Stacked with Jennifer Laforge

Jennifer Laforge

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Stacked with Jennifer LaForge is a podcast about how real people and real brands are finding smarter ways to create value in today’s economy. Through conversations on rewards, loyalty, partnerships, digital commerce, and consumer behaviour, Jennifer explores what’s actually working and how consumers and businesses alike are adapting to a rapidly changing world.

2d ago

Tom De Iulis & Steve Elsdon - The Secret to Building a Business That Lasts

What makes a loyalty program truly valuable? And how do you build a business that keeps delivering that value for over 20 years? In this episode of Stacked, Jennifer LaForge sits down with Tom De Iulis, Founder & COO of Venngo, and Steve Elsdon, VP of Brand Partnerships at Venngo, for a special conversation recorded live at Rakuten Advertising's DealMaker Canada. Drawing on more than two decades of experience building employee perks and discount programs, Tom and Steve share how Venngo has evolved alongside changing consumer expectations, why wellness and personalized rewards are becoming increasingly important, and how trusted relationships create lasting value for employees, brands, and businesses. They explore the growing demand for health and wellness benefits, why personalization is essential to driving engagement, and how brands can create more meaningful experiences by understanding what different consumers actually value. The conversation also goes beyond loyalty and rewards, uncovering the leadership principles behind Venngo's long-term success, from empowering employees and encouraging innovation to building partnerships rooted in trust rather than short-term wins. Whether you're a marketer, loyalty professional, business leader, or someone interested in how employee benefits and consumer expectations are evolving, this conversation offers valuable insights into the power of personalization, strong leadership, and relationships that stand the test of time.
Oct 29

Robin Kovitz - President & CEO of Baskits Inc. | Building a Business on Trust, Loyalty, and Purpose

What does it take to turn a traditional business into one of Canada's fastest-growing companies? For Robin Kovitz, it's about more than growth. It's about building trust, creating meaningful connections, and doing the right thing, even when it's difficult. In this episode of Stacked with Jennifer LaForge, Jennifer sits down with Robin Kovitz, President & CEO of Baskits Inc., to explore how she transformed a 40-year-old gifting company into a modern e-commerce business while staying true to the values that made it successful. Drawing on her experience in private equity and entrepreneurship, Robin shares what it was like to invest her life savings into a business as a new mother, the operational complexity behind scaling a gifting company, and why honesty and transparency are essential to building long-term customer loyalty. They discuss the importance of recovering brilliantly when things go wrong, balancing empathy with accountability as a leader, and why businesses have a responsibility to create value beyond profits. Robin also shares her perspective on the changing marketing landscape, including why affiliate marketing is becoming an increasingly important growth channel as traditional digital advertising faces new challenges. Whether you're an entrepreneur, marketer, business leader, or someone interested in what makes great companies last, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on leadership, customer loyalty, and building a business that creates lasting impact.
Oct 22

Anshul Singh - You're Using Your Travel Points All Wrong

Are you getting the most value from your travel rewards, or are you just chasing points? For some travellers, it's flying business class for less. For others, it's avoiding long layovers, booking direct flights, or simply spending less time figuring out how to use their rewards. In this episode of Stacked, Jennifer LaForge sits down with Anshul Singh, Founder and CEO of Points Miles and Bling, to explore the evolving world of travel loyalty programs, rewards, and what value really means to today's travellers. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in the travel and loyalty space, Anshul shares how airline and hotel rewards programs are changing, why earning more points doesn't always mean getting more value, and how brands are using experiences and emotional connections to build lasting customer loyalty. They discuss the psychology behind points and rewards, the rise of dynamic pricing, why simplicity matters just as much as maximizing benefits, and how savvy travellers can take advantage of holiday promotions, Black Friday deals, and Travel Tuesday without getting caught up in offers they don't need. The conversation also explores how different travellers define value, why the best redemption isn't always the one with the biggest savings, and how understanding your own priorities can lead to smarter decisions. Whether you're a frequent flyer, a points enthusiast, a loyalty professional, or someone looking to make your next vacation more rewarding, this episode offers practical insights into getting more from your travel rewards and recognizing what truly matters.
Oct 15

Megan Petta - Affiliate Marketing Is Bigger Than You Think

What if your next big growth opportunity isn't another ad campaign, but a better partnership? Affiliate marketing is changing. What was once focused on clicks, commissions, and transactions has evolved into a powerful ecosystem of creators, influencers, customer referrals, and data-driven partnerships. In this episode of Stacked, Jennifer LaForge sits down with Megan Petta, Senior Account Executive, Commercial at impact.com, live from DealMaker Canada in Toronto, to explore how brands are rethinking customer acquisition, building stronger partnerships, and finding new opportunities for growth. With more than 14 years of experience in performance marketing, Megan shares how the industry has evolved, why brands are moving beyond traditional influencer campaigns, and how combining affiliate marketing with authentic creator relationships can deliver measurable business results. They discuss why timing matters when launching an affiliate program, how brands can capitalize on the critical Q4 shopping season, and why long-term creator partnerships are becoming more valuable than one-time sponsored posts. Megan also explores how AI search visibility, customer journey data, and smarter attribution are helping brands understand what truly drives sales. The conversation also looks at changing consumer behaviour, the growing importance of choosing the right product over the lowest price, and why the future of marketing is about building meaningful connections rather than simply generating transactions. Whether you're a marketer, retailer, entrepreneur, or business leader looking to grow through smarter partnerships, this conversation offers valuable insights into the changing world of affiliate marketing and how brands can turn relationships into lasting results.
Sep 24

Nikki Yorgiadis - Affiliate Marketing Isn’t What You Think It Is Anymore

What happens when the last click stops telling the whole story? Affiliate marketing has evolved far beyond coupons, discounts, and bottom-of-funnel conversions. Today, publishers are influencing discovery, brand awareness, consumer decisions, and even how brands appear inside AI-powered search. In this episode of Stacked, Jennifer LaForge sits down with Nikki Yorgiadis, Head of Publisher Development at Gen3 Marketing, to explore how affiliate and performance marketing are changing - and why brands may need to rethink how they measure value. Drawing on her experience working across advertisers, publishers, networks, and global markets, Nikki breaks down the role agencies play in the affiliate ecosystem and why the rapidly expanding publisher landscape is creating new opportunities for brands. They discuss why consumers increasingly expect something in return for their spending, from cash back and loyalty points to credit card and airline rewards, and why protecting brand perception doesn't have to mean avoiding affiliate strategies. Jennifer and Nikki also dig into one of the biggest challenges facing marketers today: attribution. They explore why traditional last-click measurement can miss important parts of the customer journey, how brands can think about incrementality, new-to-file customers, hybrid compensation models, and the "halo effect" created by publishers throughout the funnel. The conversation also looks at how AI is creating a more "clickless" consumer journey, why citations and authority inside large language models are becoming increasingly important, and how marketers may need to rethink the way they measure visibility and performance. Whether you're a marketer, advertiser, agency leader, affiliate professional, or brand trying to understand where consumers are discovering value today, this conversation offers a timely look at where performance marketing is headed - and why the old playbook may no longer be enough.
Sep 17

Randy Weyersberg - Marketing Is Moving Too Fast to Play It Safe

What happens when decades of marketing experience collide with the fastest technological shift the industry has ever seen? In this episode of Stacked with Jennifer LaForge, Jennifer sits down with Randy Weyersberg, CEO of AI Catalyst and a veteran marketing executive whose 40+ year career has included IBM, Unilever, Mars, Nike, Bell and OLG. Randy shares his perspective on how AI, MarTech and data are fundamentally changing the way brands connect with consumers - and why marketers can no longer afford to build six-month plans in a world that changes by the day. Instead, he argues for faster pilots, a portfolio of ideas and a willingness to move before everything is perfect. Jennifer and Randy also dig into the growing importance of data and attribution, why Marketing Mix Modeling is becoming even more powerful alongside AI, and how new technology is making it possible to measure channels like affiliate, retail media and influencer marketing in ways traditional models struggled to capture. They explore what consumers actually want from loyalty programs, why simplicity and frictionless experiences matter, and how brands can use technology to create more value without sacrificing trust. For Randy, the goal is simple: make it easy for customers to get what they want, when they want it and how they want it. The conversation also tackles one of marketing's biggest challenges in the AI era: trust. From fake reviews and questionable products to increasingly sophisticated technology, Randy explains why brands that protect the customer and build trust over time will have the advantage - and why consumers still need to “trust but verify.” Whether you're a marketer, business leader, loyalty professional or simply curious about how AI is changing the way we shop and make decisions, this episode offers a practical look at where marketing has been - and where it's going next.
Sep 10

Reja Mulloor - Why Brands Keep Chasing New Customers and Losing the Ones They Have

What actually makes a customer stay loyal? It’s not just points, discounts, or rewards. Often, it comes down to whether a customer feels understood, valued, and taken care of - especially when something goes wrong. In this episode of Stacked with Jennifer LaForge, Jennifer sits down with Reja Mulloor, Director of Engagement at Rakuten.ca, to explore what customer retention really looks like behind the scenes. Reja shares why retaining an existing customer can be more valuable than constantly chasing new ones, how brands can turn feedback into better experiences, and why “surprise and delight” still plays such an important role in building long-term loyalty. They also discuss referral programs, creating shopping habits, the balance between acquisition and retention, and why one poor customer experience can undo years of loyalty if it isn’t handled properly. The conversation also looks ahead at how AI is changing personalization and customer engagement, including the fine line between creating a useful experience and crossing into what Reja calls the “creep factor.” Later, Reja shares her personal definition of value, why consumers should be more intentional about the loyalty programs they choose, and how brands can earn a lasting place in a customer’s wallet by investing in the entire relationship — not just the transaction. Whether you work in marketing, loyalty, retail, customer experience, or simply want to understand why some brands earn your loyalty while others lose it, this episode offers a practical look at what keeps customers coming back.
Sep 3

Esther Garnick - You Don’t Need More Clothes. You Need the Right Ones.

What if the smartest way to shop was actually to buy less? In this episode of Stacked, Jennifer LaForge sits down with Esther Garnick, Closet Editor & Wardrobe Consultant at EG Wardrobe Edit, to explore how we can build wardrobes that make us feel better, spend smarter, and stop accumulating clothes we never actually wear. After two decades in PR and a period of professional burnout, Esther unexpectedly discovered a new calling helping women edit their closets, rethink how they shop, and use clothing as a tool for confidence and self-expression. Esther shares why cost per wear matters more than the price tag, how emotional triggers and online influencers can lead to panic purchases, and why a sale isn't really a deal if the item spends its life hanging in your closet. They also explore investing in timeless basics, mixing high and low price points, using consignment and wish lists to save money, and recognizing when something truly works for you. Whether you love shopping or dread opening your closet, this conversation offers a practical and refreshingly honest look at how to spend with more intention, waste less, and build a wardrobe around the life you actually live.

Stacked with Jennifer LaForge is a podcast about how real people and real brands are finding smarter ways to create value in today’s economy. Through conversations on rewards, loyalty, partnerships, digital commerce, and consumer behaviour, Jennifer explores what’s actually working and how consumers and businesses alike are adapting to a rapidly changing world.

Creator

Jennifer Laforge
Years Active

2026
Episodes

20
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 Stacked with Jennifer Laforge
Show Website

Stacked with Jennifer Laforge