These sessions and others like them, spoke to how communities and deep human insight can lead to something unexpected, eye-opening, and often transformative. Across three days of keynotes, panels, sessions, and hallway conversations, one theme stood out to me above all: at the heart of every breakthrough, whether powered by data or AI or culture, are people.
Setting the Tone: Daymond John’s Shark Points
TMRE opened strong with Daymond John taking the keynote stage. His story of building FUBU brought me right back to my late-teens/early 20s and I LOVED IT. It was nostalgia at its best, but more than that, it was a reminder of how passion and persistence can transform a dream into a movement. Daymond shared his five “Shark Points” that doubled as life lessons:
- Set a goal. Know where you’re going before others try to steer you.
- Do your homework. Understand your industry, competitors, and craft inside out.
- Amor/love what you do. Let passion and balance fuel your purpose.
- Remember you are the brand. Your personal brand is a key part of your business. Define it or others will.
- Keep swimming. Persevere even when things get tough.
When he asked the audience to define ourselves in two to five words, I paused. After much reflection after the conference, eventually, I landed on Building Connections that Transform. That phrase captures the essence of what drives me—connecting insights and strategy, people and purpose, and community and opportunity.
Lessons in Curiosity and Connection
TMRE had no shortage of sessions, panels, and hallway conversations. With so much inspiration packed into a few days, it was impossible to see it all. From those I did get to see, though, there were many powerful takeaways. Here are a handful.
In the “Powering Business Strategy with Insights” panel, leaders across industries echoed a message that every researcher should internalize: our job isn’t to deliver decks—it’s to drive decisions.
We were reminded that the most impactful storytellers are also the best listeners. Great insights teams don’t just present data; they enroll the organization in the narrative. That means understanding the people we’re speaking to, grounding conversations in their vernacular, and aligning to the same goals they’re measured by. We have to bridge that gap between what we know and what they need to act on.
Kendra Speed, Director of Consumer Market Research at LinkedIn, and her session on “Guiding Insights Teams into the Future of AI,” struck a perfect balance between caution and optimism. She described how her team launched Evolve MR, focusing on three pillars—embracing AI, integrating behavioral and contextual data, and connecting multiple data sources into one ecosystem.
But what resonated most wasn’t the tools; it was the mindset. She described “Grow and Stretch Fridays,” where the team connected in weekly one-hour learning sessions where insights managers gather to share, learn, and stretch beyond comfort zones.
As AI continues to evolve, the quote she used—”Growth is not a destination. It is a practice,”—feels like the real takeaway. The goal isn’t to master every new tool, but to stay in a state of curiosity and continuous growth.
Kamilah Jackson, AVP, Research & Competitive Intelligence at DirecTV, talked about making “good enough” a best practice in her session, “Only Impact Matters: Case Studies on Doing (a Lot) More With (a Lot) Less.” In a world where resources are stretched and teams are leaner, she argued for prioritizing impact over perfection.
In Goodwill’s session, “Why Are You So Obsessed With Me?” CMO Onney Crawley and YPulse’s chief research officer, Chanon Cook, unpacked how Goodwill became Gen Z’s thrift obsession. They talked about how they didn’t just market to Gen Z, they partnered with them. They met young consumers where they were, both culturally and digitally, and the result was a movement, not a campaign.
The New Balance session, “Laced with Culture,” answered the question I came in curious about. Kasey Griesmer, Director of Global Consumer Insights and Analytics at New Balance, and Alan Moskowitz, Vice President of Consumer Insights at C Space, shared how the brand has managed to balance legacy with trend by focusing on authenticity and community.
They summarized their approach in five guiding ideas:
- Keep your finger on the pulse.
- Ensure your data has heart and soul.
- Think globally, tread locally.
- Be pace-setters, not followers.
- Lead with culture, not campaigns.
Misty Flantroy, Director, Products and Systems at Owens Corning, and Meryl Debrosse, former Global Insights & Analytics Manager – Enfamil at Mead Johnson Nutrition/Reckitt—the 2 Dope Queens—delivered one of my favorite sessions, “Insightful Futures: 10 Tips to Secure Your Place in Market Research.” Equal parts friendship, mentorship and motivation, their session felt like a much-needed pep talk for anyone navigating the evolving research landscape.
Their advice ranged from the practical—“embrace the grunt work,” to the profound—“share your wisdom generously; knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied.”
Two quotes that truly resonated with me: “Create your self-care system” and “Trust your unique journey.” In an industry that is rapidly changing and for me has come with some unexpected turns, it was grounding to be reminded that reflection, rest, and authenticity are also forms of progress.
Throughout the conference, many sessions explored synthetic data, AI-assisted respondents, and generative AI tools. I appreciated the perspective that Qualtrics stated during their showcase on synthetic data: both human and synthetic data have truths to tell us and both are flawed. I also appreciated the comment, “Stop asking if it matches your panel. Start asking what it can teach you that your panel cannot.” Whether we’re on the side of skeptical or all-in, that shift in mindset from verification to exploration feels critical as we redefine what insight work means in an AI age.
At the Core, It’s Still About People
There were many sessions I didn’t get to attend, and others I wish I could have dug into more, but what tied it all together for me was this simple truth: whether we’re talking about generative AI, brand purpose, or culture-driven innovation—our work begins and ends with people. Behind every dataset is a story waiting to be understood, behavior waiting to be explained, and human experience waiting to be seen.
TMRE was a reminder that while the tools and trends will continue to evolve, the power of insights still comes from empathy, curiosity, and understanding.
Editor’s Note: The next TMRE will take place on October 5-7, 2026, and will be co-located with Content Marketing World at the Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO.
