A Story of Unemployment to Dream Job in Customer Insights

What happens when you walk into a company with no insights function, where everyone is conducting their own research? On this episode of Ponderings from the Perch, the Little Bird Marketing podcast, host and CEO Priscilla McKinney talks with guest and Head of Consumer Insights at StarKist, Raina Rusnak, about building an insights function from the ground up. They discuss how she transformed a fragmented research environment into a strategic advantage by focusing on customer insights and establishing proper survey design standards that serve multiple internal stakeholders. Rusnak got to work when she discovered teams were about to launch a 30-minute survey. A 30-minute survey! Instead, she applied her insights expertise and was able to help everyone shift gears, right size the survey and still get everyone the insights they needed. She got some quick wins by conducting low-budget DIY research to establish credibility quickly. Rusnak revealed how she worked hard to get market research insights efforts aligned with executive-level discussions by taking the initiative to understand business needs and deliver strategic recommendations. "I spent time being curious and asking people what their pain points were," Rusnak explains. "I would ask, ‘If I could wave a magic wand and give you an insight right now, what would that be?’" The discussion also covers Rusnak's experience during 18 months of unemployment right before she landed this job at StarKist, which led her to write "Sampling Life: 100 Ways to Find Joy in Unemployment." She shares how being time-rich during unemployment allowed her to engage her mind, body, and connections while staying present and maintaining resilience through the job search process. She uses this book to encourage others now in that place and promotes the great job of networking and connection available through the Insights Career Network.  Sponsors: Tired of generic marketing firms that don't get market research? Say hello to Little Bird Marketing, the revenue generation company of choice for the market research industry. Our "peeps" understand market research inside and out. We know your buyers, craft meaningful messages that move them to buy, understand the competitive landscape and where you fit in the market. We get the industry - from qual/quant to emerging technologies. Why settle for getting the job done when you can soar with marketing that drives real revenue? Click here to get started. Ever feel like your company is sitting on a goldmine of opportunities, but they keep slipping away? Most companies already have their next big win hiding in their database. Little Bird Marketing's Revenue Sprint is a proven system that works backward from your revenue goals to create a focused plan for building a sales pipeline and predictable growth. No massive budget required—just strategic execution that delivers measurable results. Ready to turn missed opportunities into new wins? Click here and build a predictable pipeline for sustainable growth.