👑In this podcast episode #115, @Nicole Nutile, Board Chair of SOCAP for 2025, shares insights about the consumer affairs industry's future, the role of technology, and the upcoming major shifts for @SOCAP. With a focus on embracing technology, AI, transparency, and accessibility, SOCAP aims to create a more impactful, streamlined experience for its members through enhanced events and leadership.
Key Takeaways:
💡 SOCAP’s 2025 Vision: Emphasizing AI, transparency, and accessibility to keep up with evolving customer service trends.
🤖 Embracing AI: SOCAP sees AI as essential for its future growth, likening its integration to the early days of the internet. Nicole provides a funny Today Show thought from the early days of the internet!
🎤 National Conference Shift: SOCAP is consolidating its events into a single major conference, aimed at creating a stronger impact and broader audience.
🌍 Getting Involved: For newcomers, volunteering within SOCAP is a flexible way to expand your professional network without heavy time commitments.
📔Mark your calendars for this Tuesday, 2/11/25 to listen in to her episode (#115) on the My Curious Colleague 🔍 #CPGCX podcast. Nicole also is Customer Success Lead at Wiley, as well as SOCAP International's Board Chair this year.
Podcast link: https://lnkd.in/gYr8uKPf
#podcasst #cpgcx #socapinternational #socap2025 #aiincx #customerservice #leadership #networkingopportunities #socapevents
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
denise venneri (00:00):
Welcome to the My Curious Colleague podcast
with me, Denise Venneri. I am atwenty year practitioner in the
consumer engagement space havingworked for two large CPG
organizations. My intent here isreally to share best practices
with particular focus around thespecialist and analyst roles and
(00:21):
to give back to this greatcommunity because CPGCX rocks.
Hello, my curious colleagues.This week, I'm curious about
what the consumer affairsindustry group known as SOCAP
has planned for 2025, and Iwould love to hear it straight
(00:43):
from their board chair. And tohelp me do just that is my
colleague in CILCAP twentytwenty five board chair, Nicole
Nutille. Welcome back to thepodcast, Nicole.
nicole nutile (00:58):
Thank you so much for having me again, Denise.
It's always a pleasure to behere with you and your audience.
denise venneri (01:05):
Aw. That's nice. Hey, folks. You all may remember
Nicole from her episode lastyear on her leadership role on
Wiley's Green Group, an employeeresource community. So do check
out episode one zero seven,curious about getting green at
work if you missed that one.
(01:25):
That's my last plug. We have alot to get into, but first, can
can you share a littlebackground on SOCAP? Just a
refresher, what it is and whatyour vision and or platforms are
for 2025.
nicole nutile (01:42):
Yeah. For sure. So I wanna start by saying,
SOCAP, a lot of colleagues inthe industry don't know what it
is. It's the Society of ConsumerFair Professionals. And I think
it's really important to callthat out, because, you know,
SOCAP people, you know, haven'tbeen in it, don't always know,
but that's really what it is.
(02:02):
It's been my professional hubfor the last thirteen years. And
over that time, I've I'vevolunteered in many of the local
chapters and regions, eventuallyjoining the national board of
directors and then the executiveboard. So cap really serves as
the key networking communityplatform for customer service
(02:22):
trends. Those who want who wannaconnect and stay on top of
what's going on in their world,especially in the CX world. So
we connect the top CX leadersfrom renowned brands and
consumer packaged goodsindustries to CPG, retail,
automotive, and travel.
And I think with today facingrapid technological
(02:43):
advancements, we're alwaysworried about brand loyalty,
right, concerns that we havefrom our consumers. And that
shift back from even hybrid toin person, that focus being on
in person events. So we have toremain relevant. I think that
doing that, SOCAP has to evolve.We've been around for fifty plus
years now, and that's achallenge when you have
(03:05):
something with such richhistory, how we bring that
forward.
So with technology, being at theforefront, it's going to be
essential in how we continuegrowing. Besides leveraging
technology, I think essential toour success is going to be
ensuring transparency to ourmembership and the leaders that
support the organization. Andthen, of course, the
(03:26):
accessibility that we give toour members, so that way they're
getting the best, most relevantcontent market. I hope that as
the 2025 board chair, thisapproach is going to allow our
members that are with us now andthat happened with us for a
really long time and the nuancecoming on to really take, you
know, advantage of theirmembership.
denise venneri (03:47):
So I thought I think you touched on in there
kinda what your platforms are.Am I correct? I think I heard
transparency. Right. Which is,which is great opportunity right
now, as you were saying, forfolks to get to know you
accessibility.
(04:07):
And was there a third one?
nicole nutile (04:10):
Technology, I think is a big part of where
we're going. Yeah.
denise venneri (04:13):
Okay. Alright. So speaking of which, where does
specifically within technology,because AI is really just a
lever in technology, although wehave it, like, you know, up a
little bit higher for somereason. Where does that fit in?
Or does it figure at all orpredominantly with your SoCap
(04:36):
vision for 2025?
nicole nutile (04:38):
I think it's interesting, right? Like, how
many times a day now we hear AI,artificial intelligence? Mhmm.
It's really for me, AI is nodifferent than when we think
about when the Internet firstlaunched. Right?
And I always go back to thatclip, that it's a classic. It's
from the Today Show from theearly nineties, and they're like
(05:00):
it's like Katie Couric and them.They're like, what is the
Internet anyway? And theycouldn't figure out what the at
symbol was. Was it at or about?
And it was just great.
denise venneri (05:07):
Oh my god.
nicole nutile (05:09):
So I think what that is, you know, '94 wasn't
that long ago, and we'rethinking about this the same
way. But I think if we justembrace where ETA AI is headed
and seamlessly try to integrateit into our technology strategy,
the best way that's gonna servethe members and the
organization, I think it'ssomething that we're really
(05:31):
excited about.
denise venneri (05:33):
Yeah. And I think that's definitely, you
know, a great benefit of theindustry group or any industry
group is to learn from yourpeers, learn from the experts,
especially as, you know, weevolve into this this part of
the whole technology. Alright.We covered that and that. I do
(05:53):
wanna get into the events formembers in a bit, I promise.
But wondering if you could atfirst give us a little sneak
peek as the chair. So folks maynot know. In fact, I'm not even
positive. What was yoursuccession plan like to help you
be the best leader you can benow in this role? And I also
(06:14):
understand that the chair getsto select a SOCAP advisor for
their year of reign.
Can you tell us more about thatand who and why you may have
selected them?
nicole nutile (06:27):
Yeah. Yeah. That's a great question. So I'm
I'm really fortunate to have hadso much support and mentorship
throughout the years from, youknow, Beth Siff all the way to,
you know, Chris Jury, who wasthe 2025 board chair. And he
really made sure that I wasready to take on this role.
Even now, he's the immediatepast chair and also serves on
(06:51):
the executive committee. He'sbacking the organization and
supporting my vision for what, Iwant to have to be this year. I
was on the board for a lot ofthe pandemic when, the leaders,
you know, like Lisa Deal werelike, she was serving as sheriff
for quite some time because wewere in this sort of weird gray
area. And Marie Schubin, weresort of leading the charge.
(07:12):
Being a part of that group, isjust a priceless experience.
And all of that helped build thevision that I have, helped build
sort of ways that I see thingsand me as a person, my
character. And I could be Icouldn't be more grateful for
for them. But when it comes tothe advisers, I didn't know
about this either until a fewyears back, but the incoming
(07:35):
chair gets to appoint anonvoting member adviser. And
it's not mandatory, but it'sdefinitely a fantastic
opportunity. So I jumped on thatwhen I took over as chair, and I
sort of I used the SoCaps termvoluntold.
My incredible boss, and he'salso a long time SoCalpper, Bob
Weiss, to to join me, and hefully supported it. Bob's our
(07:59):
corporate vice president ofglobal customer service and
sales support at Wiley. He'sbeen a member of SoCap for, you
know, so long. He brings overtwenty five years of expertise
in customer service, quality,reverse logistics. You know, not
a lot of people know, but funfact about Bob is he's an
(08:19):
engineer, an electrical engineerby trade.
So before joining while Wiley,he really took that customer
focused lean six sigma, youknow, approach to continuous
improvement to so manyorganizations that he worked
for. Sony, Motorola, Samsung,Barnes and Noble, and then
Google. And from Google, he cameto Wiley, and he's been there
(08:41):
since. So he's just reallygreat, and I think having him in
this advisory role is going toadd value to the organization.
His knowledge in CX andespecially automation and AI,
he's really one of the leadersin that area.
He's gonna help me to preservethat rich culture and history of
SOCAP that we've had the lastfifty years while, you know,
(09:03):
really embracing what the futureholds.
denise venneri (09:06):
I'm jumping into an ad right now. This episode is
sponsored by SOCAP, the Societyof Consumer Affairs
Professionals. As the leading CXassociation, SOCAP is at the
forefront of customerexperience, trends, and
innovation. Discover how SOCAPempowers its members to stay
(09:27):
ahead in the evolving CXlandscape, join the community
where members come for theknowledge, stay for the network
at socap.org. That's socap, s oc a p, dot org.
Speaking of that on Internet,when you receive an email from
SOCAP or just peruse theirwebsite, socap.org, and just
(09:53):
peek around the events andconferences section. There are
some changes, some very bigchanges. Can I look to you to
take me through those and somebackground, please?
nicole nutile (10:07):
Yeah. For sure. Yes. I'm glad you brought that
up. There are some changes.
There's big changes, and, Ithink it's really important that
we get to talk about this. Wehave a lot of exciting things
going on this year, events. Butwhat I really wanna highlight is
the shift that we took twosymposiums, and we made the the
(10:27):
move to one major nationalconference. And I'm really
excited about this. I know thatthe executive committee, with
the board of directors' support,this is not something that was
done lightly.
We we took a lot of time andconsideration, and work went
into making this decision. So itis happening, from October, and
(10:52):
it's going to be filled with somuch valuable content, top tier
speakers. We're thinking bigger,better. And I think that's what
the membership deserves. I thinkthat's what our business
partners deserve.
Right? Because we know we can'thave one without the other. And
I think it's important to saythat there is a big announcement
that's coming out about thelocation and all those amazing
(11:13):
speakers. And then I want tojust touch on we think about the
impact that the organizationwants to make. Having a single
really content rich event wasthe best approach right now.
It attracts more attendees,creates bigger impact, reaches a
wider audience. It's going tohelp us really build a strong
(11:35):
brand identity for for theSociety of Consumer Fair
Professionals. And I think thisbecoming the flagship event that
everyone looks forward to toeach year will enhance our
reputation, build on thatconsistency, and allow for the
regional events we have to haveanother focus, you know, that
they can we have our membersfocus on those areas as well.
(11:56):
They're not worrying about, youknow, these two bigger events
they have to go to. They canreally use their resources and
time wisely.
So resources on that topic, weconsidered how much goes into
this. Organizing two largeconferences, let alone one,
really requires significanttime, money, staffing, and that
sort of constant churn that, youknow, our SOCAP staff goes
(12:19):
through. Doing one main event,having the executive director
and dedicated staff, volunteercommittees that help support
this and get it off the ground.They can really manage resources
more effectively, ensure abetter experience for everyone.
There are some stand alonesummits lined up, which usually
we've seen them a part of theconferences.
(12:40):
So I'm excited to see that. Theauto summit is in February,
February eleventh, I believe.The retail summit, May first.
And they're going to befantastic. And I think that I
will tell you the CPG Summit isgoing to be attached to our
national conference, along withan amazing sponsor, and it's
(13:04):
going to be another stellarevent.
If you went to the one lastyear, you know. But having it
connected to this first nationalconference, it's it's a big
deal, and we're excited. And theCPG group is really robust. They
have, a huge impact on so caps,you know, everything, DNA. So
we're excited for this.
And I think that goes back to,you know, tapping into SOCAP's
(13:28):
roots, the local communities,and just excelling in these
areas is going to take thisevent to the next level. And
they've done such an amazingjob. All the steering
committees, the executivedirector Suzanne, our staff at
SoCap, for putting this alltogether. So check out SoCap.org
to definitely learn more on theevents page.
denise venneri (13:50):
Well, alright. I'm I'm gonna have to listen
this again just to write downsome of those dates, and it
sounds like soon we'll know lotsof the details. Love that. I I
think that the reason I'm reallyexcited about hearing about so
let's say the summits inparticular, the stand alone, is
because I am a believer in sortof getting your head out of, in
(14:13):
my case, the CPG cloud orconsumer products goods. Right?
That's the company no. I guessthat's the company type that
I've supported for quite awhile. And and check out some of
these other summits. So youmight be a CPGer, but maybe you
check out your retail summitbecause you'd never know what is
(14:34):
their channel strategy, what arethe consumer learnings that you
might be able to benefit fromhearing in, say, another
category or another vertical andusing that to kind of test any
hypotheses you may be havingalong the way or just getting
(14:55):
inspired. So I do suggest youthink about that.
If not this year, you know, nextyear for sure. Because it is
beneficial in my my humbleopinion. If anyone knows us, you
know, we're both believers inparticipating in the industry
group, we've both served on thelocal chapter. This is back in
(15:17):
the chapter days, I served onthe local chapter level as well
as national level for the CPGsteering committee and of
course, your chair and you'retaking us through your
volunteering. Let me ask youthis.
Why did you get involved alongwith having, you know, a pretty
demanding nine to five? And if Imay share a young family, what
(15:44):
why did you get involved? Andwhat if someone's listening to
this and they're like, oh, youknow, I wanna get involved. I'm
nervous about the timecommitment. How could I just
kinda dip my toe in it?
What what tips or suggestionscould we give them? So that's a
that's a two parter.
nicole nutile (16:02):
Yeah. So, first, I got involved because, well,
for sure, we know that SOCAF islike no other community of
professionals. We care about thesame topics. We service the same
customers across all thedifferent brands and industries.
And ultimately with SoCAT, itbecomes not just your
professional network, but sortof like a family, another family
(16:23):
that you have to go and talkabout things that are happening
in your work life.
And I think that's because ofthe years of tradition that this
organization has built on. BethSiff, I mentioned earlier, she
was my introduction to Silcap. Iknow she's been on your podcast
before, and Beth is just, youknow, she's a gem. And she
invited me to join her and Sam,at the Estee Lauder building in
(16:47):
New York in 2012. I had startedworking for her earlier that
year, and I think the rest ishistory.
I just knew from meeting thosepeople and seeing how connected
they were and supportive of eachother that from that day on, I
wanted to be part of the SoCap,you know, tapestry, the story
that we're writing. And I knowwe, to the second part of your
(17:11):
question, like, there is so muchgoing on and, you know, we think
about time, there's neverenough. But I really suggest if
people are gonna get involved inany capacity, if you have the
desire to really expand yourprofessional network, have
direct access to some of the topindustry leaders out there,
experts in their space, and thensome of the the best events, I
(17:36):
think go for it. I always say topeople who ask me about joining
the board or helping out, youshould just tap into the local
region. You know, we are Canada,Northeast, Southeast, Central,
and West.
And there's so many great peoplethat I can link you with.
Denise, I know you can, as wellas SOCAP to get you in touch
(17:57):
with them and see what timeyou're willing to put into it.
And if you you could dosomething small, volunteer in
one event, just ask about what'sgoing on. But I think if you
wanna get out of SOCAP, it'sreally what you're willing to
put into it. And anyone who'lltell you what when they've
(18:17):
invested into it and they'repassionate about it, the
possibilities it's look afterare endless.
And I didn't think twelve yearsago going to that event at Estee
Lauder, and just being sort ofin awe of all these people and
these amazing industry leadersthat I would be here as the 2025
board chair. It was I wanted tobe on the board as part of my
(18:39):
own professional road map, whatI wanted to do in my career, and
to get here was just amazing. SoI'm very grateful, and I think
anyone who joins will feel thesame way.
denise venneri (18:49):
Wow. I am smiling so hard that my my
cheeks are actually and I've gota lot of cheeks. Cheek are
hurting me. That's a beautifulstory. It real it really is.
Were you, like, president ofyour student council or back in
high school? Or
nicole nutile (19:08):
No. I It was not.
denise venneri (19:09):
Was leadership always your calling and
volunteer volunteering? No.
nicole nutile (19:13):
Volunteering. Yes. I love volunteering. I
volunteer, you know, on a lot ofgreen stuff and I volunteer in
my comp my community. But, no, Iwas an artist in all my things
up until meeting Beth.
So I went from gallery to ACCpremier, and it was very
interesting, the shift in inlife. But, you know, it it
worked out.
denise venneri (19:34):
Interesting. Alright. Just just getting to
know you just a little bitbetter. So what I was hearing
was that, hey. If you're outthere and you wanna get involved
but scared not scared, but alittle bit nervous about the
time commitment.
It sounds like to me that theregions could use some help. We
(19:54):
had a region meeting last monthand got introduced to all the
region members. And again, like,that's that's I just called you
Beth. That's a compliment. Justas what Nicole said, we can hook
you up if you need that.
But, you know, there's severalevents for each region. So you
could just pick one event. Maybeit speaks to you the topic or
(20:15):
you have connections that youcould bring on in. You know, you
don't necessarily have to leadand deliver that one event. You
could be part of the supportteam.
Yeah. Because everybody's got anine to five. So, and we're
humans. We could all use alittle help. Okay.
(20:35):
Well, that is a wrap. And I justwanted to thank you again for
your time today to to share yourvision and platforms and a
little sneak peek into the chairrole for SoCAD. Thank you.
nicole nutile (20:53):
Thanks, Denise.
doug venneri (20:54):
You have been listening to the My Curious
Colleague podcast with Denise.Thank you for your time.
Time.
Welcome to the My Curious Colleague podcast
with me, Denise Venneri. I am atwenty year practitioner in the
consumer engagement space havingworked for two large CPG
organizations. My intent here isreally to share best practices
with particular focus around thespecialist and analyst roles and
(00:21):
to give back to this greatcommunity because CPGCX rocks.
Hello, my curious colleagues.This week, I'm curious about
what the consumer affairsindustry group known as SOCAP
has planned for 2025, and Iwould love to hear it straight
(00:43):
from their board chair. And tohelp me do just that is my
colleague in CILCAP twentytwenty five board chair, Nicole
Nutille. Welcome back to thepodcast, Nicole.
nicole nutile (00:58):
Thank you so much for having me again, Denise.
It's always a pleasure to behere with you and your audience.
denise venneri (01:05):
Aw. That's nice. Hey, folks. You all may remember
Nicole from her episode lastyear on her leadership role on
Wiley's Green Group, an employeeresource community. So do check
out episode one zero seven,curious about getting green at
work if you missed that one.
(01:25):
That's my last plug. We have alot to get into, but first, can
can you share a littlebackground on SOCAP? Just a
refresher, what it is and whatyour vision and or platforms are
for 2025.
nicole nutile (01:42):
Yeah. For sure. So I wanna start by saying,
SOCAP, a lot of colleagues inthe industry don't know what it
is. It's the Society of ConsumerFair Professionals. And I think
it's really important to callthat out, because, you know,
SOCAP people, you know, haven'tbeen in it, don't always know,
but that's really what it is.
(02:02):
It's been my professional hubfor the last thirteen years. And
over that time, I've I'vevolunteered in many of the local
chapters and regions, eventuallyjoining the national board of
directors and then the executiveboard. So cap really serves as
the key networking communityplatform for customer service
(02:22):
trends. Those who want who wannaconnect and stay on top of
what's going on in their world,especially in the CX world. So
we connect the top CX leadersfrom renowned brands and
consumer packaged goodsindustries to CPG, retail,
automotive, and travel.
And I think with today facingrapid technological
(02:43):
advancements, we're alwaysworried about brand loyalty,
right, concerns that we havefrom our consumers. And that
shift back from even hybrid toin person, that focus being on
in person events. So we have toremain relevant. I think that
doing that, SOCAP has to evolve.We've been around for fifty plus
years now, and that's achallenge when you have
(03:05):
something with such richhistory, how we bring that
forward.
So with technology, being at theforefront, it's going to be
essential in how we continuegrowing. Besides leveraging
technology, I think essential toour success is going to be
ensuring transparency to ourmembership and the leaders that
support the organization. Andthen, of course, the
(03:26):
accessibility that we give toour members, so that way they're
getting the best, most relevantcontent market. I hope that as
the 2025 board chair, thisapproach is going to allow our
members that are with us now andthat happened with us for a
really long time and the nuancecoming on to really take, you
know, advantage of theirmembership.
denise venneri (03:47):
So I thought I think you touched on in there
kinda what your platforms are.Am I correct? I think I heard
transparency. Right. Which is,which is great opportunity right
now, as you were saying, forfolks to get to know you
accessibility.
(04:07):
And was there a third one?
nicole nutile (04:10):
Technology, I think is a big part of where
we're going. Yeah.
denise venneri (04:13):
Okay. Alright. So speaking of which, where does
specifically within technology,because AI is really just a
lever in technology, although wehave it, like, you know, up a
little bit higher for somereason. Where does that fit in?
Or does it figure at all orpredominantly with your SoCap
(04:36):
vision for 2025?
nicole nutile (04:38):
I think it's interesting, right? Like, how
many times a day now we hear AI,artificial intelligence? Mhmm.
It's really for me, AI is nodifferent than when we think
about when the Internet firstlaunched. Right?
And I always go back to thatclip, that it's a classic. It's
from the Today Show from theearly nineties, and they're like
(05:00):
it's like Katie Couric and them.They're like, what is the
Internet anyway? And theycouldn't figure out what the at
symbol was. Was it at or about?
And it was just great.
denise venneri (05:07):
Oh my god.
nicole nutile (05:09):
So I think what that is, you know, '94 wasn't
that long ago, and we'rethinking about this the same
way. But I think if we justembrace where ETA AI is headed
and seamlessly try to integrateit into our technology strategy,
the best way that's gonna servethe members and the
organization, I think it'ssomething that we're really
(05:31):
excited about.
denise venneri (05:33):
Yeah. And I think that's definitely, you
know, a great benefit of theindustry group or any industry
group is to learn from yourpeers, learn from the experts,
especially as, you know, weevolve into this this part of
the whole technology. Alright.We covered that and that. I do
(05:53):
wanna get into the events formembers in a bit, I promise.
But wondering if you could atfirst give us a little sneak
peek as the chair. So folks maynot know. In fact, I'm not even
positive. What was yoursuccession plan like to help you
be the best leader you can benow in this role? And I also
(06:14):
understand that the chair getsto select a SOCAP advisor for
their year of reign.
Can you tell us more about thatand who and why you may have
selected them?
nicole nutile (06:27):
Yeah. Yeah. That's a great question. So I'm
I'm really fortunate to have hadso much support and mentorship
throughout the years from, youknow, Beth Siff all the way to,
you know, Chris Jury, who wasthe 2025 board chair. And he
really made sure that I wasready to take on this role.
Even now, he's the immediatepast chair and also serves on
(06:51):
the executive committee. He'sbacking the organization and
supporting my vision for what, Iwant to have to be this year. I
was on the board for a lot ofthe pandemic when, the leaders,
you know, like Lisa Deal werelike, she was serving as sheriff
for quite some time because wewere in this sort of weird gray
area. And Marie Schubin, weresort of leading the charge.
(07:12):
Being a part of that group, isjust a priceless experience.
And all of that helped build thevision that I have, helped build
sort of ways that I see thingsand me as a person, my
character. And I could be Icouldn't be more grateful for
for them. But when it comes tothe advisers, I didn't know
about this either until a fewyears back, but the incoming
(07:35):
chair gets to appoint anonvoting member adviser. And
it's not mandatory, but it'sdefinitely a fantastic
opportunity. So I jumped on thatwhen I took over as chair, and I
sort of I used the SoCaps termvoluntold.
My incredible boss, and he'salso a long time SoCalpper, Bob
Weiss, to to join me, and hefully supported it. Bob's our
(07:59):
corporate vice president ofglobal customer service and
sales support at Wiley. He'sbeen a member of SoCap for, you
know, so long. He brings overtwenty five years of expertise
in customer service, quality,reverse logistics. You know, not
a lot of people know, but funfact about Bob is he's an
(08:19):
engineer, an electrical engineerby trade.
So before joining while Wiley,he really took that customer
focused lean six sigma, youknow, approach to continuous
improvement to so manyorganizations that he worked
for. Sony, Motorola, Samsung,Barnes and Noble, and then
Google. And from Google, he cameto Wiley, and he's been there
(08:41):
since. So he's just reallygreat, and I think having him in
this advisory role is going toadd value to the organization.
His knowledge in CX andespecially automation and AI,
he's really one of the leadersin that area.
He's gonna help me to preservethat rich culture and history of
SOCAP that we've had the lastfifty years while, you know,
(09:03):
really embracing what the futureholds.
denise venneri (09:06):
I'm jumping into an ad right now. This episode is
sponsored by SOCAP, the Societyof Consumer Affairs
Professionals. As the leading CXassociation, SOCAP is at the
forefront of customerexperience, trends, and
innovation. Discover how SOCAPempowers its members to stay
(09:27):
ahead in the evolving CXlandscape, join the community
where members come for theknowledge, stay for the network
at socap.org. That's socap, s oc a p, dot org.
Speaking of that on Internet,when you receive an email from
SOCAP or just peruse theirwebsite, socap.org, and just
(09:53):
peek around the events andconferences section. There are
some changes, some very bigchanges. Can I look to you to
take me through those and somebackground, please?
nicole nutile (10:07):
Yeah. For sure. Yes. I'm glad you brought that
up. There are some changes.
There's big changes, and, Ithink it's really important that
we get to talk about this. Wehave a lot of exciting things
going on this year, events. Butwhat I really wanna highlight is
the shift that we took twosymposiums, and we made the the
(10:27):
move to one major nationalconference. And I'm really
excited about this. I know thatthe executive committee, with
the board of directors' support,this is not something that was
done lightly.
We we took a lot of time andconsideration, and work went
into making this decision. So itis happening, from October, and
(10:52):
it's going to be filled with somuch valuable content, top tier
speakers. We're thinking bigger,better. And I think that's what
the membership deserves. I thinkthat's what our business
partners deserve.
Right? Because we know we can'thave one without the other. And
I think it's important to saythat there is a big announcement
that's coming out about thelocation and all those amazing
(11:13):
speakers. And then I want tojust touch on we think about the
impact that the organizationwants to make. Having a single
really content rich event wasthe best approach right now.
It attracts more attendees,creates bigger impact, reaches a
wider audience. It's going tohelp us really build a strong
(11:35):
brand identity for for theSociety of Consumer Fair
Professionals. And I think thisbecoming the flagship event that
everyone looks forward to toeach year will enhance our
reputation, build on thatconsistency, and allow for the
regional events we have to haveanother focus, you know, that
they can we have our membersfocus on those areas as well.
(11:56):
They're not worrying about, youknow, these two bigger events
they have to go to. They canreally use their resources and
time wisely.
So resources on that topic, weconsidered how much goes into
this. Organizing two largeconferences, let alone one,
really requires significanttime, money, staffing, and that
sort of constant churn that, youknow, our SOCAP staff goes
(12:19):
through. Doing one main event,having the executive director
and dedicated staff, volunteercommittees that help support
this and get it off the ground.They can really manage resources
more effectively, ensure abetter experience for everyone.
There are some stand alonesummits lined up, which usually
we've seen them a part of theconferences.
(12:40):
So I'm excited to see that. Theauto summit is in February,
February eleventh, I believe.The retail summit, May first.
And they're going to befantastic. And I think that I
will tell you the CPG Summit isgoing to be attached to our
national conference, along withan amazing sponsor, and it's
(13:04):
going to be another stellarevent.
If you went to the one lastyear, you know. But having it
connected to this first nationalconference, it's it's a big
deal, and we're excited. And theCPG group is really robust. They
have, a huge impact on so caps,you know, everything, DNA. So
we're excited for this.
And I think that goes back to,you know, tapping into SOCAP's
(13:28):
roots, the local communities,and just excelling in these
areas is going to take thisevent to the next level. And
they've done such an amazingjob. All the steering
committees, the executivedirector Suzanne, our staff at
SoCap, for putting this alltogether. So check out SoCap.org
to definitely learn more on theevents page.
denise venneri (13:50):
Well, alright. I'm I'm gonna have to listen
this again just to write downsome of those dates, and it
sounds like soon we'll know lotsof the details. Love that. I I
think that the reason I'm reallyexcited about hearing about so
let's say the summits inparticular, the stand alone, is
because I am a believer in sortof getting your head out of, in
(14:13):
my case, the CPG cloud orconsumer products goods. Right?
That's the company no. I guessthat's the company type that
I've supported for quite awhile. And and check out some of
these other summits. So youmight be a CPGer, but maybe you
check out your retail summitbecause you'd never know what is
(14:34):
their channel strategy, what arethe consumer learnings that you
might be able to benefit fromhearing in, say, another
category or another vertical andusing that to kind of test any
hypotheses you may be havingalong the way or just getting
(14:55):
inspired. So I do suggest youthink about that.
If not this year, you know, nextyear for sure. Because it is
beneficial in my my humbleopinion. If anyone knows us, you
know, we're both believers inparticipating in the industry
group, we've both served on thelocal chapter. This is back in
(15:17):
the chapter days, I served onthe local chapter level as well
as national level for the CPGsteering committee and of
course, your chair and you'retaking us through your
volunteering. Let me ask youthis.
Why did you get involved alongwith having, you know, a pretty
demanding nine to five? And if Imay share a young family, what
(15:44):
why did you get involved? Andwhat if someone's listening to
this and they're like, oh, youknow, I wanna get involved. I'm
nervous about the timecommitment. How could I just
kinda dip my toe in it?
What what tips or suggestionscould we give them? So that's a
that's a two parter.
nicole nutile (16:02):
Yeah. So, first, I got involved because, well,
for sure, we know that SOCAF islike no other community of
professionals. We care about thesame topics. We service the same
customers across all thedifferent brands and industries.
And ultimately with SoCAT, itbecomes not just your
professional network, but sortof like a family, another family
(16:23):
that you have to go and talkabout things that are happening
in your work life.
And I think that's because ofthe years of tradition that this
organization has built on. BethSiff, I mentioned earlier, she
was my introduction to Silcap. Iknow she's been on your podcast
before, and Beth is just, youknow, she's a gem. And she
invited me to join her and Sam,at the Estee Lauder building in
(16:47):
New York in 2012. I had startedworking for her earlier that
year, and I think the rest ishistory.
I just knew from meeting thosepeople and seeing how connected
they were and supportive of eachother that from that day on, I
wanted to be part of the SoCap,you know, tapestry, the story
that we're writing. And I knowwe, to the second part of your
(17:11):
question, like, there is so muchgoing on and, you know, we think
about time, there's neverenough. But I really suggest if
people are gonna get involved inany capacity, if you have the
desire to really expand yourprofessional network, have
direct access to some of the topindustry leaders out there,
experts in their space, and thensome of the the best events, I
(17:36):
think go for it. I always say topeople who ask me about joining
the board or helping out, youshould just tap into the local
region. You know, we are Canada,Northeast, Southeast, Central,
and West.
And there's so many great peoplethat I can link you with.
Denise, I know you can, as wellas SOCAP to get you in touch
(17:57):
with them and see what timeyou're willing to put into it.
And if you you could dosomething small, volunteer in
one event, just ask about what'sgoing on. But I think if you
wanna get out of SOCAP, it'sreally what you're willing to
put into it. And anyone who'lltell you what when they've
(18:17):
invested into it and they'repassionate about it, the
possibilities it's look afterare endless.
And I didn't think twelve yearsago going to that event at Estee
Lauder, and just being sort ofin awe of all these people and
these amazing industry leadersthat I would be here as the 2025
board chair. It was I wanted tobe on the board as part of my
(18:39):
own professional road map, whatI wanted to do in my career, and
to get here was just amazing. SoI'm very grateful, and I think
anyone who joins will feel thesame way.
denise venneri (18:49):
Wow. I am smiling so hard that my my
cheeks are actually and I've gota lot of cheeks. Cheek are
hurting me. That's a beautifulstory. It real it really is.
Were you, like, president ofyour student council or back in
high school? Or
nicole nutile (19:08):
No. I It was not.
denise venneri (19:09):
Was leadership always your calling and
volunteer volunteering? No.
nicole nutile (19:13):
Volunteering. Yes. I love volunteering. I
volunteer, you know, on a lot ofgreen stuff and I volunteer in
my comp my community. But, no, Iwas an artist in all my things
up until meeting Beth.
So I went from gallery to ACCpremier, and it was very
interesting, the shift in inlife. But, you know, it it
worked out.
denise venneri (19:34):
Interesting. Alright. Just just getting to
know you just a little bitbetter. So what I was hearing
was that, hey. If you're outthere and you wanna get involved
but scared not scared, but alittle bit nervous about the
time commitment.
It sounds like to me that theregions could use some help. We
(19:54):
had a region meeting last monthand got introduced to all the
region members. And again, like,that's that's I just called you
Beth. That's a compliment. Justas what Nicole said, we can hook
you up if you need that.
But, you know, there's severalevents for each region. So you
could just pick one event. Maybeit speaks to you the topic or
(20:15):
you have connections that youcould bring on in. You know, you
don't necessarily have to leadand deliver that one event. You
could be part of the supportteam.
Yeah. Because everybody's got anine to five. So, and we're
humans. We could all use alittle help. Okay.
(20:35):
Well, that is a wrap. And I justwanted to thank you again for
your time today to to share yourvision and platforms and a
little sneak peek into the chairrole for SoCAD. Thank you.
nicole nutile (20:53):
Thanks, Denise.
doug venneri (20:54):
You have been listening to the My Curious
Colleague podcast with Denise.Thank you for your time.
Time.
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