Lodema Steinbach has innovation in her blood. Her grandfather invented the popsicle—and when it didn’t take off fast enough, he paid neighborhood kids to ask for it in stores until demand caught up. That kind of outside-the-box thinking stuck with her. Today, Lodema holds 13 patents. She also credits a family legacy of resourceful inventors for teaching her that true innovation often comes from incremental change.

Lo, as she is known to friends, began her career selling cell phones at The Good Guys, managed call centers for Restoration Hardware, and eventually found her way into the messaging space. From Vodafone, Verizon, Twilio and now as VP of Carrier Relations and Commercial Messaging Products at Sinch , Lodema has helped steer the industry through the slow transformation of messaging—from a legacy product to a platform for trust, identity, and rich customer experiences.

And in this edition of One Expert, One Topic, she talks about why innovation in messaging means showing up, staying curious, and sometimes just sending the same message—but with your name and logo on it.

About The Series

This is the twenty-sixth installment in the One Expert, One Topic series, where field experts select a topic and share essential insights using Matt Abrahams’ What/So-What/Now-What format. Delivered in written form, it gives you time to absorb the topic at your own pace—and guides you on where to go next.

What

Innovation in messaging doesn’t always mean reinventing the medium—it can mean making legacy products work better. Lodema calls this “innovation by renovation.” For years, the messaging space has been defined by constraints: 160 characters, limited formats, legacy billing. But the journey of A2P messaging technologies like 10DLC, toll-free messaging, and now RCS are changing that.

RCS in particular represents a moment where the industry finally gets to shift from utility to experience. Whether it’s adding branding and delivery receipts or building full app-like interactions, RCS meets businesses where they are—and lets them evolve from there.

As Lodema puts it: it can be simple, or it can be complex. You can send the same message you always have, but now with brand trust baked in. Or you can build a rich experience with carousels, images, and buttons. Either way, the rails are ready.

So What

The shift is already underway. Your competitors are going to use RCS. The question is whether you’re going to lead—or follow.

Lodema warns that businesses still stuck in “just messaging” mode are missing the bigger opportunity: RCS is not a speculative technology. It’s here. It’s working. And consumers are already responding. The ability to send a message with verified branding, full metadata, and interaction built in isn’t a someday feature—it’s a now feature. And the patent office isn’t closed for innovation in messaging.

She urges developers, startups, and brands to stop waiting and start playing. Innovation starts when you do.

Now What

If you’re a business exploring RCS, find a good partner—like Sinch or another active CPaaS provider—and start learning. You don’t need to deploy something complex. Start with what you already send. Add your brand. See what changes. Then build from there.

For more learning, Lodema recommends:

●  Attending Sinch’s RCS webinars where you can ask questions live

●  Reading industry reports and case studies from MEF and Gartner

●  Studying real-world customer stories—because yes, the impact is real

And if you’re ready to connect directly, you can reach Lodema via LinkedIn or explore more at Sinch.com.