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Happy Market Research Podcast

Happy Market Research Podcast

Dan Fleetwood 321 Episodes Sep 10, 2026

Happy Market Research Podcast explores insights, trends, and expert perspectives in the market research industry. Each episode delivers practical conversations and analysis in a simple, engaging format. The show is hosted by Dan Fleetwood and features guests from research, insights, and related fields. It is aimed at professionals and anyone interested in understanding consumers and data-driven decision making.

Episodes

Ep. 32 – AI vs. Human Empathy: How to Protect Your Insights Career with Jan Dawson
Ep. 32 – AI vs. Human Empathy: How to Protect Your Insights Career with Jan Dawson Sep 10, 2026 00:31:06 As AI speeds up data analysis and survey generation, what remains uniquely human in the research process? In this episode, Dan Fleetwood sits down with Jan Dawson, former Senior Director of Research and Insights at Vivint, to explore the intersection of AI capabilities, stakeholder management, and human-centered discovery.Jan shares how he transformed months-long qualitative discovery projects int
Ep. 31 – The Trust Recession: Navigating the Verification Economy with Rebecca Brooks, Founder & CEO at Alter Agents
Ep. 31 – The Trust Recession: Navigating the Verification Economy with Rebecca Brooks, Founder & CEO at Alter Agents Aug 20, 2026 00:38:56 When trust in institutions, corporations, and technology plummets, how does consumer behavior adapt? In Episode 31, Dan Fleetwood is joined by Rebecca Brooks, Founder & CEO of Alter Agents, to unpack the shift from "promiscuous shopping" as an adventure to shopping as a stressful minefield. Rebecca shares the origin story of Alter Agents and how putting employee happiness first fueled a tripling o
Ep. 30 – The Risks of False Confidence in AI Research with Kelsy Saulsbury, Director of Client Insights at H&R Block
Ep. 30 – The Risks of False Confidence in AI Research with Kelsy Saulsbury, Director of Client Insights at H&R Block Aug 6, 2026 00:24:14 As AI puts research capabilities into the hands of non-researchers across organizations, how should insight teams adapt? In Episode 30, Dan Fleetwood is joined by Kelsy Saulsbury, Director of Client Insights at H&R Block. Kelsy discusses her extensive background across CPG, MedTech, creative, and financial service industries, offering a grounded perspective on modern insights leadership. She break
Ep. 29 – Navigating AI Sprints, Synthetic Data, and Cognitive Debt with Eugenia Archetti, Senior Manager at Owens & Minor
Ep. 29 – Navigating AI Sprints, Synthetic Data, and Cognitive Debt with Eugenia Archetti, Senior Manager at Owens & Minor Jul 23, 2026 00:35:55 AI is transforming how insights teams conduct pre-search, analyze market trends, and build buyer personas, but what are the true costs to critical thinking? In Episode 29, Dan Fleetwood is joined by Eugenia Archetti, Senior Manager of Customer & Market Insights at Owens & Minor. Eugenia takes listeners behind the scenes of healthcare PPE and product innovation, discussing how her team utilizes clo
Ep. 28 – How Research Teams Can Become Strategic Consultants with Alex Gardner
Ep. 28 – How Research Teams Can Become Strategic Consultants with Alex Gardner Jun 25, 2026 00:38:47 In this episode, Dan Fleetwood and Alex Gardner explore what it takes for researchers to become more strategic inside complex organizations. Alex explains that while many researchers are pulled across market research, UX, CX, product research, analytics, and data science, the goal should not be to master everything. Instead, researchers need to know their strengths, understand adjacent disciplines
Ep. 27 – Turning Research Into Media-Worthy Stories with Svetlana Gershman, Sr. Vice President at Method Communications
Ep. 27 – Turning Research Into Media-Worthy Stories with Svetlana Gershman, Sr. Vice President at Method Communications Jun 11, 2026 00:30:16 In this episode, Dan Fleetwood talks with Svetlana Gershman about the intersection of market research, PR, media coverage, and thought leadership. Svetlana shares how she entered market research after initially planning to become a lawyer, eventually beginning her career as a data analyst at PSB working on messaging research for Microsoft. She explains how her current role at Method Communications
Ep. 26 – Why Human Facilitation Still Matters in the Age of AI
Ep. 26 – Why Human Facilitation Still Matters in the Age of AI May 28, 2026 00:30:02 In this episode, Dan Fleetwood talks with Andy Garlikov about the changing role of qualitative researchers as AI becomes more common in research workflows. Andy explains how he fell into market research after years in customer and executive engagement, discovering that the facilitation skills he developed in advisory boards and executive programs applied directly to qualitative research. He argues
Ep. 25 – Live from IIEX: What’s Next for Research After AI Hype
Ep. 25 – Live from IIEX: What’s Next for Research After AI Hype May 6, 2026 00:26:19 In this special live episode of the Happy Market Research Podcast, Dan Fleetwood records from IIEX and speaks with three guests about the biggest conversations happening across the insights industry. Stan Sthanunathan shares a candid perspective on AI, the urgent need for reskilling, and why data quality must return to the center of the conversation. Brian Madden talks about the continued value of
Ep. 24 – What It Takes to Measure Impact in Modern Advertising with David Iudica, Head of Global Measurement and Insights Analytics at Uber Ads
Ep. 24 – What It Takes to Measure Impact in Modern Advertising with David Iudica, Head of Global Measurement and Insights Analytics at Uber Ads Apr 15, 2026 00:28:38 In this episode, Dan Fleetwood speaks with David Iudica, an experienced insights and analytics leader who has worked across major organizations including Meta, Citi, and now Uber Ads. David shares his career journey from agency-side research to leading global measurement and analytics teams. He explains how his team supports advertisers by helping them understand what’s actually driving performanc
Ep. 23 – When Great Ideas Meet Market Reality with Eric Rasmussen
Ep. 23 – When Great Ideas Meet Market Reality with Eric Rasmussen Mar 31, 2026 00:39:54 In this episode, Dan Fleetwood speaks with Eric Rasmussen, an experienced researcher who has worked across major companies including 23andMe, ebay and Groupon. Eric shares stories from his career working at the intersection of consumer behavior, technology, and product development. He discusses what it takes to turn complex innovation into something people actually adopt, and why many companies st
Ep. 22 – Why Great Researchers Spend More Time Listening with Janani Venkataraman, Director of Research & Insights at BILL
Ep. 22 – Why Great Researchers Spend More Time Listening with Janani Venkataraman, Director of Research & Insights at BILL Mar 11, 2026 00:26:33 In this episode of the Happy Market Research Podcast, Dan Fleetwood speaks with Janani Venkataraman, Director of Research & Insights at BILL, about how the role of research is evolving inside modern organizations. Janani shares her journey across agency, supplier, and client-side roles, and explains how her team supports go-to-market functions including sales, marketing, and customer experience. T
Ep. 21 – Leading with Purpose with Kajoli Tankha, Head of Consumer Insights at Microsoft
Ep. 21 – Leading with Purpose with Kajoli Tankha, Head of Consumer Insights at Microsoft Feb 25, 2026 00:31:35 In this episode of the Happy Market Research Podcast, Dan Fleetwood chats with Kajoli Tankha, who leads Microsoft’s consumer insights function. Kajoli shares her personal journey from agency life to leading a global team at Microsoft, discussing the challenges and rewards of guiding insights across AI, gaming, and more. They dive into how her team’s research influences product and marketing decisi

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