Announcer: Hey everyone! Welcome to Tom’s Tip’s Podcast. Your place for obscure movie references, cats facts, and everything MagHub related. And now your host MagHub Product Manager, Tom Bellen!
Tom Bellen: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the MagHub 8.7, release podcast. I am your host, Tom Bellen, Product Manager for MagHub. I am joined by always Zach Gilbert, our Director of Marketing. How are you doing today, Zach?
Zach Gilbert: I’m good, Tom. How are you?
Tom Bellen: I am doing better. I have been on my deathbed with the man flu all week, so I’m recovering from that. As my wife calls it the man flu because any time I am sick, I basically imagine I am dying. It doesn’t matter what it is, so I’m not a very good sick person. I’ve been out most of the week, but I’m recovering from it, so I think I’ll survive this one.
Zach Gilbert: Good.
Tom Bellen: I don’t know if you’ve ever had the man flu? Or anything like that or if you’re a stronger patient than I am.
Zach Gilbert: I don’t get sick very often, which is surprising because my wife works at, she’s a kindergarten teacher and she brings home the flu it seems like every week with her. But surprisingly it usually avoids me, so I’m fairly lucky. Like I would.
Tom Bellen: That’s an impressive immune system. I’m in trouble now because our first son, when he went to daycare, it was a disaster, Peter. Now my next son, Freddie, is about to start daycare so I’m basically going to get all that stuff again.
Zach Gilbert: Yeah.
Tom Bellen: I got hand, foot, and mouth disease from my kid once. I’ve gotten pinkeye, I’m trying to remember the other big one that kids get that I did not get yet, but I’ll probably get it, one of my friends got it. I’ll probably get the other big kid disease that’s out there, but hand, foot, and mouth was not fun.
Zach Gilbert: Sure.
Tom Bellen: I found that out on Father’s day. It was a few years ago when that happened, so I got that going on. But also this week was the release, which was a little more fun, and the Oscars, so it’s an exciting time for my podcast because we get to talk my movie trivia. We’ve got Oscars-related stuff, and we have the whole release to go through, so I’ll just jump into the release and talk about that. It was the 8.7 release that we had. We also had, sticking to the movie theme a little again. The second episode of our little software’s story, which is leading to a change in software, that dark mode which has come up, so we’ll keep getting that saga going until we get there.
Tom Bellen: The 8.7 release came out, a lot of big things into this. One of the biggest thing, and I know our support team, Jeremy and Joe, very excited about it, was the data tool. Data migration is one of the biggest pains, problems with any migration to the software. Any demo, anywhere you’re talking about, it’s like, “Well, how do we get our data in?” Or it’s even current customers is, “How do I get my data updated?” Or, “We’re bringing in a new business, a new group.” We have customers who sometimes acquire other groups. It’s like, “Great, well how do I get that in?” So, we’ve tried to work on those importers over time, but this tool really gives people the ability to control the data once it’s in the system, instead of messing within Excel, because everyone uses Excel, but Excel does a lot of weird things.
Tom Bellen: So, this gives people a lot more control and actually validate against the data within the database. So check is that company in there, if this column isn’t in there I can just append it. If you’re bringing companies over, you usually don’t have on them like a market. So, you can just depend a market instead of messing with an Excel and who knows what things happen there, checking similarity, doing direct import. So, really I think it’s going to help our current customers if they do migration , future customers and honestly a lot of our support team on reducing the cost and errors within data, because that’s, fun part.
Tom Bellen: We have a couple of other changes that have been at with orders too. Other big thing, we release now people more to access to the new dashboard. This is also going to be a process, a few more releases to go into that, but this is more of your own drag and drop, move it around, build gadgets all over the place dashboard, and widgets I should say, which because the name of widgets, so we still need to migrate all of the current gadgets into a widget format.
Tom Bellen: We’re going to add links to those, so I know the big one Aging Report. It can link directly to that report, but it’s really making more of eventually your homepage, your own and what exactly you want to see and we’re getting good feedback on that. Tie into that too, we’ve made some more changes in Metabase. We’ve actually got a lot more customers starting to use Metabase, which is great. It’s a really helpful tool to just build nice reports out of all the tables that you have, all the data, you can build specialized things, group however you want, and you can actually embed that in MagHub today. We’re going to see if we can introduce that into the dashboard, it’s possible we’ll take a look into that. If not, you can always just embed it into the current Metabase dashboard. I’m just going through that part.
Tom Bellen: So excited about that. Also continue to expand on the vendor side, in allowing vendors to access tickets through in vendor center. So if you do have someone who’s working on a ticket and they’re outside there and your bill, they pay them to help. That you can give them access to the ticket, they can update the status directly, so they don’t have to be a user of the system. This all ties really in well to the service items. If you sell design services, but you’re not actually providing that design service, you have a freelancer, you can actually automatically purchase orders, and create the invoices, and they can update the tickets right through all the site. All basically just by getting the order approved, you don’t have to do anything else. It’ll automatically sign it, they’ll know what to do. Tying to that part, the next big step is paying those vendors.
Tom Bellen: We’ve been working for a while about our a third party group Tuwallah, about paying out vendors. We’ve actually introduced that capability a while ago, but it’s just been a process of just, dotting the I’s, crossing the T’s, to actually make sure to get verified, so we can process payments and we’re working through that now. So hopefully we’ll get through this point and I think in the next month or so people will actually be able to do that, so you can pay the vendor. One big part of getting past all those hurdles is the password management. I know this is probably going to be one of our least liked changes that we’ve done, but it is a necessary evil of your password, can’t be just password, or your cat’s birthday, or just a street address unless your street address has special characters in it.
Tom Bellen: In that case it could, I don’t know if there is any street addresses with an ampersand in it, but if you do then it could be your street address. But, you will have, if you reset your password or more restrictive password. So it’s no fun, but I think people are pretty much used to it nowadays. If you go to anywhere, you’re going to have a password that has to be a certain character length and if certain requirements into it, but you know, can’t reuse the same password. So just making sure that stuff’s in there. So, increasing some of the security and those other items in there, building out in the dashboard, the vendor stuff, just continually the proof of the things that we’ve done.
Tom Bellen: We’ve added a couple other tweaks into the system, just for things like the emails, adding order tags, email templates, and being able to, again removing the start time on drip campaigns and things. So, we’re still doing some other smaller changes along with it. But over the next few releases. We’re going to do a lot of bigger ticket items, focusing on that versus some of the smaller changes. So very exciting, I’m very excited for our next release, which will be 9.0 as well. There’s going to be some game changers in there that I can’t wait to see how it all works out. But Zach, your opinion, is there anything particular in this release that you thought was exciting? I guess that’s a no.
Zach Gilbert: No, I am sorry I wasn’t with you for a second. But you did miss my favorite part, which was moving automation out of the settings tab and moving into its very own tab marketing.
Tom Bellen: Yes.
Zach Gilbert: Very exciting.
Tom Bellen: That, and I know you were excited, it was a fixed release branch too. We removed this start time requirement drip campaigns, and we did move automation to marketing, and it’s actually in marketing contacts, sales and tickets. We broke it up, so the different workflows that are related to that are accessible. So if you do have somebody who you want to start using automation but you don’t want him to send out a mass mail drip campaign. For example, we probably don’t want Jeremy sending something out to a mass mail drip campaign that could be scary. But, he does have full access to the ticketing workflow. So he spits all of the support tickets, stuff up. Or again, if you want sales team to be able to set up things for contacts like, “Hey in actives notify me.” Great, but they can’t go and set up a ticket workflow to mess up Jeremy’s stuff.
Tom Bellen: So, he’s moving out to make it more accessible to users and also segmenting it so people can get to the workflows that they really need to work on. I know you’re excited about the marketing tab.
Zach Gilbert: I am, very much so.
Tom Bellen: There in that case. Also exciting, I know we’ve had some back and forth sides just released this week which was about the Oscars, and I know one movie we both really enjoyed was Knives Out. You shared that with me to be able to watch it. That was a very good movie, I don’t know if there are any other Oscar movies or things that you saw from the Oscar’s, Zach that was intriguing to you.
Zach Gilbert: So, actually I didn’t watch the Oscars sorry. I did see Jojo Rabbit, watched that and it’s been good. My biggest thing like I said, I’ve watched Knives Out first, and that set a really high bar, and there’s been very few things that have touched that bar lately. I thought it was just a phenomenal movie, anyone listening to this podcast, please go watch Knives Out. It’s phenomenal, the music is amazing, the whole atmosphere of the movies really well done, the acting is phenomenal. It should’ve won everything, but that’s just me.
Tom Bellen: Everything, wow! It sort of won. Well, it can have won, it was original screenplay by Rian Johnson, so it couldn’t have been adapted screenplay, so that’s just being ridiculous. I don’t know how you would’ve think it won best sound editing, but I think you’re being a little crazy, but I get it. It was very interesting. I really like Rian Johnson, Loopers one of my favorite movies, that was very good. Ice, Jojo Rabbit, I like Taiki Waititi, I mess up his name all the time.
Zach Gilbert: Taiki Waititi.
Tom Bellen: He’s great. I really liked those guys who got nominated. I am going to see Parasite, which won best picture tonight, so I’m excited to see that. If you’re a war film, so 1917 was supposed to win, I haven’t seen it, I’m sure it’s great. Seems very interesting how they did it. I’m glad that the Academy teams last for years, they’ve been trying to branch out on their winners, which they did. They just don’t give it to everyone, they usually do. Give it to Quintin Tarantino or Scorsese. So, I appreciate the Oscars for that, obviously they don’t give it to any women. Oh, shouldn’t have said that, get too political.
Zach Gilbert: I’m like-
Tom Bellen: I know I had to go there, but that was good. So are there any other movies that you are interested in seeing that was in the Oscars, that you’re trying to? Or are you?
Zach Gilbert: I do like the Irish man, I thought that was a really well done movie, especially for a Netflix movie. I understand the CGI of the aging actors was good, but just seeing Joe Pesci, again in a movie was phenomenal and he’s just a terrific actor in my opinion. So I really enjoyed-
Tom Bellen: Did you get through that in one sitting? Because I started to watch it.
Zach Gilbert: Absolutely.
Tom Bellen: Oh my God, it’s so long.
Zach Gilbert: They’re so good, it is long. I would have to agree, but I don’t think there’s a short Martin Scorsese movie out there, at least not to my knowledge. But I’m trying to see if there’s anything else. We’ve seen most of the movies-
Tom Bellen: Did you see Little Women?
Zach Gilbert: So Emily saw it. Emily, my wife is a big fan of Little Women. She’s huge fanatic of it, and she actually took my daughter to watch it, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. So I guess it was really good. I have not seen it yet though. I will, when it comes out in physical copy.
Tom Bellen: Well, I know my wife really wants to see it. I was a fan of the version with Winona Ryder and Christian Bale back in the day. My wife though, she really liked. I think Christian Bale is, it’s not, I’m forgetting the name. I know like Joe is the main girl and then like Leslie, or something, Sky, not sure. But she’s not a fan of the guy who plays that character in this new one, so she has to get over that, and she doesn’t like that Timothy dude, she says looks too weird for her. So, she has to get over that part of it, but what a power couple. You have Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, who did marriage story. They’re together now, geez, they’re going to just take over the world, they can move together.
Tom Bellen: Their marriage story was good too. But, what’s interesting about obviously this Oscars. Well first, one thing that didn’t get nominated for an Oscar, Cat Fact. If you did watch the Oscars, so two of the people who were in the movie Cats, which I need to see just out of curiosity more than anything curious, but it killed somebody, I know of a cat. Rebel Wilson and James Cordon came out in like their cat outfits and it was about like graphics, because they look terrible. It’s like this is why it’s important to have like good CGI stuff, but they came out there. But the question is, did you know, so the musical Cats, which obviously though the movie was based off of, was based off of a T.S Elliot poems, called Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats?
Zach Gilbert: Oh.
Tom Bellen: So that’s where the original musical Cats was based off of a T.S Eliot poem. So, just the weirdest thing, I’ve never seen it nor heard it. I know the song memories, but I’ve no interest in that. I’ve always heard people say it’s famous because it’s famous, but nobody actually likes Cats.
Zach Gilbert: Sure.
Tom Bellen: So, nobody likes the musical Cats and no one actually likes real cats.
Zach Gilbert: That’s true.
Tom Bellen: But, that was one fun part of the Oscars. But yeah, so the winner though Parasite, which I’ll see tonight. Was obviously the first International Film ever to win Best Picture. There have been 10 International Films ever nominated, and I guess before they were Foreign Language Films, this was the first one they call them International Films. This was the first year, changed it from Foreign Language as a category to International, but there was 10 nominated before, and I think we all know they’re famous.
Tom Bellen: But my question is what was the first ever International Film nominated for an Academy Award? When I was first looking out for this, I don’t know exactly, can you think of one off top of the head, that you think would be? Do you know the answer to this, I should say? Do you know what the first one is?
Zach Gilbert: So, I don’t know the answer. But is that a trick question? I mean you just said this is the first time they called the International, so wouldn’t it be this movie?
Tom Bellen: Well fine, I’m including Foreign Language Films.
Zach Gilbert: Okay.
Tom Bellen: They’ve changed the table, so of all time they’re going back.
Zach Gilbert: Okay.
Tom Bellen: But anyway-
Zach Gilbert: Just got to make sure,
Tom Bellen: Fine. The First Foreign Language, if you want this case, this was the first winner. What would you think would be the first one nominated? Because the first one that popped in my head, but obviously it shows my age, but-
Zach Gilbert: I can honestly tell you I have no idea, I do not.
Tom Bellen: So I originally was like, well maybe it was Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Because I remember that was a phenomenon when it came out. But it’s not that, so don’t post that, you’ll have to look it up. It is not Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon that was nominated for that. I always remember that was a big thing. But I am excited to see Parasite tonight.
Tom Bellen: So again, if you can say the answer, that was the first Foreign Language Film/International Film, ever nominated for best picture at the Academy awards and tweet that @MagHub. We will give you a prize, we do have a winner from our last podcast, very excited about. So we’ll send their prize out, so there are prizes, this is a real thing. You can win a prize.
Zach Gilbert: And you choose it?
Tom Bellen: I choose the prize, so you know it’s fun. It’s actually going to be my cat, I’m shipping you my cat. Get rid of my cat, but Tom. But yeah, we’re set for that. So obviously our next podcast will be super exciting because it’s going to be our 9.0 release. So we’re moving up. Have closing thoughts, comments you want to tell to the people, Zack,
Zach Gilbert: So, everybody look forward to the MagHub Fall Forum, golden tickets. You probably heard about it at the webinar. So, just so you know, we are direct mailing basically 150 letters written by our CEO Rudy Pataro, with a golden ticket that our creative director Claire designed really cool in honor of Willy Wonka Charlie and Chocolate Factory. So, it’s basically a cooler promotion, also just explaining the benefits of why you should attend the MagHub Fall Forum, what you and your team will get out of it. Overall it’s a really cool value. We’re doing a lot of great stuff this year, this year we are renting Wrigley, we have a suite at Wrigley for all of our attendees. Food, and drinks, with supper will be provided throughout the time, which is nice. A lot of great panels and a lot of great workshops. So you can get your hands dirty with MagHub.
Zach Gilbert: You’ll also see a lot of what’s happening. I will also say, we get a lot of feedback about, how MagHub should respond and how it should work. The good thing with the forums, it’s a great way to voice your thoughts and get feedback. A lot of changes that have happened to MagHub, since the last few forums have come from the forum. So I would definitely recommend, if you can attend, please do. It’s just made for all departments, we have a sales production, it’s description, all those types of folks who are attending, admin, finances. It really is something for everybody, and we try to make sure that everybody has, they’re not feeling left out and I think you’ll really enjoy it. So, that’s all I have.
Tom Bellen: All right. Awesome. Well, have a good Valentine’s day everybody, hug somebody you love, or do something or buy chocolates and this podcast is officially over bye!
