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At ADDO this year, we've done a lot (like a lot a lot) of thinking, work, and analysis around how remarkable guest experiences help brands grow over the long-term. Along this journey, we've discovered invaluable insights.
Such as, isn’t it interesting how the businesses that grow fastest focus primarily on building and growing a cultlike following? It's almost like financial growth shows up as a byproduct of that primary aim. These rare companies obsess over creating products people love, experiences people can’t imagine living without, and moments that make people feel something real.
So, we decided it's a worthwhile endeavor to gather a small group of trusted leaders into a room to talk about just that: How impactful brands can shift their perspective to create authentic experiences that Make Guests Feel Something.
Towering over the Atlanta Braves Stadium, the TK Elevator Elevation Room offers stunning panoramic views, sleek modern design, and an inviting atmosphere, making it the perfect space to connect with industry leaders.
In 1977, Tim Tassopoulos began his career at Chick-fil-A as a Restaurant team member. In 1983 Tim joined the Support Center staff as a Business Consultant, and took on the primary responsibility to help solve one of the company’s greatest business challenges – evolving Chick-fil-A Restaurants from a mall concept into free-standing locations. During his tenure at Chick-fil-A, Tim served as Director of Field Operations, Vice President of Operations, Senior Vice President of Operations, and Executive Vice President of Operations.
In 2016, Tim was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer and led the company’s senior leadership team, the Executive Committee. Tim retired from Chick-fil-A in December 2023, after 46 years of service. Tim is a native of Atlanta. He is married to Maria and has two sons, Luke and Nicholas.
Sean Ellis is one of the earliest and most influential growth experts in the world.
He coined the term “growth hacking,” invented the ICE prioritization framework, and, most famously, developed the Sean Ellis Test for product-market fit (which a large percentage of founders use today to track if they’ve found PMF).
Over the course of his career, Sean was head of growth at Dropbox and Eventbrite; helped companies like Microsoft and Nubank refine their growth strategy; was on the founding team of LogMeIn, which sold for over $4 billion; and is the author of one of the most popular growth books of all time, Hacking Growth, which has sold over 750,000 copies.
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Watkins is a globally recognized brand and growth leader with more than two decades of experience transforming iconic companies at the intersection of culture, creativity, and commerce.
Previously, she was Global CMO of Jordan Brand at Nike, where she helped power double-digit growth for one of the world’s most influential brands, and Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Aflac, where she led the company through digital transformation and record-setting brand performance. She's held senior leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, Procter& Gamble, and Fiserv.
An award-winning executive producer and Cannes Lions and Clio winner, Shannon has been recognized by Adweek, American Marketing Association, Brand Innovators, She Runs It, and the New York Stock Exchange for her leadership and impact.
Shannon lives in Atlanta with her husband and daughter Zoie and is passionate about using brand as a force for economic and social change.
Wrong On Paper, co-hosted by Aaron Fossas (VP, ADDO) and David Salyers (Former VP of Marketing, Growth and Hospitality at Chick-fil-A), is a conversational storytelling podcast.
The premise is simple: we tell the true stories of business ideas that looked “wrong on paper” at the time - strategies that seemed naive, risky, inefficient, or downright dumb - but ended up proving to be strategically brilliant, creating disproportionate long-term success.
Every beloved brand has a few defining moments that made no logical sense on paper… until they changed everything.
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Nick Sung is an artistic storyteller whose career bridges the cinematic gates of Pixar and the strategic pulse of global brands. With experience as a story artist at Pixar Animation Studios and Netflix, and creative collaborations with Airbnb and Slack, Nick brings rare insight into how deeply felt experiences are built: one frame and one feeling at a time.
At Pixar, Nick helped shape major films through storyboarding. His work is credited on titles like Ratatouille and Cars 2. At Airbnb, he led a strategic storyboarding initiative named “Project Snow White,” visualizing emotionally resonant moments in the guest and host journeys to align product teams around what people truly feel when they stay at an Airbnb rental.
Doors open
Sessions Begin
Lunch Provided
Closing Remarks
Final Farewell
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