Meeting People Where They Are with Marcy Ullom of VitaGlide

Apr 15

Marcy Ullom is CEO of VitaGlide, the manufacturer & distributor of the VitaGlide exercise and rehab machine for people with limited lower body movement.

In this episode of Let's Talk Limbic Sparks, Marcy reveals how helping people starts with meeting them where they are. We talk about why it's so important to listen to customers, to understand to their goals, and to embrace their ideas. She shares that you not only need to hear what they are saying, but that you need to listen for the emotional undertone, which is even more telling about what they are striving to achieve.

Marcy describes both the ambition and challenges she and her husband Hugh have navigated since purchasing VitaGlide, revitalizing the brand, and improving the product's functionality for users. We also discuss marketing for VitaGlide, which prioritizes emotional benefits over product features, so that potential customers feel like it's designed with them in mind.

Key Takeaways and Soundbites:

“Every time I talk with a customer it's something that makes me keep doing what it is that we're doing.”

“If you're not listening to your customers, you're not doing your job.”

“You want to help people. You want to make people have a better life. You want to improve what they are experiencing everyday.”

“We get where you are... we want our potential clients to see, we get where you are.”

“I think this whole business of emotional connection is absolutely key in any product.”

“People want to be able to look at a product and have some understanding of how is that going to make a difference in my life. And the only way you can do that is through an emotional connection.”

“I think people are missing the point. It's easy to do features. It's harder to do emotion.”

“You've gotta talk to people. You've gotta talk, talk, talk, talk, talk to people... to try to pick their brain to find out what it is that drives them.”

“You've gotta hear, what's a customer's problems, what do they want, what do they need. They may be saying certain things, but there's always an emotional undertone. So you've got to listen to what that undertone is.”

Here are some fun facts about Marcy…

Marcy Ullom is the CEO of VitaGlide, LLC, a unique, biomechanically correct exercise device designed to build cardio, strengthen, and condition those with limited mobility. A ‘reluctant’ CEO, Marcy has nevertheless worked to leverage her background and experience in building a business that focuses on helping individuals live their best life.

With a doctorate in adult and continuing education, Marcy spent over 40 years engaged in continuing and professional development and online education. Building educational programs to marketing to developing partnerships, she worked in both private and public universities, a small tech start-up and a global educational corporation.

Active in the community, she is a 33-year member of Rotary International, serving in multiple leadership positions and is committed to service both locally and globally.