Episode 06: Innovation in Action: Systems, Not Just Sparks

Everyone’s talking about innovation — but why do so few professional services organizations make change that is meaningful and lasting?On this episode of Educated Spaghetti: Marketing Ideas That Stick, innovation expert Lani Beer joins Lise Anne Schwartz to unravel why the biggest challenge isn’t coming up with ideas but building a true culture of innovation.Lani shares lessons from 20 years of transformation work in law, banking, insurance and more. Highlights include: Why “innovation theater” is everywhere, but real outcomes are rare Which human factors make or break AI, technology and change efforts How to prove the ROI of innovation to clients and internal audiences Resources and Mentions Tiny Experiments, by Anne-Laure Le Cunff (see also the Ness Labs Newsletter: https://nesslabs.com/newsletter) The Coaching Habit, by Michael Bungay Stanier One Useful Thing Substack, by Ethan Mollick (https://www.oneusefulthing.org) Section School — AI literacy for business leaders (https://www.sectionai.com/courses) The Donella Meadows Project (https://donellameadows.org) Connect with Lani on LinkedIn Connect with Lise Anne on LinkedIn righthat.com About the Host: Lise Anne Schwartz is an experienced brand strategist and writer known for creating authentic, original work that audiences remember. With 20 years in professional services marketing, she brings a unique blend of perspectives as a former lawyer, journalist, copywriter, and pastry chef. Her strong focus on storytelling and user-driven communications, combined with skills in surfacing key insights from stakeholder and audience interviews, makes her exceptional at bringing complex ideas to life. Having conducted over 100 buyer interviews and earned degrees from Northwestern University and Columbia Law School, Lise Anne regularly writes on professional marketing topics.  About Right Hat: Right Hat is a marketing and design partner driven by curiosity, courage, and optimism to help clients take their communications to new heights. Specializing in communicating the value of complex, intangible offerings like professional services, education, and tech solutions, they serve as brand strategists, website designers, creators of sales tools, and extensions of in-house teams. Through deep industry knowledge and determination to push past the ordinary, Right Hat combines design, content, and digital strategies to bring powerful brands to life with fresh ideas that help clients stand out in crowded markets.