Intro

Scott Raven: Welcome to The Corvus Effect, where we explore what it takes to succeed professionally and truly enhance all parts of your life. I'm Scott Raven, Fractional COO and your host. Each episode we go behind the scenes with leaders who've mastered the delicate harmony of growing their professional endeavors while protecting what matters most. Ready to transform from Chief Everything Officer to achieving integration in all facets of your life? Let's soar!

Guest Introduction: Tanya and Tony Thorson

Scott Raven: Hey everyone. It is Scott. Welcome back to The Corvus Effect and this TLDL, Too Long, Didn't Listen, for my conversation with Tanya and Tony Thorson, the husband-wife team behind B2A, Business to Anyone, and co-authors of Get Off Your (M)ass.

Between Tanya's expertise with positions at Lane Bryant, Jockey, New Balance, L.L. Bean, just to name a few, and then Tony's managing expertise at Litech with an engineering and precision element, they bring the best of both worlds together. That's really what they are delivering to us: that it doesn't have to be about B2B and B2C as separate worlds. It can be B2A, as they explain. People don't check in at eight o'clock and become the purchasing manager and then become a parent at five o'clock at night. We are the same people.

So if you like this summary, I encourage you to go back and listen to the full episode, but just a couple of the key takeaways.

Key Takeaway #1: B2C Principles in B2B

Scott Raven: First, the game-changing discovery Tanya had that B2B marketing success comes from applying B2C principles with human decision makers. When she tested these B2C principles, she found that by focusing on the personas within the ecosystem, rather than a spray and pray tactic, as she called it, the results were remarkable. The pipeline velocity tightened up 50%, so that means better flow, bigger velocity, more sales at the end of the day, and perfectly aligns with our Corvus principle that sustainable success comes from authentic human connection.

Whether you're selling to a business or to a consumer, ultimately people make decisions on other people and nobody wants to be pitched to, but people love to buy.

Key Takeaway #2: The Smudge Concept

Scott Raven: Secondly, their concept of the smudge, the human fingerprint in a machine-driven world, offers a powerful framework for maintaining authenticity as AI transforms business. This all came as a result of watching an Andy Warhol documentary together. Tony explained it brilliantly. He said, in an AI world we can automate and we can scale to the nth degree, but boy, that can feel real hollow, and that can make us feel fake without the human connection that makes it authentic.

This resonates deeply with our integrated leadership approach, that technology should amplify our humanity, not replace it.

Key Takeaway #3: The Curiosity Creed

Scott Raven: Finally, they have a curiosity creed that they not only live by, but they live as a family, and that tackles the most dangerous threat that we face today as leaders: losing our ability to ask meaningful questions.

Tanya said it best. We're not curious anymore. We don't ask questions. We got all this software and this data points, we're running a thousand miles a minute, and we're letting AI make these decisions. It's by pausing and asking the right questions in order to be able to find the right value in curiosity. And you've gotta be interesting for other people to be interested in you.

Final Thoughts

Scott Raven: So between their blending of both worlds, both professionally and personally, and being able to bring that to the masses, hence, Get Off Your (M)ass, for lack of a better term, they're a phenomenal couple. I fully encourage you to listen to the full episode. It was great. And Tanya explained it best: making it all about the buyer versus about the product, and creating an environment where you have a synergy because it's about listening and being heard and working together or providing solutions together.

Give that some thought as you go about your day. As always, subscribe and give us feedback through the comments in terms of what you like, share with those people who may find value in this. Until next time, I'm Scott. We'll see you on The Corvus Effect. Take care.

Outro

Scott Raven: Thank you for joining me on The Corvus Effect. If today's conversation sparked ideas about how to free yourself from overwhelm, visit TheCorvusEffect.com for show notes, resources, and our free sixth dimensions assessment, showing you exactly where you're trapped and how to architect your freedom. While you're there, check out the Corvus Learning Platform, where we turn insights into implementation. If this episode helped you see a new path forward, please subscribe and share it with others who are ready to pursue their definition of professional freedom. Join me next time as we continue exploring how to enhance your life through what you do professionally. It's time to make that your reality!