety and lower turnover. To learn more about how Axonify enables over 3.5 million frontline workers in 160-plus countries, in over 250 companies including Lowe’s, Kroger, Walmart and Citizens Bank, visit axonify.com.

Transcript

JD Dillon (00:13):

Hello friends, how are you doing today? It's great to see you. Welcome to the 38th episode of In the Know, your 25-minute deep dive into the modern employee experience and what we can do to make it better. I'm JD from Axonify, and today's episode is all about Axonify. I know the show's hosted by Axonify, but we actually don't talk about Axonify all that much. Well, today that's going to change because we're going to give you a sneak peek into our upcoming event. AxoniCom. AxoniCom is three days of community-building inspiration and hands-on learning designed to help frontline forward organizations improve their employee experiences and get the most out of the Axonify solution. This year's event kicks off in just a few days, running from October 22nd to the 24th at the JW Marriott in Nashville, Tennessee. It's so close. I actually have to get on a plane right after the show ends so I can get to Nashville and start getting ready.

(01:06):

We're bringing together a diverse group of practitioners, executives, partners and creators from all over the world, and they work in industries like retail, manufacturing, logistics, finance, insurance, hospitality, grocery and plenty more. But the one thing they all have in common is their commitment to enabling and empowering their frontline teams. So today we're going to give you just a quick taste, a bit of an appetizer, if you will, of the AxoniCom experience. We're going to speak with two of our AxoniCom speakers. First, Dessy Daskalov, SVP of Software Development at Axonify is here to preview her “AI at Axonify” session. And then we're going to be joined by Dick Johnson, the former CEO of Foot Locker, who's going to share his perspective on how you can get buy-in for investments within your business. And we're also going to meet the host of AxoniCom 2023 and hear what's on his mind as he gets ready to take the big stage.

(02:00):

So if you're heading to Nashville to join the fun, this is a preview of the experience that you're going to have next week, and if you can't make it, that's okay, but this episode may give you a bit of FOMO but don't worry, I'm also going to let you know how you can pick up on some AxoniCom insights both during and after the event online. So hike up those boots and dust off that Stetson as we set off on the road to AxoniCom 2023. The AxoniCom experience has evolved a lot over the years, just like the Axonify solution. The first event took place way back in 2015 before I was even a member of the team. I was actually a customer way back then, but I wasn't able to join the 40 or so people who came together in Cambridge to discuss ideas like reinforcement, knowledge, retention and behavior change.

(02:44):

By 2017, I was up there on the stage alongside customers like Walmart, Manulife, and Bell, and I especially remember that year because it was the first time I ever saw Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. Of course, we actually took a bus trip out there together after we wrapped our daytime agenda. 2018 was all about impact, the importance of driving results and our newest AI-powered Axonify feature. It was also the first time a company ever bought me clothes because I had to get up there on stage wearing gear from companies like Levi's and New Balance. So that was pretty cool. 2019 featured a high-energy keynote from Shawn Kanungo, one of our favorite ITK guests. It was also the first time anyone ever saw Axonify's generative AI content assistant. That's the tool we used to write learning questions based on your source material automatically.

(03:32):

Then, like so many did, we went remote in 2020, but that didn't stop us from shining a spotlight on the frontline and bringing people together online to share how they were enabling their frontline teams during a very challenging time. And we heard great stories from companies like Disney, Southwest Airlines, Dollar General, Lowe's and Great Place to Work. And now we're finally back in person in 2023 and bringing the event to the US for the first time. Now, to put on a great conference, you need a few things. You need a great venue, and we've definitely got that at the JW Marriott in Nashville. You need great speakers, and we certainly have those, including folks from Marriott, Red Thread Research, Giant Eagle, American Tires, Zebra Technologies, Dollar General, Harbor Freight and Lowe's that are going to be there, plus so many awesome team members from the Axonify group.

(04:20):

You need awesome, fun, super activities, and we've got plenty of those, including an evening that we're going to be spending at the Musician's Hall of Fame. So look forward to that. But there is one other thing that you need for a great event, and that is a great host. Now, I've had the pleasure of hosting several past AxoniComs, and I had lots of fun. I was totally exhausted after three days of nonstop high-energy activity. But here's the thing, this year, I am not hosting. I know, I know, that's what a lot of people said when they found out. But I have good news because another member of the Axonify team is stepping in to fill my moderately sized shoes to host their very first AxoniCom event. He's a dynamic professional who injects energy and creativity into everything he does, including his role as a Principal Solutions Consultant with Axonify. And before he got into technology, he was actually a police officer in London. So look out if you're thinking about any shenanigans while you're in Nashville, he'll be watching. But everything he does really centers around cultivating human connections and prioritizing people, which is why he's such a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and frankly, a great person to pick to host your event. So, let's meet the host of AxoniCom 2023, Viji. Viji, you're In The Know. How are you doing?

Vijitharan Nageswaran (05:39):

Not too bad, JD. Thank you for the opportunity. Very pleased to be here.

JD Dillon (05:44):

Great to have you, and excited to see you soon in Nashville. So not only is this your first in-person AxoniCom, but you're the host. So, what's on your mind as we count down the days until we head to Nashville?

Vijitharan Nageswaran (05:55):

I'll be honest, quite a few things. Of course, Nashville is known for its music and culture, but I think I'm most importantly more thrilled about meeting customers and prospects in person to really network and collaborate. And one more secret: it's my first time in America, so quite excited.

JD Dillon (06:13):

That's great to hear. And I'm going to need to make a bit of a bulleted list of things to look for while you're in the States. Now. In the intro, I mentioned your advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and for example, you’re the co-founder and co-host of the podcast “Diversity & Inclusion: Satisfying the tickbox?” So this year's AxoniCom main stage features a session titled “Supporting the Whole Human,” and we're going to be speaking with Mark Person from Dollar General, Elizabeth Thompson, a former ITK guest from Intuitive Quest, and Russell Wigginton, the President of the National Civil Rights Museum, is going to be there. So, I'd love to get your perspective on why the idea of supporting the whole human is an essential part of the frontline conversation that we're going to be having in Nashville.

Vijitharan Nageswaran (06:53):

I think firstly, it's important to recognize that the frontline is the heartbeat of any organization, and they deal directly and interact with a diverse customer base. Having a diverse, equitable and inclusive frontline organization, what does that really mean? It means that it fosters innovation and creativity. You've got different ways of thinking and different perspectives that enhance problem-solving, but this conversation about DEI… it's not just a conversation. It's actually a cornerstone to really enrich their customer experience, but also their employee experience.

JD Dillon (07:28):

It's a great way to put it, and I can already feel the host vibes. Now, as a former AxoniCom host, I wanted to use this opportunity not just to educate everyone out there about the event but also to share a few tips that I have for you as someone who hosted previous events and ran that main stage. So here are JD’s top five tips for hosting AxoniCom. We've got number five, go with the flow. We're going to have a packed agenda. You're going to have a lot of talking points that you need to hit, but it's also important to flex the conversation based on people's needs, the energy of the room and the interest that people are expressing. So, always look for those opportunities to add relevance and engagement over the course of our two days. Number four, you have to ask why we don't have that hydraulic lift under the main stage.

(08:12):

Because when I was host, all I asked for was the ability to get launched out of the stage, like the Gangnam-style guy, and I never had that chance. So maybe I'm hopeful you might get that chance someday. Number three, you want to remember that you're not the show. Something I had to be reminded of several times. This is a chance for the Axonify community to share their stories and learn from one another. So, as host and facilitator, we're just there to tee up those stories, ensure everything stays on time and remind people where the restroom is. So one thing I would say is when you get there, find the photographer and ask them, Hey, can you get me like five hero shots of while I'm on stage? Because they're going to come in really handy potentially in the future. Number two, you have to get the right of first refusal in your hosting contract because you'd love to think that what happens at AxoniCom stays at AxoniCom, but that's definitely not the case.

(09:02):

We love to share the experience with people who maybe couldn't make it there in person, including the educational and fun stuff. And luckily, I do have final approval on what gets shared about me and my hosting contract, and that's why there's a video of a certain skit where I may or may not have imitated Patrick Swayze from Dirty Dancing, and that is locked in a vault, and will never see the light of day again. This is an important tip for the host. And number one, my best tip for hosting AxoniCom. It may be cliche, but it's to have fun. We haven't done this in a couple of years, so hopefully, you can take in every moment and give people a good show that's worth the time it takes to get to Nashville. So that's all the wisdom I have to share with you today. But I do have one more question before we let you go. If there's someone out there, a member of the Axonify community, maybe still trying to figure out if it’s worth the time and investment to join us at AxoniCom, what would you say to them, and why is it important for them to join us in Nashville?

Vijitharan Nageswaran (09:59):

You've mentioned, JD, that AxoniCom hasn't been done in person for a couple of years. So actually attending AxoniCom in person and networking, that's a game changer. Secondly, it's not just about the session, it's also about the fact that you're getting insights, exclusive insights about Axonify, the product and how it's evolving. So really, this is an investment in knowledge, but also partnerships and future collaboration and opportunities.

JD Dillon (10:25):

Well said, and I always love to make the point about events, and I think it's something that hasn't really been replicated online is that many of my best learnings coming from conferences have happened not necessarily in the educational session rooms or not necessarily on the main stage. They're all great, but it's really those conversations that you have at lunch, those conversations that you have in the hallways with people who have shared experiences, shared challenges, that really, I think, makes the difference for an event like this. So thank you so much, Viji, for joining us for this AxoniCom preview. Best of luck in your hosting role, and I'll see you soon in Nashville.

Vijitharan Nageswaran (10:56):

Thank you, JD. And I'll see everyone at AxoniCom.

JD Dillon (10:59):

I don't know if everyone knows this, but technology companies are now required to talk about AI at least once every 30 minutes. And yes, AI is tracking our compliance. Anyway, it's good that we're not even halfway through the show at this point, and our next guest is actually going to make sure that we're following the rules by giving us a preview of her highly anticipated AxoniCom session “AI at Axonify. Dessy Daskalov is the Senior Vice President of Software Development at Axonify. She joined the team as part of the 2022 acquisition of Nudge, where she was co-founder and CTO. She has extensive experience in building exceptional software in collaboration with passionate, dedicated and diverse teams, including former roles at Eloqua and The Working Group. Dessy, you're In The Know. How are you doing?

Dessy Daskalov (11:47):

I’m great, JD. Thanks for having me.

JD Dillon (11:50):

My pleasure, indeed. So I was very happy when I found out that they actually rescheduled my learning ecosystem session at AxoniCom and moved it away from your AI session because I know the entire Axonify community is interested in learning more about the work that your team is doing about how we can better leverage AI within the Axonify experience. So, first of all, how would you describe Axonify’s approach to AI?

Dessy Daskalov (12:15):

Yeah, great question. So, I would say that our product approach always is to give our customers the best tools to enable their front lines to do their best work every day. AI doesn't change that. It just allows us to supercharge that goal and take that many steps further. So in the session, I covered this a little bit during our session, and what I'll talk about is a fundamental shift that we're seeing in technology generally, and that we're going to really embrace at Axonify, which is going from a world where as a user of Axonify, whether you're on the frontline on your mobile phone or you're an admin using the software to create content, you're going to go from a world where you have an outcome in your head, and you're typing things in, you're dragging things. You're giving the software step-by-step instructions on how to get to that outcome that's in your head, and we're going to shift that to a world where you're going to be able to tell Axonify, this is the outcome I want, and AI is going to step in and take some of those intermediary steps out of the equation and make that a lot faster for you.

(13:15):

So our approach really is to make sure that we're leveraging AI to give you those efficiencies and keep going to your goal.

JD Dillon (13:23):

Awesome, and great point around the fact that it's not changing the goal, right? It's not changing the outcome, it's just fundamentally changing the way we think about how technology works and the way that we solve a wide variety of problems. So without giving away too many spoilers, can you give us a little bit more of a preview of what you'll be sharing during your day two session “AI at Axonify”?

Dessy Daskalov (13:42):

Yeah, definitely. So it's hard not to give away too many spoilers. I'm super excited about the session. I hope it's super informative for everybody. We've broken it up into three parts, so I'll tell you a bit about each part. At the beginning, we're going to start with a story on how we got to this place in 2023 where, as you said, everyone's talking about AI, how it's transforming our work and our industry and frontline work specifically. Then we're going to move to a really demo-heavy section of the session, which is super fun. We're going to show off Max, our generative AI assistant. Some of you have seen Max. We're going to show a couple of new things Max can do, and then we're going to peel back the curtain to Axonify Labs to show off a few exploratory concepts on some of the neat ways we're looking at leveraging AI in the future.

JD Dillon (14:26):

And I think it's going to be a great session in a world of AI sessions. So you can't throw a rock at a conference nowadays without seeing a session about AI, but I'm particularly excited about it not just going to be a theory-based session. It's not just going to be, well, AI could or AI can, there's a lot of that going on, but we're going to show you tactically how we're using this technology not just to solve problems moving forward, but also we've been using AI for a long time as Axonify to solve different problems including generative ai, and this is an opportunity to see where we're taking that in the short term, then how we're thinking about advancing in the long term. So I think it's going to be a great balance in regard to the AI conversation that can get a little bit fluffy and vague, let's say, at this time. So, I have one more question before we let you go. What advice would you give someone out there trying to get past all that hype, right? They go to a conference, they see 15 different sessions about AI. There's a pile of blog posts, white papers and vendors talking about AI all of a sudden all over the place. How do you get past that hype and figure out how AI can help them improve the employee experience within their organization in meaningful ways?

Dessy Daskalov (15:35):

Yeah, that's also another good one. There's certainly a lot of hype. I often think about it as when you go to a restaurant, and there's a super big menu and you suddenly want to eat everything and nothing all at once because you're so overwhelmed, it's a little bit like that. So the advice I would have is to really lean into the tools you're already using. So, our job at Axonify is to bring AI to you and help bring those efficiencies to your work. So lean into the tools. When you see new AI functionality released, take note of it, use it and note in your head how much time is this saving me? How much more accurate is my job getting because of this? And when you start to see those efficiencies, give the feedback to that provider and keep using that tool. So really just lean on the tools because, I mean, everybody's thinking about this and baking this into their workflows, so let us do the work and just embrace it when it comes.

JD Dillon (16:24):

AI really is the Cheesecake Factory of technology, as it were. So great analogy there. And then just kind of a great point around FOMO is real. There's so much cool stuff it can do, so many interesting things, but the question becomes, are the interesting things actually a value add to what you're trying to do, and more importantly, the problems you're trying to solve? And in our world, does it actually help the frontline employee do their job more effectively? It could be a super cool capability, but does it actually deliver value to the people who really need the support and where the focus needs to be? So great point there. Dessy, again, thank you so much for joining us for our AxoniCom preview and making sure that we mentioned AI as we were now required to do because it's watching. Anyway, thank you again so much. I'll see you soon in Nashville.

Dessy Daskalov (17:15):

Thank you, JD. See you in Nashville.

JD Dillon (17:18):

95%. That's how many Foot Locker employees in North America log into Axonify to do their training, but they're not just logging in once per quarter to click through a compliance course. On average, stripers complete training activities more than 12 times per month. And that's pretty much every shift when you think about a frontline workforce. And this awesome level of engagement is part of Foot Locker's everyday mantra of “Clock in, Lace Up, Hit the Floor,” and it means that learning is no longer seen as something that gets in the way of work. It's a regular part of the job for 44,000 team members across 3000 global stores. But this kind of engagement doesn't come easy. It requires a mindset shift, thinking differently about the value of learning in today's workplace, and it also requires buy-in from all levels of leadership up to and including the CEO.

(18:09):

In fact, Foot Locker’s CEO at the time of Axonify’s introduction not only championed the company's focus on frontline development, but he also set the tone by completing his own daily training sessions. Now, how can you get your CEO, your stakeholders and your managers to buy into your vision for employee enablement? Well, I can't think of anybody better to ask than our featured AxoniCom speaker and former Foot Locker CEO, Dick Johnson. Throughout his career, Dick Johnson has been at the forefront of retail by driving industry change across digital transformation, consumer experience, marketing and merchandising. Dick's tenure at Foot Locker spanned nearly 30 years, where he served as the company's Chief Executive Officer until 2022, following two years as Chief Operating Officer and holding multiple other divisional leadership roles across the globe. During his tenure, Dick turned a brick-and-mortar company into an interactive retail community poised for long-term growth in the digital era. Dick Johnson, you're In The Know. How are you doing?

Dick Johnson (19:06):

I'm great. It's great to be with you today, and you know that I love the product, so I'm excited to talk about our journey to utilizing it every day with our team.

JD Dillon (19:16):

Awesome. So great to have you here. So your team did call out the importance of your advocacy, driving frontline engagement and focus, and continued learning in what Foot Locker calls Axonify Lace up. So I'm curious, as a CEO, how do you think about the connection between what you're trying to achieve as a business and how you invest in your frontline teams?

Dick Johnson (19:38):

Our business is driven by the frontline teams. As you mentioned, we've got 44,000 employees and 3000 global stores, and making sure that they have a good, consistent training methodology, making sure that we can communicate with them on a daily basis. It's one and the same as we think about our strategy as we think about moving forward, we know that we have to have our stripers and our team in blue at Champs Sports all fully engaged, and it really has been the use of a tool like Axonify or in our case, Lace Up, as we call it, that allows us to communicate directly with the employees, allows us to change things on the fly and allows us to have training that is meaningful and consistent and in bite-sized bits so that today's part-time staffer can, as you said, clock in, lace up and hit the floor. They've got the most current knowledge with them every single shift that they go out on the floor.

JD Dillon (20:34):

So when we talk a bit about this idea of engaging people in continuous learning and frontline enablement and overall learning and development strategies, there's a term I hear bantered about a lot in the HR and L&D communities, and I have to throw air quotes “a seat at the table”. Teams often talk about how difficult it can be to get that seat and how much struggle they have to provide value as a result. So, from your view, as a person who's literally and metaphorically at the head of the table, what does it take to get that seat at the table, especially within a large complex organization, so that you can gain the support you need for ideas like employee development?

Dick Johnson (21:14):

Well, it's a great question JD and I think in our organization, our CHRO was the person that had the seat at the table, and our Learning and Development team reported up through her. So, there was always an advocate at the table in our situation. And as we talked about changing things, as we talked about moving forward, as we talked about taking old binders of training materials out of the back rooms and moving it to be, as I talked about earlier, more bite-sized training for our employees, our CHRO Elizabeth Norberg had a place at the table and she was a loud advocate. Combining that with my belief that our game is won and lost at the lease line and with our customers made it pretty easy, I believe, to get a place at the table.

(22:03):

And when you've got a great product that allows there to be a win for the associates to be a win for the company and to help propel us forward, I think it's really a pretty easy conversation. I know not every organization is structured the same, but certainly in our world, that CHRO spot at the table, combined with a belief from the rest of the leadership team that we had to empower and help train our frontline associates, made the job relatively easy. There's always a cost involved. So it's never easy when there's a cost in payback analysis and those sorts of things that have to be done. But at the end of the day, it was a pretty easy decision to go with a product like Axonify.

JD Dillon (22:49):

Now, your main stage conversation in Nashville is going to be with our CRO at Axonify Christine Tutssel, and you're going to dig into even more of these ideas about how you can transform your senior leadership into serious advocates for improving the employee experience. But while I have you here on our digital stage, I'd really like to ask, what did you learn during your time as CEO from your frontline teams, and how did interactions with those teams and your time spent in stores help you become a better steward for the business?

Dick Johnson (23:17):

Well, JD, my favorite days were days in the stores because that's really where you learn how the business is operating, what's effective. We can't just send messages from the fourth floor, as we talked about it in New York City, and expect that message to resonate across the organization. So being out in the stores, working with the associates and listening to what the associates had to say allowed us to structure things appropriately to help make their jobs easier, and retail is a difficult, difficult job. And when you think about it, you talked about 12 shifts a month. It's not something that the associates are doing every single day. So, to hear what's on their mind and understand how we can help propel the business, it was just essential that we spent time in the store and listened. There were many times when I would go to the shoe wall and try to help a customer.

(24:13):

They'd look at me a little bit strange because I didn't have stripes on at the time. I was probably in a sports coat, but I'd say no, I worked for Foot Locker and was happy to try to help you. And of course, the associates would see that, and they'd try to help me help the customer at the end of the day. But really, the frontline associate in any retail business, in my opinion, is the most important element of making the business be successful. Certainly, we put strategies together, we manage the p and ls, and we do all of those things, but without a great frontline employee, there just is little opportunity for you to be as successful as you'd like in retail.

JD Dillon (24:54):

Dick, thank you so much for joining us here on our AxoniCom preview, just the beginning of an awesome conversation that we're going to continue in Nashville. So I look forward to seeing you in person and hearing more of your great tips during AxoniCom. So thank you again so much for being here.

Dick Johnson (25:08):

Thanks for having me, JD. Look forward to seeing you in Nashville.

JD Dillon (25:11):

Well, that's a wrap on our preview of AxoniCom 2023. I hope to see lots of you in person when the Axonify community comes together in Nashville from October 22nd to the 24th. But if you can't make it, that's okay too. Be sure to follow Axonify on LinkedIn with the hashtag #AxoniCom2023 because we're going to be sharing plenty of insights and lots of fun both during and after the event. And, of course, check out axonify.com/axonicom for full event details. If you had a good time today, be sure to subscribe to ITK. Head over to axonify.com/itk to sign up for show announcements and reminders. You can also check out the entire ITK collection on the Axonify YouTube channel or listen to In The Know on your favorite podcast app, and I'll see you back here in two weeks post-AxoniCom. As we continue our exploration of AI and its impacts on the employee experience, we'll be joined by Juan Naranjo, a next-generation learning professional who applies AI and his work with a leading Canadian telecommunications company. We're going to dig into the practical side of AI-enabled work and how you can apply AI to boost your creativity and make work more human. So be sure to tune in on Wednesday, November 1st, at 11:30 AM Eastern for an AI-powered discussion with Juan Naranjo. Until then, I've been JD. Now you're In The know, and always remember to ask yourself the important questions: Do you know what's better than Tennessee? 11-essee.

(26:40):

I'll see you next time. In The Know is produced by Sam Trieu and visually designed by Mark Anderson. Additional production support by Richia McCutcheon, Andrea Miller, Maliyah Bernard, Tuong La and Meaghan Kay. The show is written and hosted by JD Dillon. ITK is an Axonify production. For more information on how Axonify helps frontline workers learn, connect and get things done, visit axonify.com.