My name is pronounced like R-E-L, and I'm an LA-based foodie, originally from Chicago.

As a social insights lead who has worked both agency-side and brand-side for major entertainment brands - from Disney to now Live Nation - I specialize in understanding entertainment fandom across social media, from TV and film audiences to today's live music ecosystem of fans, artists, concertgoers and the press.

My job is to transform millions of online data points into clear stories and strategic recommendations for Live Nation.

I studied the intersection of psychology and legal studies at Scripps College and I actually began my career in jury consulting. I found the mock trials to be super fascinating which led me to traditional qualitative and quantitative research on the agency side.

I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to apply my skills at Disney and now Live Nation.

I'd say the framework is very similar, but the definition of influence, the purchase journey, and speed of trends are all interpreted differently across industries.

For instance, in entertainment, a single fan theory can drive and influence conversation, whereas in beauty a creator review can shift purchase behavior. For the purchase journey, a ticket buyer and a streaming viewer will both talk online, but their path from discovery to decision looks very different.

When it comes to the speed of trends, one meme can peak and disappear within hours, while reputation issues can evolve over weeks or months depending on the industry.

"Social listening is only for social media teams." The best insights often inform content, PR, partnerships, product, customer experience and executive strategy - not just social posts.

Another misconception is that "dashboards create insights". Dashboards certainly help our team organize data, but true learnings and insights come from connecting patterns, asking better questions and providing actual context.

The comment section is truly a gold mine of insights!

Dashboards measure attention; Comment sections reveal intention (what they cared about enough to share out loud).

Dashboards often explain WHAT happened, but comment sections pay attention to WHY it happened. Comment sections uncover the nuance: the underlying emotion, what inside joke or cultural reference resonated, the source of confusion or what people want to see next.

"Engagement increased X%; Sentiment also increased X%." These standalone metrics don't answer the business question. It's important to include context around WHAT changed and WHY it worked. Yes, it looks strong in a deck, but share of voice and qualitative context is super important.

Comments are becoming the new focus group. Brands often obsess over likes and shares, but the richest insights are right in the comment section.

Also, search is becoming as important as the feed. People aren't just scrolling; they're also Google searching which demonstrates intent and interest.

TikTok is probably my favorite platform to analyze because it's where culture often surfaces before it becomes mainstream. The comments, trends, audio, creator conversations and search behavior reveal what people are emotionally connecting with and why.

A close second would be Reddit because the conversations are often deeper and more intentional. Fans are debating, building theories and showing the communities forming around a piece of content. It's less about volume and more about understanding true fandom and underlying motivations.

If there’s someone doing interesting work in social intelligence, social listening, or audience insights - or if that someone is you! - we’d love to hear about it.

Nominate someone (or yourself) to be featured in the next In the comments with… interview 👇

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