Conversations with Dez

I caught up with Stacey Marx, President, National Business & Channels, AT&T Business on my podcast, to discuss the recent success stories around how AT&T Business have worked with and supported their customers through the last 12 to 18 months now leading up to, and during the global #COVID19 pandemic. In her role as president of National Business & Channels, Stacey leads a team of over six thousand professionals, dedicated to partnering with over three million small and medium business customers, to help them achieve growth and maximise their potential with technology innovation by leveraging the broad range of products & services AT&T Business can offer. In this fireside chat we cover some of the latest trends, business & technology challenges and opportunities small business operators should be considering as they look at the road forward coming out of a pandemic. We kicked off with my usual "get to know you", Stacey shares insights into her role, the remit and challenges of "a day in the life of Stacey Marx", as well as a look into what her business unit is responsible for, and some details around the team and ecosystem around them, and their customer base, giving us a great view of her world and the amazing depth and breadth of what she and her team bring to the market. Our conversation then delves into the challenges that businesses leaders, especially within small businesses, face in a post-pandemic world, and how technology is key to meeting these challenges, and specifically three key focus areas which I've been keen to discuss with Stacey for a while - including: #1 - The challenges SMB retail leaders face in a post-pandemic world In this segment I share that in my view, if there was one industry other than healthcare which has carried more than its fair share of the burden to see society through the last year and a half, surely it is the Retail sector. I also ask Stacy what challenges she and her team are seeing retailers in particular face as they plan now for a post-pandemic world, especially those small and medium-sized businesses who may have fewer resources. #2 - What can the Retail industry do to address these various challenges Around this key point, I ask Stacey where SMB players should be looking for ways and means to map their route out of their current state, to putting people, technology and telecommunications at the forefront of their strategic direction to address these key challenges. #3 - How is AT&T Business helping the Retail industry leverage its many offerings Here I share that I see one of the key challenges for Retailers, particularly for Small business retailers, are being challenged with, is finding the right Partner of Choice to help them gain access to and implement new technologies such as 5G, or ensure they have the right solutions in place for the likes of Cybersecurity, as these capabilities are not their core business. And I ask Stacey if she could share details around how is AT&T Business helping SMBs leverage your many business, technology & telecommunications offerings, and we look at a number of great customer stories, use cases and real world examples. We wrap up this great conversation with a view of what do Stacey thinks is coming over the horizon in the next 12 to 18 months, my classic "crystal ball gazing" question, and in particular what small business owners and or decision makers should be considering as they look to the short to medium term future. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with AT&T Business. For more information visit: AT&T Business website: http://bit.ly/attbusiness​ AT&T Business SMB web portal: http://bit.ly/attsmallbusiness .