WTF is “coddiwomple”??
I had never heard of it until recording this episode. It means “to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination.”
And when operating in a Native Digital world, this is, in a nutshell, what business owners must do to remain relevant.
Instead, so many of us remain bystanders – waiting until someone else “figures it out” before taking a purposeful step forward into an unknown direction.
Or worse, others actively dismiss the Native Digital ideas which will keep their business alive.
On today’s show, my guest, David Kepron, who is a former VP of Global Design Strategies at Marriott International, unpacks a “coddiewomple” mindset vs. a “cautious” mindset to business decision making – whether that’s in experience design, leadership, or decision-making.
“There are a lot of leaders out there who believe in a SET way of believing how the world spins – and they’ve relied on that because it’s served them well – but to continue relying on that traditional approach to thinking about the way you run your business isn’t going to fly anymore, so why shouldn’t you have someone who’s 19 years old, 18, 17, 16 years old (keep going down the list) helping you run your business?” – David Kepron
David suggests to companies to hear the “learned perspective” of Native Digitals so you don’t fall behind – not necessarily taking advice from this age group but hearing their differing perspective.
David on EXPERIENCE Design:
We then shifted gears into discussing the power of EXPERIENCES for engaging Native Digitals, rather than focusing on physical objects and products. David’s work at Marriot International involved designing unique guest experiences for Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels – and his experience with biophilic design ups and downs.
David found that mastering the millennial worldview when designing experiences for a global brand was a challenge with older leaders involved.
“My world is gone. It’s like ancient history… The challenge is NOT to get a younger generation to fit into my worldview. The challenge really is to get my worldview to be agile enough to be able to look backwards and sideways at a younger generation and adopt THEIR worldview. The extent to which someone can adapt or not adapt, will determine whether or not they should be sitting on the bus.” – David Kepron
David on Observing Gen Z’s Life Choices…
“My 19-year-old son’s into Crypto investing, and sometimes my wife and I get concerned about that. But then I say to her, ‘look, if I was 19 years old and I was investing the way Ben is investing, we’d not be in the place we are right now. We’d be living in a villa in the South of France’... Gen Z is intuitively tapped into what’s going on around them in a way that’s foreign to my generation.” – David Kepron
David has a legendary perspective and has recognized behavior patterns in his two Native Digital sons that didn’t exist when he was growing up. Both in their fears and in how his sons choose to use their resources, time, and energy.
To hear more from David on experience design for the digital economy, and read his revolutionary perspective on retail, definitely check out his book: Retail r(Evolution): Why Creating Right-Brained Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World
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About David Kepron:
Connect with him: www.davidkepron.com
Podcast: @NXT Level Experience Design Podcast
David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why’, ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies.
As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation’s Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University. He has held teaching positions at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore. In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com and is the host of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast. NXTLVL Experience Design podcast, commission-based art business (see: www.davidkepron.com/art ) and currently writing book #2.
